The MCU’s Phase 4 is coming to an end with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, while Phase 5 will begin in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. As of November 2019, Peyton Reed has been contracted to helm the third episode of the show and wrap up the plot of the titular small-but-mighty hero. After Jon Watts’ work on the Spider-Man films, Reed will be the only director in the MCU to finish a trilogy. The 31st Marvel movie is slated to be an epic entry into this next chapter for the character and the entire cinematic universe, even though it is not yet known if this will be Ant-Man’s final outing or not.
In the midst of all the serious or cosmic action in the other films, the underappreciated Ant-Man series has offered some comedic relief. Additionally, it was a crucial foundational element that paved the way for the time-travelling scenes in Avengers: Endgame. After Kevin Feige said during San Diego Comic-Con that the movie is “a direct line to…[Avengers:] Kang Dynasty,” Quantumania is now poised to cause another ripple effect for this upcoming phase. It’s more than appropriate for Quantumania to launch Phase 5 given that the Multiverse has assumed centre stage following Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Here is a handy summary of all the information we currently know about the upcoming Ant-Man movie in preparation for its release early next year.
Editor’s note: The most recent footage and casting news were added to this article on December 4.
When Is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Coming Out?
The start of the upcoming year’s film schedule will be marked by the release of the third Ant-Man movie on February 17, 2023. The date has changed a bit after being temporarily moved to July 28, 2023. However, because Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was further along in the production process, the movie later switched dates with The Marvels.
Watch the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer
On October 24, 2022, Marvel released the long-awaited trailer. The trailer opens with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang basking in his newfound fame and notoriety following the events of Avengers: Endgame, set to Elton John’s “Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road.” Scott and Hope’s (Evangeline Lilly) family are next shown together in the lab experimenting with a device that can apparently send a signal to the Quantum Realm. However, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) has doubts and requests that it be turned off, only for the device to open up and draw everyone into the secret universe. The trailer gives the impression that the third movie will likely spend the majority of its time in the Quantum Realm, despite the fact that it was only briefly mentioned and barely explored in the first two movies. The family will cooperate to try and find a way back home between a secret developed city and a society of people who appear to have survived in the Quantum Realm (including the first look at Bill Murray’s character). The big mic-drop in the trailer is Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, who crosses paths with Scott and is almost certain to cause him problems.
More recently, we also got some new footage from the film during Brazil’s Comic-Con Experience focusing more on Scott, his growth, and his relationship with his daughter. Additionally, it teases the upcoming fight between Ant-Man and Kang, and we can’t wait! Check out the new trailer below:
What Is the Plot of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?
The film’s trailer does its best in keeping most of the plot under wraps, considering the major repercussions that will most likely result from its story. Some teasers were provided during San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, which included Rudd mentioning Scott’s new lease on life as he rides the coattails of fame after helping the Avengers. He even wrote a book called “Look Out for the Little Guy”, which details his role in the events of Endgame similarly to the alleged podcast he has that was referenced in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.
Descriptions of the SDCC exclusive teaser footage from the film showed that this new mindset and priority of Scott’s serves as a potential point of conflict that gets between him and his family, particularly with his daughter Cassie. Interviews with the cast also added that the Scott-Cassie dynamic will be a major plot point with Cassie now being older and Scott having been MIA for five years of her life. Scott must exert all of his efforts to keep his family safe and return home when the entire Lang-Van Dyne family is drawn into the Quantum Realm, especially with the evil Kang, whose influence will last after this film. Marvel has released the following synopsis for the movie:
In the film, which officially kicks off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. Jonathan Majors joins the adventure as Kang.
Who’s In the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Cast?
The film continues with the same powerhouse cast from the 2018 film Ant-Man and the Wasp including Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lily as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne. Kathryn Newton joins the cast as the grown-up version of Cassie Lang (who looks like she might have gotten her own suit and powers), replacing the previously cast Emma Fuhrmann who starred in the role in Avengers: Endgame.
During Brazil’s CCXP 2022 event, Paul Rudd gave us some details on where Scott is in his life as we enter Quantumania. Here’s what he said:
“A lot has changed since the last movie, for sure. For one thing, we saved the universe. That hadn’t happened yet, so now, a lot has transpired since the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp. I think Scott is trying to figure out, ‘Where do we go in life now?’ He’s still very close with his daughter and he’s looking forward to the next chapter, and much like it is in life, the chapters are not what you expect them to be. And so, pretty quickly, a chain of events happens, and we are thrust into a pretty big story.”
Randall Park is confirmed to return as Agent Jimmy Woo, who also starred in the previous film and notably returned in WandaVision. Unfortunately, Scott’s beloved misfit friends Luis, Dave, and Kurt (played by Michael Peña, T.I., and David Dastmalchian respectively) will reportedly not be returning, most likely due to the film predominantly being set in the Quantum Realm. In terms of other comedy actors, Bill Murray made news as a huge addition to the cast in the part of Krylar, a previous acquaintance of Janet Van Dyne.
The second big figure in the roster is Jonathan Majors who will embody the prolific villain of Kang the Conqueror, after previously playing a version of himself, He Who Remains, in last year’s Disney+ series Loki. Extensive excitement surrounding Majors entry as Kang, who will be the new Thanos-level villain for these forthcoming MCU stages, together named the Multiverse Saga. During CCXP 2022, director Peyton Reed commented on the threat Kang posed to the multiverse saying:
“We’re starting off Phase 5 in a big, big way. This is the largest journey that Ant-Man and Wasp have ever gone on. We’re travelling to new areas and we’re confronting an opponent that’s unlike anything they’ve ever experienced — and that includes Thanos. I think that He Who Remains in Loki is significantly different than Kang the Conqueror in our movie. They’re Variants, yet they’re extremely different people. Kang is someone who has control over time, but he conserves his energy. Ant-Man and Wasp will experience firsthand how terrifying he is to cope with.”
The film’s antagonist MODOK will also make an appearance, although the actor who will play him has not yet been identified. This information was also made public during SDCC. Additionally, Gregg Turkington will reprise his part as Dale, a manager at Baskin-Robbins. Additionally, Corey Stoll is rumoured to be returning as some incarnation of Darren Cross/Yellowjacket, the antagonist who was smashed into the Quantum Realm at the conclusion of the first Ant-Man movie’s pivotal final confrontation. William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) has also been cast in the film, according to more recent information, though his role is yet unknown.
When and Where Did Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Film?
The movie’s pre-production started in February 2021, and Cappadocia and other Turkish regions served as the locations for the shooting. At Pinewood Studios in the UK, filming carried on into November. In June 2022, more filming took place in San Francisco.
