With “Wakanda Forever” and “The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special” in the rearview mirror, Marvel has officially closed the books on their Phase 4 slate. And so, Phase 5, the new chapter that will lead into the next big Avengers film and what’s known as The Infinity Saga, kicks off with February’s “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.”
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The film stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne alongside Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton (as Scott Lang’s daughter, who looks like she’ll be her own new hero in the movie), David Dastmalchian, and Randall Park (Bill Murray has a role too, it’s undisclosed, but the rumor is the Marvel villain M.O.D.O.K. or someone closely tied to him). However, the big tell of it all is Kang. That Avengers film we mentioned where this is all leading? That’s “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” and Kang— played by rising star Jonathan Majors (“Creed III,” “Lovecraft Country”)—makes his Marvel film debut in ‘Quantumania’ (his Marvel television debut, however, was in “Loki” in 2021).
So, yes, while previous “Ant-Man” films have been modest and small-scale, it looks like director Peyton Reed is taking all his experience on Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian” and creating a much bigger, much more ambitious film that looks like it will have direct ramifications in the MCU that will echo into that aforementioned ‘Kang Dynasty’ film set for the summer of 2025. There’s certainly an air of dangerous edge to this film; looking like the stakes are far higher than in any previous “Ant-Man” movie.
Here’s the official synopsis:
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. Director Peyton Reed returns to direct the film; Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard produce.
“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” opens in theaters on February 17, 2023. Watch the new trailer below
