Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania‘s first reactions are in and audiences should apparently brace for a very bizarre entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Following the film’s premiere, many critics in attendance flocked to social media to share their initial thoughts on Scott Lang’s latest adventure. Many highlighted the “weird” nature of the Quantum Realm and the story itself, praising director Peyton Reed for leaning into Marvel’s more off-the-wall ideas. Others spotlighted Jonathan Majors as the villainous Kang the Conqueror, noting that his performance was vulnerable, frightening and an excellent centerpiece for the rest of The Multiverse Saga.
In a similar main, star Paul Rudd also earned plenty of accolades for his return as Ant-Man as viewers felt that he went above and beyond for Quantumania. Despite some insisting that the story takes too long to ultimately start, many describe the film as having significantly fewer jokes than other recent Marvel Studios productions, allowing the more dramatic, emotional moments to shine.
One Kang to Rule Them All
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is the third installment in the shrinking hero’s solo franchise and also marks the start of the MCU’s Phase 5. After being whisked away to the alien Quantum Realm, a subatomic universe, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne must find a way to escape, simultaneously avoiding the deadly influence of Kang. Majors’ time-traveling antagonist has already appeared in the franchise, having been introduced in the finale of Loki. While that variant had more altruistic intentions for the multiverse, the version depicted in Quantumania is decidedly more threatening.
“I think jumping off of Loki, where he’s more of a whimsical, unexpected character, we just wanted to break expectations with this third movie,” said writer Jeff Loveness. “I think everyone kind of maybe expected a funnier or a goofier Ant-Man villain, so Peyton and I said, ‘No, let’s put Ant-Man up against the most dangerous villain in the Multiverse, and let’s do the opposite of what you saw in Loki.” Several trailers for Quantumania have already set up Kang as a foe to be reckoned with, depicting the villain seemingly defeating Ant-Man in a brutal all-out brawl.
Fans won’t need to wait too much longer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania as the film arrives in theaters on Feb. 17.
