Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Review – Marvel Goes Big as Phase 5 Kicks Off

This passenger turns out to be Kang, and while he and Janet form a quick friendship, in the rest of the film we discover how that relationship congeals, with Kang becoming a ruthless warlord who quickly dominates the quantum realm along with its many denizens and societies. But he is never satisfied, he of course has plans for the greater multiverse that exists above. Despite Janet’s best efforts, the Quantum Empire after the events of the Ant Man and the Wasp, the ant family is soon drawn into the same conflict after all three generations are sucked into the subatomic universe. Too bad for Scott too, because after the tiring events of Avengers: Endgame, he had begun to enjoy life as a memoirist and itinerant writer. Unfortunately, the fight ensues again and it seems he’s not the only family member bitten by the superhero virus.

The theme of Quantumania seems to be that there are always new battles to be fought and you can never really rest on your laurels. Those are two sentiments that might actually reflect the mindset of Marvel Studios itself, emerging from a shaky Phase 4 with a few dings and hoping to regain the narrative verve that propelled the company’s first decade to such astronomical success. These themes also find their way into the character dynamics of Scott, Cassie and the rest of the Ant family, with the relationship between father and daughter being central to the film and the source of most of its emotional appeal. There’s a mutual respect and love there, with Newton superbly complementing the ensemble and Rudd now comfortably settled in the role of Scott, whose wit and bravado are matched only by his nagging doubts that he’s not on par with the other Avengers.

Those doubts are put to the test by Kang, with Jonathan Majors immediately proving that Marvel’s casting gambits remain one of the studio’s strongest assets. Majors is nothing short of captivating whenever he’s on screen, and his portrayal of Kang – of whom we got to see a much lovelier variant at the end of Season 1, also played by Majors Loki– is complex, quietly malevolent, and imbued with a great sense of frightening power. His motivations and plans dwarf those of his MCU predecessor, Thanos, and his ability to maneuver through space and time makes him almost godlike in his ambitions and resources.

The first act of Quantumania is the thinnest, at least on a narrative level. Screenwriter Jeff Loveness relies on the old trick of a character, in this case Janet, refusing to talk about her past even if that information is vital to her family/teammates (Pfeiffer is otherwise a standout heroine with some badass moves) . As a result, the build-up to Kang is unnecessarily lengthened and filled out even more with a pointless cameo by Bill Murray, who really has no function other than bringing the legendary comedian into a Marvel film.

On the other hand, the first act also introduces us to the wonders of the quantum realm. While we encounter solid supporting (human) characters in freedom fighter Katy M. O’Brian and telepath William Jackson Harper, it’s the delightfully bewildering array of non-human life forms, including a walking broccoli stalk and a red spot on legs, that are spoken of ant man vet David Dastmalchian, making this one of the MCU’s most eye-catching new entries. There’s also the long-awaited arrival of MODOK, a villain with a twist who also makes for some of the film’s funniest moments. The Realm itself is a churning, psychedelic, cosmic playground, straight out of the best sci-fi pulp magazine covers of the 50’s and 60’s.

There are also some stunning visual set pieces, including one featuring a multiplying army of ant-men who delve deep into the imagery and lore of classic sci-fi, while the central drama has already garnered comparisons to the space opera of war of stars. And if Disney had never bought Fox and thus brought the remaining Fantastic Four home to the MCU, the Ant family would be a perfectly acceptable replacement.