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‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Review: Lang Vs. Kang

Author Laila Abuelhawa
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Marvel Studios' ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA.

It’s been four years since we’ve seen Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope Van Dyne/the Wasp, in Avengers: Endgame. (And five since Ant-Man and the Wasp). Joining our favorite Marvel power couple in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is his teenage daughter Cassie ( Kathryn Newton). Back again is and Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer).

The five of them end up the Quantum Realm, and well, Quantumania ensues. It’s very cool looking. Ditto for the realm’s creatures: some are so weird, you’d think they were from Rick and Morty.

In Quantumania, we finally find out what happened in the 30 years Janet has been stuck down there. She doesn’t make it easy, of course. But what kind of movie would it be if we were given all the answers right away?

We find out from the trailer that the Quantum Realm is in fact, its own universe. If you’ve been following the Marvel movies and television shows up until now, you’ve got a pretty decent understanding of the multiverse. And that concept is integral to this film. The antagonist, played by Jonathan Majors, made his debut in the final episode of Loki. In that series, he was called “He Who Remains.” Here, he’s a variant of that character, but he’s called Kang The Conqueror.

Majors’ Kang gives Josh Brolin’s Thanos a run for his money. This film is our real introduction to the chief villain of Phase Five. It gives us a lot to look forward to. Majors’ delivery was truly menacing. We can’t wait to see him cause more havoc and destruction in future films. Bill Murray made his Marvel debut as a character called Lord Krylar. He is the governor of Axia, a cushy community within the Quantum Realm. Seeing him in a space setting made him seem right at home.

RELATED: Ant-Man Knows How You Wanted Him To Kill Thanos

As for the returning cast members, we love Pfeiffer’s performance as Janet, as we haven’t seen much of her in the previous installment. Though frustrating at times due to her keeping secrets from her family, she pushed the story along. Douglas is a little bit older in this film and is now wearing a hearing aid, but he still loves his ants. Don’t worry, even though this film focuses on Kang and the Quantum Realm, we see some ant-action. Unfortunately, the Wasp didn’t have much to do. The shorter haircut on Lilly doesn’t seem to match her kinder demeanor in the third film. Newcomer to the MCU Kathryn Newton is a cute addition to the crew, so we want to see how her character progresses in future installments.

Catch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in theaters on Friday, February 17.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Watch These Films + Shows First

Now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out, Marvel fans are looking forward to the next MCU film. That would be the third Ant-Man film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Ant-Man isn’t the most famous Marvel Comics character, but Paul Rudd’s portrayal of Scott Lang, a petty criminal looking for redemption, has won over audiences over the course of his story arc. We’re about to take a deep dive into his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First, a bit of comic book history: the original Ant-Man was Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas in the films. Co-created by Stan Lee, legendary artist Jack Kirby and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in Tales To Astonish #27 in January of 1962, in what was supposed to be a one-off story. In that story, he didn’t have a super-hero name or costume; he only had the power to shrink to the size of an insect. Later that year, he returned in Tales To Astonish #35 as the Ant-Man. His future wife, Janet Van Dyne (played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the films) became the Wasp. She was able to shrink, grow wings (so she could fly) and shoot energy blasts (or “stings”) from her hands. She was co-created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and writer Ernie Hart, and debuted in Tales To Astonish #44 in June of 1963. Hank and Janet were founding members of the Avengers debuting in Avengers #1 in September of 1963.

Hank eventually altered his powers, gaining the ability to grow to be 12 feet tall and getting super strength; he changed his name to Goliath and Giant-Man. Later, he adopted a new identity as Yellowjacket. Pym also struggled with mental health issues (and this was well before comic books were comfortable with addressing that sort of topic); Janet divorced him and he ended up incarcerated. Janet, meanwhile, had an easier time as a hero, and balanced her life with a career as a fashion designer (appropriately, she often changed her costume design).

Scott Lang made his first appearance in Avengers #181 in 1978, and first appeared as Ant-Man in Marvel Premiere #47, later in 1978. Lang was a burglar who broke into Hank Pym’s house to steal his Ant-Man suit and shrinking gas for a heist and — similarly to the film — he ends up becoming Ant-Man. In the comic books, Hope Van Dyne (played by Evangeline Lilly in the films) inherits the mantle of the Wasp.

In case you aren’t a Marvel fanatic, here’s a guide to the movies and shows you need to see before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17, 2023.

  • Ant-Man (2015)

    In 1989, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) resigns from S.H.I.E.L.D. when he learns that they are trying to reproduce his shrinking technology. The scene has cameos by Tony Stark’s father Howard Stark (played by John Slattery) and Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell). Cut to the present, Pym’s resentful daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and his one-time protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) have pushed Pym out of his own company. Cross creates his own shrinking suit and becomes Yellowjacket. Meanwhile, Lang (Paul Rudd) gets out of prison and moves in with his former cellmate Luis (comedian Michael Pena, who steals every scene he’s in). Due to his record, he can’t get a job (not even at Baskin Robbins!) and needs to make money to be a good father to his daughter Cassie (played by Abby Ryder Fortson). She lives with Lang’s ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer) and her fiance, police officer Jim Paxton (played by Bobby Cannavale). Lang falls in with Luis’s crew, which includes Dave (played by T.I., aka Clifford Harris) and Kurt (played by David Dastmalchian). They rob Pym’s house, and Lang steals the Ant-Man suit. Then, when he tries to return it, he gets arrested. It turns out Pym was behind the whole thing, and gets Lang out of jail, convinces him to become the new Ant-Man, and a whole adventure ensues. He breaks into the Avengers HQ, where he fights Sam Wilson’s Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie), he battles and defeats Cross/Yellowjacket, who shrinks uncontrollably (maybe he’s in the quantum realm?). We also realize that Janet Pym, who was thought to be dead, may be alive in the quantum realm. Meanwhile, in a post-credit scene, we see that Captain America (Chris Evans) and the Falcon may have a need for the new Ant-Man.

  • Captain America: Civil War (2016)

    One of Marvel’s finest films, it introduced Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and it incorporated Ant-Man into the MCU’s bigger story. The short version: the Sokovia Accords were drafted to have enhanced people register with, and report to, the world’s leaders. Some of the Avengers – Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the Vison (Paul Bettany) agree. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) don’t, nor does Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) or Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). They recruit Lang to help them battle the other Avengers. During the battle, we learn that Lang can also become a giant, and he does so, nearly turning the tide of the battle. Eventually, Stark’s Avengers overpower them, and Rogers and his friend James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) escape. Sam, Wanda, Clint and Scott Lang are caught. In the end-credit scene, we see that Rogers breaks them out of prison.



  • Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

    Scott Lang clearly geeked out about teaming up with Captain America and his rogue Avengers in Civil War, but that move had consequences. Even though Cap freed Lang from prison, he now lives under house arrest, under the watch of FBI agent Jimmy Woo (played hilariously by Randall Park). Meanwhile, Hank and Hope are on the run: they’re now wanted due to Lang’s violation of the Sokovia Accords. And they’re also convinced that they can rescue Janet from the quantum realm. Pym reunites with his old rival Bill Foster (played by Laurence Fishburne); in the comics, Foster becomes Goliath, but that doesn’t happen here. He is a mentor of sorts to Ava Starr/Ghost (played by Hannah John-Kamen), who has molecular instability and can phase through objects (we’ll see her again in the upcoming film, Thunderbolts, due in 2024). They’re successful at rescuing Janet Pym (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ant-Man and the Wasp was released a few months after Avengers: Endgame and Ant-Man was one of the few characters not to appear in the film, along with Clint Barton (both of them were namedropped, though). In the end-credits scene, we learn what Ant-Man’s been doing while the Avegners were battling Thanos. .

  • Avengers: Endgame (2019)

    Lang returned to the quantum realm at the exact moment Thanos “blipped” half the population of the universe out of existence. Thanks to the meddling of a rat, Lang returned to our realm, five years later. But for him, only a few minutes had passed. His daughter Cassie (now played by Emma Cate Fuhrmann) is still alive, but many other people from his life are gone, including Hope. Lang crosses the country to go to the Avengers HQ where he explains to Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff that they could use the quantum realm to change the past. Lang, Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Tony Stark/Iron Man and Steve Rogers/Captain America go on a mission to New York in 2012, revisiting the events of the first Avengers film.

    As we see in the Quantumania trailer, Ant-Man is now seen as a hero, thanks to his actions in Endgame. And that pretty much takes us to the present. But you might want to check out some of Marvel’s Disney+ shows.

  • Wandavision (2021)

    The first Marvel Disney+ show demonstrated that the entire MCU was in play for future projects. In this (excellent) series, which took place just weeks after the events of Endgame, Agent Jimmy Woo is among the characters trying to figure out what is happening with Wanda and the Vision (who was supposed to be dead) in Westview, New Jersey. He teams up with Kat Dennings’ Dr. Darcy Lewis, who we’d met in the first two Thor films, to figure it out. We also meet Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris); we’d first met her character as a child in 2019’s Captain Marvel, which took place in the 1990s. Fans have since campaigned for a Jimmy Woo/Darcy Lewis series.

  • Loki (2021)

    This picks up moments after Loki (Tom Hiddleston) escaped from the Avengers in the 2012 scene in Endgame. It also is a big primer on the very confusing concept of variants and alternate universes, something that will likely be a big factor in upcoming Marvel films. It also introduces Jonathan Majors’ character (spoiler – it was a big surprise at the time) in the final episode. In Loki, he was called “He Who Remains.” But in Quantumania, he’ll be known as Kang. And we know that he’ll be a big factor in the MCU in the foreseeable future. The next Avengers film, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, is due out in the spring of 2025.

  • What If…? Episode 6 (2021)

    What If…? is Marvel’s animated anthology series. Each episode looks at what the Marvel universe would be like if you changed one detail. Here, we watch what would happen if Janet Pym brought back a zombie virus from the quantum realm. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly voice their characters in a rather bonkers alternate universe tale.

Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.

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