Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer is a Dazzler

Movies

Marvel is getting ready to party in the Quantum Realm, as earlier today, they released the first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The first film in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Quantumania finds Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne – as well as their Ant-Man and the Wasp predecessors, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, plus Scott’s daughter Cassie – trapped in the Quantum Realm after an experiment gone wrong, where they meet a host of fantastical characters, among them rising villain Kang the Conqueror. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly return as Scott and Hope, with Hollywood legends Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer once more playing Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. Joining them are Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Jonathan Majors as Kang, and Bill Murray as… who cares, it’s Bill Murray. Peyton Reed again directs, with a script by Jeff Loveness (another Rick and Morty writer!), with the film hitting theaters on February 17, 2023. Check out the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer below:

I really enjoyed that trailer. The Ant-Man movies aren’t exactly in my top ten Marvel films – truth be told, they’re not nearly in my top half – but I like them, even if I only re-watch them when I’m revisiting the entire MCU (by which I mean the first three phases, minus Captain Marvel). Quantumania looks like a giant step forward in terms of stakes, though; a corrupt billionaire and a displaced girl with some kind of phasing powers (plus whoever it was they wasted Walton Goggins on) have given way to a Quantum Realm adventure with strange creatures and Kang the Conqueror. I’m interested in seeing the characters take on something much bigger than anything they’ve faced before without the Avengers at their side. The shot of the ships surrounding Giant Man is very cool and indicative of the escalating threat level.

There are lots of tidbits at which the trailer hints as well, like Cassie experimenting with some device and getting them stuck in the Quantum Realm. I like that she’s smart, but she’s still a kid, and she gets everyone in trouble because she impetuously punches above her weight. It also makes sense that Janet would be the one to recognize Cassie’s mistakes because she spent so much time in the Quantum Realm. Janet sounds like she’s got a secret, too, and I hope this indicates that she’s central to the story because she sat out the first Ant-Man and almost the entire second one. Kang seems like he may not be the villain this time – or, at least, not the main villain – but a catalyst introduced so he can become a bigger deal later. This could be fun, slowly building him into a major threat for The Kang Dynasty (and, hopefully, erasing that ridiculous version of him in Loki from everyone’s memory).

Aesthetically, I’m extremely happy so far. The special effects look incredible in the trailer, leagues above almost anything the MCU has done of late and more in line with their heyday. The Quantum Realm is stunning, with bright colors and a merging of sci-fi and fantasy elements in its design. I also like that the Wasp’s costume is more colorful this time, with the yellow prominent on her… let’s say, thorax. It makes a nice contrast with Ant-Man’s darker red tone. I’m not crazy about Evangeline Lilly’s new haircut; I know it’s comics-accurate (for her and Janet, actually), but she looks more like she’s planning a Tupperware party than battling the forces of evil. I’m glad the tone is more serious as well; the initial comedy bits – which made me laugh – quickly give way to ominous talk of danger and secrets. The movie could easily devolve into Marvel’s recent laugh-a-minute tone, but I wonder if they at least took people’s disappointment with that into consideration when cutting the trailer. Having Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” as the song is excellent, partly because it fits thematically and partly just because I love that song, and Elton John in general. Marvel has had way more downs than ups of late, but this is a great trailer.

What did you think of the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer? Are you looking forward to the movie? Does having Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer in the same movie beat 80s nostalgia with 80s should’ve-been? Let us know in the comments, and stick around Geeks + Gamers for more from the Quantum Realm!