Kang may be the big reveal here, but 'Quantumania' will make you want to look out for more of the little guys. – Photos: Walt Disney Studios Malaysia
Like its main protagonist Scott Lang, the Ant-Man franchise seems to have an uncanny knack for showing up right after some of the most pivotal moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The first Ant-Man was released in 2015, right after the Earth-shaking events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, after which he got a giant-sized cameo in Captain America: Civil War.
The second, Ant-Man And The Wasp, was released right after Avengers: Infinity War, which of course, ended with the shocking twist of Thanos snapping half the universe out of existence.
And now, fresh off a game-changing, universe-saving stint on Avengers: Endgame that ended the 'Infinity Saga', Scott is back to kickstart the 'Multiverse Saga' with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, the first movie of the MCU’s Phase Five.
Hey Cassie, here's your first lesson as a superhero, always mind your Stature.
In Quantumania, Scott (played with ineffable charm by Paul Rudd) is basking in his fame as one of the Avengers who saved the universe, is in a relationship with the highly-succesful Hope Van Dyne a.k.a The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), and has even written a book about his adventures as Ant-Man.
Now, all he wants is to spend more time with his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), having been stuck in the Quantum Realm for five years as a result of the Blip caused by Thanos’ snap.
But peaceful times don’t last long for superheroes, and Scott soon finds himself sucked back into the Quantum Realm along with Cassie, as well as Hope and her parents – the previous generation’s Ant-Man and Wasp, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer).
There, they discover a whole new world that exists outside of space and time, and ruled by the fearsome Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). As it turns out, Janet also has some secrets about her time stuck alone in the Quantum Realm, and now, they will have to face her past and fight for their future together, as a family.
Great, we finally get to be father and daughter again and now we're stuck in the Quantum Realm
As far as Ant-Man movies go, this is without doubt it’s biggest ever (even though it’s set in the tiniest space imaginable). His first two movies felt more like little fillers within the context of the MCU. His foes were more down to earth ones, his adventures never really endangered the safety of the planet or threatened to tear apart the fabric of space and time.
All that changed with Endgame. In that movie, Ant-Man successfully transitioned to the big leagues (big in more senses of the word than one), and it is only fair that his next solo movie goes big as well
And you don’t get bigger in the MCU than being the first superhero to face off against the next Thanos-level MCU villain – Kang!
Whatever you do, don't call him an oversized Smurf.
Kang has already been earmarked as the MCU’s next great threat – the next Avengers movie even has his name on it - Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, due in 2025, and Majors is set to play Kang and ‘Variants’ of the same character across the Multiverse Saga.
We’ve already seen him as a Variant called He Who Remains in the Disney+ series Loki, but this time around, he plays the Variant that is supposedly the most powerful and most ruthless of them all.
And boy does he deliver a performance that is worthy of that description – one full of power and threat, but also emotion, frustration, and a simmering rage that always seems on the verge of erupting. You truly believe this could be the next Thanos-level villain, and he will leave you wanting to see more of Kang.
Hey Ant-Man, how do you avoid getting helmet hair when you wear the suit?
Having Ant-Man as the first Avenger to face this major villain might seem like a mismatch at first, but funnily enough, Scott’s regular family man shtick works perfectly as a foil to Kang’s dominating persona.
Rudd’s Scott Lang has always felt like a regular guy PRETENDING to be a superhero rather than actually being one, but that’s what makes him so likeable as a hero in the first place. He may look completely out of place amongst the other titans of the MCU like Thor, Captain America and Iron Man, but Rudd plays him with an earnestness and naivety that is both charming and funny at the same time.
The fact that his main concern here is his family, and not saving the universe is a great contrast to Kang’s grand ambition, and Rudd’s performance, as well as that of Lilly, Douglas, Newton and Pfeiffer help to ground the movie, despite its otherworldly setting.
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...
And what a setting that is. The Quantum Realm itself is a psychedelic wonder to behold, full of colour and mystery, housed under an ominously forbidding, swirling ‘sky’ that somehow makes even the most vast expanses and landscapes still feel a little claustrophobic.
If there’s anything I could gripe about, it would be that Lilly isn’t given more to work with, considering she has second billing next to Rudd. Yes, her Wasp is competent, assured and plays an important role in the story, but most of the time she felt more like a sidekick to Scott rather than the equal she deserves to be.
Van Dyne family road trips tend to start out small. REALLY small.
Still, the combination of the warm Lang/Van Dyne family dynamic, Kang’s overwhelming presence and this fantastical sci-fi setting sets Quantumania apart from many other MCU movies, especially the ones in the previous Phase Four. It’s a huge blockbuster with the MCU’s next Big Bad, filled with small moments and starring the tiniest Avengers of them all, and a fitting start to the MCU’s Phase Five.
It also has the surprising effect of making you want to see more of Ant-Man and The Wasp. Kang may be the big reveal here, but Quantumania will make you want to look out for more of the little guys.
Summary:
Score one for the little guy
