Are you a Marvel completionist? That’s the question to consider when you look at purchasing Ant-Man and the Wasp on 4K. I can break down the visuals (better than Blu-ray, but nothing you’re going to use as a demo disc), but that’s not the most interesting question when it comes to something you know is going to be put into a box set down the line. The question is whether you should go out and get Ant-Man and the Wasp right now, or if you should wait for the inevitable Phase 3 box set.

If you’re just looking for a technical appraisal of Ant-Man and the Wasp, it’s fine. There are some scenes, especially in the Quantum Realm, that really pop, but this isn’t a 4K on the level of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 or Thor: Ragnarok where you feel completely transported. The 4K is great from a standpoint of image clarity and it’s got a fun audio mix (again, the Quantum Realm scenes really shine), but it’s not really going to give your system a workout. Like the film itself, it’s good for what it is, but there’s nothing exemplary about the 4K transfer. If you wanted to save yourself $5 by just going for the Blu-ray (which has the same, albeit unremarkable, special features), I couldn’t really argue with you.

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However, should you buy Ant-Man and the Wasp at all? There are better Marvel movies where I can understand not waiting. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 is a great hangout movie, Thor: Ragnarok is a blast from start to finish, and Black Panther is one of the best movies of the year. Why not add them to your collection now? And yet, Marvel is likely to release a Phase 3 box set because they released box sets for Phase 1 and 2. And unlike those box sets, there will probably be a 4K version since every Phase 3 movie except for Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange has received the 4K treatment.

So what do you do with a middling movie like Ant-Man and the Wasp? If you really enjoyed it, then you’re probably not even reading this, and you already went ahead and pre-ordered it. But if you’re on the fence about Ant-Man and the Wasp, I’d say that it’s tough to recommend it even though I thought it was a fun if forgettable movie. You shouldn’t get a Marvel movie just to have them unless you’re going all-in on the box sets where you know you’ll like a majority of the movies and if someone throws in a Doctor Strange, then so be it.

If you’re a collector like me, it’s hard to say that Ant-Man and the Wasp belongs in your collection. There’s nothing really essential about it other than it’s a light watch, but honestly, you may as well wait until 2020 or so when it’s just playing on TNT or, as is more likely, part of Disney’s streaming service. Then you can just watch it whenever because neither the visuals nor the special features really make the case that this needs to be in your collection, especially at a 4K premium. That being said, an eventual box set might be stuffed with more worthwhile special features. But buying Ant-Man and the Wasp now is only for those who either loved the film or for folks who feel the need to buy every individual Marvel movie.

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Image via Marvel Studios
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Image via Marvel Studios
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Image via Marvel Studios