Even though there have been problems with the directors and Zack Snyder famously called “Ant-Man” a “flavor of the week” in an interview in 2017, Marvel’s “Ant-Man” franchise has shown that it can last. Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd, is back with his partner Hope, played by Evangeline Lilly, in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania.” Scott has been in two of his own movies and had a big part in “Avengers: Endgame.”
But unlike the first two, smaller parts, “Quantumania” takes the heroes deep into the fantastic quantum realm, where they find a whole new world full of strange creatures and strange new friends and foes. From there, the amazing Ant-Man and the charming Wasp meet Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), one of Marvel’s most dangerous bad guys, and must decide whether to help him in order to get back to their own world.
If you were amazed by “Quantumania” and all the amazing, out-of-this-world places it took you, here are a few more movies that will keep you in that small-minded, science fiction mindset. Get ready for a trip through time, space, and other dimensions. Here are 12 movies like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania” that explore fantastic worlds.
Annihilation (2018)
A group of scientists working together to explore a strange, otherworldly place where danger and death lurk around every corner? Check. A trio of MCU fan favorites? Again, check. All of this comes together in “Annihilation,” a psychological horror movie written and directed by Alex Garland. In some ways, “Annihilation” is like what you’d get if you mixed “Quantum Mania” with some strange sci-fi ideas. This is the sequel to Garland’s 2014 A.I. hit “Ex Machina,” which starred Oscar Isaac. It stars Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, and Isaac in a smaller role.
The movie starts with Kane (Isaac), a scientist and military veteran who went on a special ops mission and never came back. But when he suddenly comes back under strange circumstances and starts getting sick, his wife Lena (Portman) is determined to find out what happened. When Lena finds out about Kane’s original mission, she puts together a team of highly trained experts to look into a place called “The Shimmer,” which is a strange phenomenon that started where a meteor hit and has been growing ever since.
“Annihilation” is a scary story with equal parts adventure, wonder, and high concept horror that defies the imagination. It also looks at the human condition as much as it does the fantastic world it takes place in. It was one of the biggest surprises of 2018. Many people didn’t think much of it because it went straight to Netflix in many countries, but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful science fiction journeys of the decade.
Avatar (2009)
Since it’s the most successful movie ever, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen James Cameron’s masterpiece from 2009. But if you haven’t seen it yet, it should be near the top of your list of movies to watch after the third “Ant-Man” movie. Even though you won’t be able to see it in the original 3D format, it’s much more than just a gimmick that you have to wear glasses to see. Even without the “so close you can touch it” technology, the film’s crazy visual effects pull viewers into the world of Pandora, which is one of the most fantastical worlds ever made for a movie.
The Na’vi are a peaceful people who live on a faraway alien world. They don’t know anything about war, greed, or avarice. But when a group of evil corporate mercenaries come to their lush world to take what they can from it, the Na’vi have to defend their home. One of the soldiers, Jake Sully, is paralyzed and learns to understand and respect the Na’vi and their simple way of life. Sully goes against orders and helps the people of Pandora fight off a military invasion.
“Avatar,” which starred Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Sam Worthington, and Zoe Saldana, made an incredible $2.7 billion during its first run. Even though it took 10 years for “Avatar: The Way of Water” to come out, a third and fourth movie could come out soon.
Chaos Walking (2021)
“Chaos Walking” took people to a different place than “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” In “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” Scott Lang and his family went on an epic journey through an otherworldly realm that was hidden in our own.
In this film by Doug Liman, people are shown a fantastic world in the far future that is ravaged by disease and death and plagued by things that seem almost supernatural. In this place called “New World,” there are no more women, and the men who are left have a curse called “The Noise,” which lets all living things hear each other’s thoughts.
People in this New World are fighting a big war against a group of strange beings called the Spackle. In Prentisstown, we meet Todd Hewitt, played by Tom Holland. He is a young man who meets a strange woman named Viola, played by Daisy Ridley. Todd has never seen a woman before. It’s clear right away that Viola is being chased, and it’s up to Todd to keep her safe. However, as they travel, Todd learns something shocking that makes him question everything he knows about the world.
“Chaos Walking” is a dystopian story with a lot of history and lore. At times, it may feel like a sequel to a movie that hasn’t been made yet. But Ridley and Holland, as well as Mads Mikkelson and David Oyelowo, give charming performances that make the movie a fully immersive, unique world.
Coraline (2009)
“Coraline” is a sci-fi/fantasy movie with an amazing world at its heart. It may not have the PG-13 thrills and deadly dangers of “Quantum Mania’s” Kang the Conqueror, but “Coraline’s” fantastic quest will give you the same sense of awe and imagination. Plus, it was written by the famous Neil Gaiman, who made DC’s “The Sandman” and Marvel’s “1602.” This means that it is backed by a comic book star.
“Coraline” is a stop-motion animated movie about a little girl who feels like her parents don’t pay enough attention to her. When they move her to a new town, she finds it hard to fit in, but her luck changes when a new neighbor gives her a magic doll. This doll takes her to a magical world that is a lot like her own, but has some strange and scary differences. Her Other Parents have button eyes like her doll, but they pay much more attention to her and give her the love she needs so badly. But when she turns down a strange offer to stay there forever, Coraline finds out that things aren’t what they seem and that her Other Mother has bad plans for her own world.
“Coraline” is fun because it has some of the cutest animation you’ve ever seen and a great cast of voice actors, including Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, and Ian McShane. Even if you think you want an over-the-top sci-fi superhero adventure, this is the perfect movie to watch with your little ones.
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Incredible shrinking explorers have been in fiction for a long time. Before “Ant-Man,” there were many movies with tiny explorers. It’s amazing, though, that it took three movies for the Marvel superhero to actually go into the microscopic world. Now that he has, comparisons can be made to “Fantastic Voyage,” which won the Hugo Award for best science fiction adventure in the 1960s.
In “Fantastic Voyage,” the adventurers go small, just like in “Ant-Man,” but this time it’s for a rescue mission of sorts. During the height of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, a Russian agent who has perfected shrinking technology betrays his country to the United States, but is killed in the process. To save him, a group of scientists led by Navy captain Bill Owens (William Redfield) gathers two doctors (Art Kennedy and Donald Pleasance) and a nurse (Raquel Welch) to use a military submarine to shrink down to subatomic size, enter the defector’s body, and save his life from the inside.
Once inside, the team faces surprises from the body’s defenses and the possibility that one of their own members is a saboteur working for the enemy. “Fantastic Voyage” became a sci-fi classic because it was both a truly inspiring adventure and a gripping thriller. Variety called it “an entertaining, enlightening trip through inner space.”
Inception (2010)
Fans of “Quantum Leap” would like a lot of Christopher Nolan’s movies, like the space epic “Interstellar,” but only this 2010 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio takes its heroes into a fantastic world of imagination. This time, Nolan uses the word “imagination” in a literal way as he writes a stunning science fiction story in which the heroes go into people’s dreams. Despite taking place firmly on Earth, the world within the mind is full of spellbinding visuals to rival the Quantum Realm.
In the movie, DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a secret agent who steals information by going into people’s dreams. He is usually hired for corporate espionage, but he is on the run from the police because he was framed for the murder of his wife. When a wealthy client comes to him with a daring and dangerous new mission (invade the dreams of his biggest rival, not to steal information, but to plant an idea in his mind), he can’t say no. Cobb’s criminal record will be erased if he is successful, and he will be able to go back to his family. Cobb puts together a great team and comes up with a clever plan, but if it doesn’t work, he could lose touch with reality for good.
Cobb and his team are on a mission to another world, just like “Quantumania,” but this time it’s a world of dreams where anything can happen. But once more, shocking turns and heartbreaking truths make our heroes scramble to get away before it’s too late.
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
The Wachowskis are the masterminds behind one of the most groundbreaking and important sci-fi stories of our time, “The Matrix.” They know how to create a world where anything is possible. But “The Matrix” took people into a fake reality, while “Jupiter Ascending” is an adventure into the unknown parts of the universe. Even though it never had the same cultural impact as their best work, the film is just as awe-inspiring as their best work. It is led by a normal young woman who is thrown into strange worlds up to her neck.
“Jupiter Ascending,” which stars Mila Kunis from “That ’70s Show,” starts on Earth, where a young Chicagoan named Jupiter Jones becomes the target of space hunters. But when an alien soldier named Caine (Channing Tatum) saves her, she is taken to a faraway world where she finds out that she is part of an ancient royal alien bloodline and has amazing powers she didn’t know she had. But the secret of her ancestry reveals dark secrets and a hidden part of Earth’s past that makes warlords from other planets want to attack her home planet.
“Jupiter Ascending” is a lot more than just a fast-paced space adventure. It is full of social allegory and is about a lot more than just space. It’s also a sharp attack on capitalism and consumerism, and it goes deep into the worst parts of human nature. Even though it didn’t do well at the box office, the movie is an all-out sci-fi extravaganza. It won’t win any awards, but it’s fun from beginning to end.
MirrorMask (2005)
If you’ve seen “Quantum Mania,” “Coraline,” and other well-known sci-fi like that, you might want to find the movie “MirrorMask,” which was written by Neil Gaiman and directed by the artist Dave McKean. It’s a surreal mind trip. Years before she was the main character in the sci-fi drama “Defiance,” Stephanie Leonidas played the lead role in this movie. The Jim Henson Company did the creative effects work.
This movie is also about a young girl, but this time it’s Helena Campbell (Leonidas), who comes from a circus family and just wants a normal life. When Helena’s mother gets a serious illness, she goes on a guilt trip and wakes up in a strange, otherworldly place. There, Helena meets strange people, some of whom look like her parents or other people from the real world. She is supposed to find a magical artifact called the MirrorMask that can wake up the Queen of Light, who has been sleeping for a very long time. Helena teams up with a juggler named Valentine to finish her quest. She has to face an army of dangerous shadows that want to eat the world.
Gaiman’s dark fantasy takes the audience to another world with its abstract beauty and haunting story that combines parts of “The Wizard of Oz” and “Labyrinth.” Even though it didn’t get much attention when it came out, it’s been a cult favorite for years and was rediscovered after “Coraline” did well.
The Cell (2000)
Find “The Cell” if you want something a little darker, a little more scary, and a lot more strange. If you know anything about this movie, it’s probably because Jennifer Lopez was in it, just a few years after her big break in “Selena.” This sci-fi thriller from 2000 was written by “I Am Legend” writer Mark Protosevich, who was making his directorial debut.
Lopez plays Catherine Deane, a psychologist who uses a revolutionary new technology to get into the minds of people who are in a coma and help them wake up. But when FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) sees Deane’s work, he asks her to help him find a woman who has been taken hostage. Her new job is to get into the mind of serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio) and find out where his latest victim is, who is locked in a death chamber in an unknown place. But inside Stargher’s mind, Deane finds terrifying traps and unimaginable horrors that will do anything to stop her from getting the information she needs.
It’s a mind-bending suspense thriller that goes further than “Inception.” It might not be as exciting as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania,” but it might make you question your own reality. Roger Ebert gave it four stars and said it was “one of the best films of the year.” The movie keeps getting better with time.
Tomorrowland (2015)
In 2019, Disney and director Brad Bird tried to bring the sci-fi theme park “Tomorrowland” to the big screen. Even though there isn’t any shrinking and there aren’t any dreamscapes, the heroes go to a wonderful place that is very different from the real world. The movie, which stars George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, and Kathryn Hahn, looks at a scary parallel world where even the smallest actions could have terrible effects on our own.
In the movie, Casey Newton, played by Robertson, is a young girl who wants to find the mythical land of Tomorrowland. She finally gets help from Frank (Clooney), a disillusioned man who lived in this futuristic parallel world years ago. When they find it, they find that the once-wonderful, idyllic land is starting to fall apart. As they learn more about how it affects their own world, they realize that the only way to save it is to have hope and optimism for their own future.
“Tomorrowland” has more in common with the “Ant-Man” threequels than you might think. It’s a story about saving the world through another dimension, and some of the things that happen break your mind. It didn’t do well at the box office and didn’t get great reviews, so it may be one of the most underrated movies of the last few years. Its clever plot and dizzying images of a far-future futuristic world, like the Quantum Realm, will leave you gasping for air.
Tron: Legacy (2010)
“Tron: Legacy” should be the first thing you watch if you want to explore a new world where few people have been before. Even though it is a direct sequel to the famous 1982 Disney adventure “Tron,” it can stand on its own. The digital frontier is brought into the 21st century with more modern visual effects. It also stars Garrett Hedlund, who, before Chris Evans got the part, was said to be in the running for Captain America in the MCU.
In this movie, Hedlund plays Sam Flynn, whose father was a 1980s video game designer who disappeared for unknown reasons. When Sam finds out that his father has been stuck in the world of his video game “Tron” for all these years, he too is pulled in. He finds a whole virtual world that is unlike anything he could have ever imagined. Sam, with the help of a strange woman named Quorra (Olivia Wilde), must find his father and help start a revolution. He faces a dangerous digital dad double who rules the world, as well as the man who used to be the world’s greatest hero but has become corrupted.
One of the best legacy sequels in recent years has beautiful graphics, jaw-dropping action, and an exciting story. Even though it didn’t start the new trilogy that was hoped for, a third movie starring Jared Leto will come out in 2020.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a good example.
“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” might be the only movie whose look will make you think of “Quantumania.” It’s a lot like the MCU threequel in story, look, and feel. Two young heroes in high-tech space suits go on a journey to a faraway world. It is also based on a French comic book series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres called “Valerian and Laureline.”
This 2017 space adventure is a sprawling epic that stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevigne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, and Ethan Hawke. It was directed by the visionary Luc Besson, whose previous sci-fi hits include “The Fifth Element” and “Lucy.” It takes place in the faraway 28th century and is about a huge city called Alpha where people from a thousand different worlds live together under the watch of the United Human Federation. But when Major Valerian (DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Delevigne), his best soldier, go on a mission to find a rare device, they end up on a collision course with a dangerous new enemy who threatens the peace of the galaxy.
“Valerian” may be the craziest ride you’ll go on after “Quantumania.” Its best parts come from its huge imagination. It is a trip through space and time that assaults the senses. From the beginning to the end, it is full of beautiful alien landscapes and worlds that are truly alien.
