Quantumania is an enigma from Marvel Studios, which has placed an enormous amount of pressure on director Peyton Reed. Not only has she been tasked with delivering a serious, tone-changing sequel to two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's funniest (and arguably most overlooked) films, but she has also begun the next phase in the Multiverse Saga by introducing a new Thanos threat to mass audiences.
If you haven't followed Marvel's every move, you may be surprised to learn that studio president Kevin Feige has put so much effort behind an Ant-Man film. After all, Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp were both palette cleansers following major Avengers installments, acting as comedic breathers within a more serious overarching narrative. Only after getting out of the Quantum Realm in Endgame did Scott Lang become somewhat more serious.
Peyton Reed's thought of changing Paul Rudd's character from comic relief to bona fide superhero has remained firm. On the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp, the filmmaker started brainstorming what would follow. "We said," at that time, "it would be fun to take a big swing."
Quantumania isn't just a fun, self-contained excursion within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's also the first of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Disney+ series to debut after a pandemic-caused "blip."
Kang Has Arrived
Firstly, there's the introduction to Kang the Conqueror. Before Thanos split the universe away, no one really expected Marvel's villains to be a joke. Only a few, like Loki and Killmonger, had a lasting impact on viewers. Now, there's no need for guesswork when it comes to figuring out who the next Avengers will be.
Quantumania will be the first time Kang himself acts as a true adversary, as both have been portrayed in the somber trailers, and that makes Quantumania crucial to the overall MCU narrative.
Quantumania will bring new people to the screen, as will Bill Murray, William Jackson Harper, and Katy O'Brian, while Quantumania marks our first real encounter with the strange, psychedelic Quantum Realm, a world that might be lucrative new playground for future Marvel stories.
Reed told Total Film that it was a massive world-building endeavor, figuring out the laws of physics, the appearance of these environments, the ecosystems, and the living things and sentient beings down there. "It's just teeming with life and civilization, but [it] also has politics and oppression."
Reuniting the Ant-Family
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn't just about beginnings. We've had two Ant-Man films before, and there's a story to continue. There's a story to continue, too, including several other minor characters from Ant-Man's past, as well as a villain who's been completely revamped.
The multiverse of madness played like Marmite; you love it or you hate it. Should Quantumania prove a flop, it's another setback for Marvel as it prepares to shake off a few missed shots. When will people stop watching, after a few missed opportunities?
The first reactions to Majors Kang are, thankfully, positive, with early followers describing him as "terrific" and "endlessly compelling." Others have criticized Quantumania as a "Star Wars character" and that the threequel reintroduced them "back into the MCU." What's either strange or ambitious is the fact that the franchise's smallest heroes can accomplish anything. Ant-Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp.
Quantumania, Ant-Man and the Wasp, will only be available in cinemas on Friday, February 17.