"Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania" Feature Talkback

[Yojimbo]

This February, Enter the Quantum Realm.

Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Release Date: February 17, 2023 (February 16 advance screenings)
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios
Runtime: 124 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG -13 (for violence/action, and language)
Director: Peyton Reed
Screenwriters: Jeff Loveness
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Corey Stoll, Bill Murray, Katy O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, David Dastmalchian, Randall Park

Plot Summary: Super-Hero partners Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope's parents Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, 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.

Discuss anything and everything about Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania right here!

Be warned: there will be spoiler discussion in this thread! If you don't want any of the many Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania surprises ruined, avoid this thread until you've seen the movie!

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-Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania News & Discussion (Spoilers)

What did you think about Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania?

 

[Yojimbo]

2/17: Original plot details that differ from the final cut.

2/18: Was a scrapped scene of Hope with her and Scott's son.

2/21: Luis was never in it.

Krylar had a more substational role in the movie turning against Kang and fighting back with the Freedom Fighters but it was reduced to a glorified cameo.

Majors on The Late Show.

2/22: According to several VFX artists who worked on the movie, CGI-quality-control measures were subpar, partially due to "critical resources being diverted away to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

Was a scene where Kang recognized Hank as the Ant-Man he fought before.

2/23: Steve Martin and Matt Berry were alternates for Krylar.

2/24: Loveness pitched a Cronenberg-inspired animatronic that was a man-sized ant that gave Lang a vision of some kind.

Killing off Scott was discussed

Psycho-Man was briefly considered.

Loveness had an idea to have Jennifer Coolidge cameo as Linda for a brief moment.

Reed comments on the end tag.

Dastmalchian discusses his character Veb.

Comments from Stoll.

2/26: Kang concept art posted.

2/27: Loveness talks about some deleted scenes.

3/1: Interview with Loveness.

3/7: Loveness confirms changing the ending so it wouldn't be like the previous movie.

3/10: Early concepts for M.O.D.O.K. Posted.

Early Kang concept art posted.

3/17: Early concepts of a discarded Ant-Man quantum suit.

3/30: Loveness reveals Janet's powers were on the cutting room floor and she stole them from Kang.

4/4: Reportedly digital release is April 18 and 4K/Blu-ray is May 16.

4/5: At one point, Hank was going to be killed off and his consciousness lived on in ants. Another deleted scene entailed "a psychological sequence" during Scott's probability storm scene that would have included "a Cronenberg The Fly-like Ant."

4/6: April 18 and May 16 dates confirmed and special features revealed.

First look at the Best Buy Steelbook.

Another deleted scene was of Kang summoning "ghosts" of himself.

4/18: First 8 minutes officially posted.

4/20: O'Brian reveals Krylar was in a space chase, arrested, busted out by Jentorra, then pretends to have been a freedom fighter the whole time, and notes "they" were adding stuff to the script until the last day of filming.

4/27: Streams on Disney+ on May 17.

5/17: I liked it but I wasn't blown away by it. It was cool they went from the heist trope to a war theme but it restricted what made the other Ant-Man movies so great. There was some great sub-plots going into it like Scott getting able to coast for once – reaping the benefits of helping save the universe which we really haven't seen with the others, Janet's past coming back to haunt her, Cassie wanting to be a hero and jilting Scott back into action, and setting up the threat of the Council of Kangs. I really liked this was secretly a Janet movie. Liked that Hope reshaped Pym Tech into a foundation that is helping the world out. Also, a lovely surprise the last tag was a scene from Loki season 2.

But then they spent way too much time going back and forth with the "You say Janet?" and "He's coming" and keeping the faux reveal of Kang for the middle of the movie. I got impatient and felt unengaged until Kang showed up. Just get to it. Hank and Hope were there and had some big moments but big moments here and there – they were the ones least focused on – even though Hank's ants and Hope coming for Scott not once but twice to bail him out of trouble. Was a bit confused why Janet doesn't have those quantum powers anymore or was this the original Kang or was he just a variant the other variants were afraid of. Kinda sucked Krylar turned out to just be a glorified Bill Murray cameo. I'm on the fence about what the main issue was – the writing was either bland or played it too safe or was rewritten too many times. Some aspects were restrained at the surface level like Cassie's vigilantism and wanting to fight against oppression but maybe that and some other things contributed to a too-many-things-going-on problem. It just didn't punch deep enough into the main character's personal struggles and the movie felt just bland.

5/18: Andy Park posts suit concepts.

7/4: New bts video reveals more of Murray's scenes.

7/19: Assembled episode is out.

 

[Fone Bone]

Ant-Man And The Wasp In Quantumania

I've been disillusioned with Marvel movies of late, but I promised myself I wouldn't penalize the movie for that if it was all right. It was all right. But my disillusionment stands.

Marvel movies have stopped taking chances. You will never see another Marvel political thriller like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or a fun heist picture like the original Ant-Man again. This one has Scott Lang of all people fighting an interdimensional tyrant. Yes, the movie is still fun. But the franchise has gotten way too big for its own good. Ant-Man movies do NOT need this scope. I actually don't WANT them to have it.

It's still a really good movie, especially considering how unhappy the rest of Phase Four and all of Marvel Studios television besides Loki has made me. Speaking of Loki, the reason I didn't like the final tag teasing Season 2 of that show is because nobody who has ever seen that show would have the slightest idea what is going on. I've actually seen it and the tag STILL confused me.

Kang was not the right villain for this movie. That being said I believe he will be a good villain going forward. But I wish Marvel movies were more invested in telling their own stories instead of setting up sequel after sequel. It's frustrating at this point.

MODOK was funny, which is good, but he wasn't scary, which is bad. That being said, it was kind of refreshing the movie gave him and Darren a measure of redemption by the end of it, which is totally unusual for that specific character. People will cry foul, but I dug the fact that you shouldn't have Scott comfort him as he lays dying and assuring him he has a spot in the Avengers. Because they shouldn't have done it is the exact reason I liked that they did.

"You talk to ants." That specific cavalry coming upon that exact line is not remotely credible, but it felt narratively satisfying anyways. Something can be badly written and feel right at the same time.

Why is Wasp second billed for this one? She barely did anything. Janet had a bigger and more important role than Hope did. So did Cassie for that matter.

I have to say Bill Murray is probably Marvel Studios' biggest "get" since Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In fact, I'd argue Redford is the only other actor on Murray's level who has done one of these. Murray is like Redford in being like "I can't believe these picky actors are in a Marvel movie. These movies must actually be all right."

People will complain Murray isn't given a bigger role, but that's not how Bill Murray works. Murray's shtick is to do a ten minute role in the movie and be the best and most memorable thing in it. You always wish you could see more of Murray, but you never do, so you never get sick of him. This small role was on-brand for Murray for that. What made it unlike every other Murray role is he didn't actually steal the movie. A movie with Bill Murray in it where Bill Murray isn't the best thing in it is using Bill Murray incorrectly. How does Feige not know that?

I liked it well enough. But the truth is I'm not actually too picky. If I were, I might have more things to harp upon. I let that stuff slide because the movie was all right. ****.

 

[Magmaster12]

Couldn't hate this, I love the family aspect, particularly what we saw in the first act just kind of loses focus when they're in Quantum Realm but I didn't think it was anywhere near as bad as people make it out.

 

[awinger24]

Can’t believe that MODOK is basically Mr. Electric from Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

 

[harry580]

Can’t believe that MODOK is basically Mr. Electric from Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

what if sharkboy & lavagirl joined the mcu *sarastic*