Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 had a considerable number of problems, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania can fix one of them. While past criticisms can’t be forgotten, the MCU can now move on from them with Phase 5’s numerous upcoming projects, which have become highly anticipated. Quantumania will begin the start of Phase 5 and is sure to be drastically different from the previous Ant-Man movies, setting the stage for future films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Up until Phase 4, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was known for having mostly consistent storytelling. With clever references to previous Marvel films in the Infinity Saga, it was clear how connected all of them were. But the start of the Multiverse Saga suffered from various tonal changes and featured projects that felt out of place compared to the rest of the MCU. While it’s certain to include typical Marvel humor, Ant-Man 3 is expected to be a crucial film that will feature plot elements to move the MCU forward.
Ant-Man 3 Gives The MCU’s Multiverse Saga A Central Threat
Looking back on the Marvel projects that came before, the Ant-Man franchise has been relatively small-scale with lower stakes than films such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Avengers: Infinity War. While it’s helped those movies stand out more, a common criticism of Phase 4 was the lack of a cohesive, central narrative. Since it appears that Quantumania will eschew the stakes of the previous two movies by not having these small-scale conflicts, it creates a relevant opportunity to re-invest those who have broken away from the MCU. Ant-Man 3 could serve as the Thor: Ragnarok of the franchise and rejuvenate any lost love for the characters.
The higher stakes that will be seen in the next Ant-Man film suggest that Quantumania can reveal more about the MCU’s future. Exploring more of the Quantum Realm will expand on the world-building that was missed throughout Phase 4 and should explain more of how time in the realm works. With Kang the Conqueror expected to be the main villain of the movie, building on the character’s backstory and displaying his unique abilities will prove why he’s more of a threat than Thanos in this particular saga of projects.
Other MCU Projects That May Build On Quantumania
Loki introduced Kang through his variant, He Who Remains. Another variant, or even Kang himself, could appear in Loki season 2. Theories have suggested that Kamala Khan’s armbands could have ties to Kang based on imagery from Quantumania, indicating the character might appear in The Marvels. Other theories tie the post-credit scene from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to potential technology used by Kang the Conqueror. The Armor Wars film could even introduce Iron Lad, a younger Kang variant.
Kang is too powerful to only fight Ant-Man, and it’s clear it’ll take a team effort to ultimately defeat him. Because the time-traveling villain will likely appear in other projects before The Kang Dynasty, it’s important that Quantumania builds on Kang’s origins and explains why his motivations throughout the Multiverse Saga will have an impact. Having these higher stakes won’t just help Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s overall reception, but it will be a beneficial way to move on from the problems that Phase 4 unfortunately faced.
