As 2023 has arrived, the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is rapidly approaching. The next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is expected to be released in just over a month worldwide.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is expected to mark the beginning of Marvel Phase 5 and kick off the next stage of the Multiverse Saga with a big impact. While Marvel Phase 4 had some ups and downs, the anticipation for Ant-Man 3 has us hopeful that the franchise may be able to move past its previous challenges.
To find out more about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, scroll down to see all of the important information, including the release date, trailer, full cast list, story details, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the film.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Release Date
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania launches in theaters worldwide on February 17, 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was originally scheduled to be released in late 2022, but the release date was changed due to development issues on The Marvels. According to Variety, Ant-Man 3 is further along in production than The Marvels, which is why it is being released first. However, Quantumania has not been affected by Marvel’s recent movie schedule changes caused by production problems with the Blade reboot, so it is still on track for release.
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Watch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Release Date, Cast, and Trailer
| Release date: | February 17, 2023 (USA) |
| Director: | Peyton Reed |
| Casting Director: | Sarah Finn |
| Cinematography: | Bill Pope |
| Distributed by: | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Editors: | Adam Gerstel, Laura Jennings |
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer
The first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released in October 2022, offering a sneak peek at some exciting moments in the film. One of the most notable moments is the introduction of Kang the Conqueror, who seeks Ant-Man’s help with a task that he is uniquely qualified for (more on that later).
The trailer also gives a glimpse of legendary actor Bill Murray as Krylar, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang in her superhero costume, and the Quantum Realm. While the Quantum Realm was previously seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp, it will be explored more in depth in Quantumania as the film is primarily set in that realm.
It is worth noting that the public trailer differs from the one shown at San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo 2022, which featured another villain, MODOK, and revealed that Kang had killed a version of Ant-Man in another universe. Marvel may have decided to omit these details from the public trailer to avoid revealing too many spoilers.
Marvel also released a trailer called “The Legacy of Ant-Man,” which includes new footage from Quantumania, at Brazil Comic-Con 2022. Another trailer may be released on January 9, with an exclusive look at Quantumania set to debut during the National Championship. Keep an eye out for updates on TechRadar.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Cast
Here’s the confirmed cast for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania so far:
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man
- Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/Wasp
- Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror
- Michael Douglas as Hank Pym
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne
- Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang
- Bill Murray as Krylar
- Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
- David Dastmalchian as Kurt
Spoilers follow for Loki season 1.
Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Randall Park, and David Dastmalchian will all reprise their roles from Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania. Kathryn Newton will also make her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Cassie Lang, taking over the role from Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame. According to the director, Peyton Reed, Cassie is 18 years old.
The most notable new addition to the cast is Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. Majors previously played one of Kang’s variants, He Who Remains, in the season 1 finale of Loki. After He Who Remains’ death, the Sacred Timeline he had been watching over no longer exists, allowing He Who Remains’ variants to enter the MCU, including Kang. Kang is a time traveler with exceptional intelligence who conquers other universes through his combat skills, advanced weaponry, and ability to teleport across the multiverse. Reed described Kang as “someone who has dominion over time, and he’s a warrior and a strategist.”
It is unclear if Michael Peña as Luis, Bobby Cannavale as Jim, Jude Greer as Maggie, or Walton Goggins as Sonny Burch will be returning for Quantumania.
Potential cast spoilers follow. Turn back or skip ahead.
It is currently unknown what role Bill Murray’s character, Krylar, will play in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Murray previously mentioned that he would be playing a “bad guy,” but it was not clear who he would be portraying until recently. There is a Marvel Comics character named Krylar who exists in the Microverse, which may be similar to the Quantum Realm in the film. However, Krylar only had a minor role in The Incredible Hulk #156, released in July 1972, and there is not much information available about the character in the source material. As a result, it is unclear how Murray’s interpretation of Krylar will differ from the original character.
Based on the trailer shown at Comic-Con and D23 Expo, it appears that Krylar has a romantic history with Janet van Dyne, who lived in the Quantum Realm before being rescued by Hank Pym in Ant-Man and the Wasp. When Janet returns to this dimension with her family, she will reunite with her former flame, and it is likely that he will not be eager to let her leave again.
Corey Stoll, who played the antagonist Darren Cross/Yellowjacket in Ant-Man, is set to make a second appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the voice of MODOK. MODOK is a mutated, cybernetically enhanced individual with genius-level intelligence who was the primary antagonist in Marvel’s Avengers video game. MODOK also had his own Hulu series, which was not considered canon in the MCU and only aired for one season before being canceled in May 2022.
In the comics, MODOK (whose real name is George Tarleton) is created through an experiment gone wrong. A group of scientists working for the criminal organization Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) use advanced mutagenics to transform Tarleton, one of their colleagues, into a superhuman in order to study the Cosmic Cube. However, the mutation turns Tarleton into a bloodthirsty and ambitious supervillain, leading him to take control of A.I.M. and become one of Marvel’s most famous villains.
It is likely that MODOK’s origin story will be adapted for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as Corey Stoll’s character, Cross (not Tarleton), becomes MODOK in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In Ant-Man, Lang overloads Stoll’s Yellowjacket regulator during the final battle, causing Stoll to shrink uncontrollably and presumably killing him.
However, it appears that Stoll survived the incident, and it is possible that Kang saved his life before using the Quantum Realm or a mutagen experiment to turn him into MODOK. According to MCU leaker MyTimeToShineHello, MODOK will serve as Kang’s advisor and a secondary villain, so he is expected to have a significant role in the film.
Samuel L. Jackson has confirmed that he will make a cameo appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In March 2022, Jackson revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he returned to London for reshoots on Marvel’s Secret Invasion series and also filmed scenes for The Marvels and Quantumania. It is not yet known how Nick Fury will be featured in the film. In addition, William Jackson Harper (known for his roles in The Good Place and Midsommar) has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, though his character’s identity has not been revealed.
Finally, MyTimeToShineHello has suggested that we may see a character from Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD TV show in Quantumania, although the character will not be portrayed by the same actor as in the show.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Plot
Here is the official plot synopsis for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, provided by Marvel: “Superhero partners Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, 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.”
Although the synopsis does not reveal much, Marvel is likely withholding details to avoid spoiling the film, which marks the beginning of the studio’s Multiverse Saga. However, based on the trailer and information provided by the cast and crew, we do know some basic elements of the story. It appears that Lang and Van Dyne have become celebrities after their involvement in defeating Thanos in Endgame. The trailer shows them walking a red carpet, and Lang has his own podcast and bestselling autobiography.
In addition, it seems that the characters will go on emotionally complex journeys in Quantumania. During Comic-Con, Lilly hinted at the direction of Hope Van Dyne’s character arc, stating: “The second film is all about how powerful she is. This one is about her vulnerabilities.”
Lilly expanded upon her earlier comments to Entertainment Weekly (EW), stating: “I was really excited to have an opportunity where she’s gone from a caged-off woman to a woman who has opened her heart three separate times.
One to Scott, then her reparations with her father, and then bringing her mother back from the Quantum Realm. So, she was sort of like the Grinch. Her heart had grown three times as big, which makes it three times more vulnerable. I was really excited to show a side of her where she would make mistakes, be fragile, and wouldn’t always have the right answer.”
In the same EW article, Reed discussed the themes of the film and how it differs from previous Ant-Man movies. He said: “We wanted to take a hard left turn and make a movie that was even more epic, but still progress the story of these family dynamics.
Cassie is now 18 years old, and maybe Scott doesn’t know quite how to relate to her as an adult because he lost those five years from the events of Avengers: Endgame. We also knew we wanted to put our heroes up against a very formidable opponent. To put them up against Kang the Conqueror was a huge thing for us. So we went big – and we also went small.”
In a separate interview with EW, Reed discussed how Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be different in terms of spectacle compared to the previous Ant-Man films. He said: “People felt like ‘Oh, these are fun little palate cleansers after a gigantic Avengers movie.
According to the teaser shown at Comic-Con and D23, Kang takes Lang’s family hostage, using Cassie as leverage to force Lang to complete a heist for him. It is suggested that Kang wants Lang to steal back his levitating Time Chair, which allows him to travel through time and space, or its power source.
It is not specified who stole the chair or power source, but it is possible that Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp who was lost in the Quantum Realm, may have taken it to prevent Kang from using it to conquer the multiverse.
The identity of the person who stole the Time Chair or its power source is unknown, but Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp who was lost in the Quantum Realm, is a possible suspect. It is possible that she learned of Kang’s plan to conquer the multiverse and stole the chair/power source in order to prevent him from executing it.
It is unlikely that Krylar or MODOK stole the Time Chair or its power source, as they are believed to be working with Kang and may have ulterior motives for doing so. Cassie is expected to join her father.
Hope van Dyne as a superhero, donning a purple suit and adopting the heroic pseudonyms of Stature and Stinger. It is possible that she may portray both versions depending on the progression of the plot.
How Will Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Affect the MCU?
Speaking at D23 Expo 2022 (per IGN(opens in new tab)), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased Quantumania will be “a direct line into Phase 5 and [Avengers: The] Kang Dynasty.”
Chatting to Empire, Reed added: “I think it [Ant-Man 3] has a profound impact on the MCU. Jeff Loveness, who wrote this movie, is writing The Kang Dynasty as well, so there’s been a lot of discussion about the impact that this appearance of Kang The Conqueror makes. There are big things in store.”
It sounds like we might not see Kang crop up in the MCU again until much later down the line, then. Other Phase 5 films don’t seem like they’ll contain a Kang cameo, or even have him pulling the strings in the background. So it’s possible Ant-Man 3 may be the first and only time we see Kang until Phase 6.
Is that truly the case, though? Majors has teased we’ll see “different iterations” of Kang throughout the Multiverse Saga, so maybe we’ll see his variants – including Rama-Tut, Iron Land, and the Scarlet Centurion – appear in other productions.
As for potential films Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might set up outside of The Kang Dynasty, a Young Avengers movie seems likely.
We’ve already been introduced to a bunch of young superheroes in Phase 4 films and some of the best Disney Plus shows. That includes Wiccan and Speed (WandaVision), Skaar (She-Hulk), Ms Marvel, Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), America Chavez (Doctor Strange 2), Kid Loki (Loki season 1
If Cassie escapes the Quantum Realm alone, maybe she’ll track down other young superheroes and create the Young Avengers. We’d be surprised if Marvel doesn’t greenlight a Young Avengers film for Phase 6, particularly as it’s been laying the groundwork for such a team up. Teasing the Young Avengers in a Quantumania post-credits scene would be a crowd pleasing moment for sure.
Then there’s the mini six degrees of separation theory that ties Quantumania to Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie. In the comics, Kang occasionally works alongside Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four’s legendary adversary. Additionally, the Fantastic Four have dabbled with quantum physics in Marvel’s source material, which acts as another possible link between Ant-Man 3 and the iconic quartet’s solo MCU movie. Hopefully, we’ll get some form of tie-in between the two films when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania arrives in theaters, or when Fantastic Four eventually arrives in February 2025.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Director: Peyton Reed
Date Created: 2023-02-17 08:00
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