The 2023 movie season’s quickly heating up with the first major blockbuster of the year being Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The Paul Rudd starring epic releases in theaters everywhere in February and will kick off Marvel Studios' Phase 5. However, more importantly it will kick off Kang the Conqueror's (Jonathan Majors) MCU dynasty. Now, the latest teaser for Quantumania showcases Kang’s brutal reign.
The teaser starts with Scott stuck in the Quantum Realm and striking a bargain with Kang. If Ant-Man helps Kang, then the hero can get back the five years he lost with his daughter Cassie, this time played by Kathryn Newton. However, as Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne warns, Kang can’t be trusted. The choice to help Kang is a decision that Ant-Man will quickly come to regret as the pair are soon in an intense one-on-one brawl by the teaser’s end.
Quantumania presents an exciting future for the MCU. However, arguably more interesting than that, it teases a future without Scott Lang’s version of Ant-Man. This trilogy capper, if the trailers are to be believed, may see the death of Ant-Man. That dark fate and sacrifice has been all over the film’s marketing with various versions of the character being seen ripped to shreds in the Quantum Realm. Also, While we’re finally seeing the character get an Avengers level film after his first two smaller outings, Quantumania hasn’t forgotten its heartfelt family themes that made the Ant-Man films so memorable in the first place. Scott’s relationship with his daughter Cassie is still the beating heart of this story.
That’s going to help keep this larger-than-life battle grounded in reality. Any parent can relate to Scott’s longing for the time he lost with his daughter and, in general, we would do anything to be with the people we love. That’s what makes this particular story so compelling. It’s not the CGI heavy superhero scale, it's the very emotional humanity found at the center of it. Kang manipulating that dyer connection makes him an even more threatening character. Even Thanos had a family. This time-bending menace has no soul and only wants chaos at any cost. It’s going to be interesting to see how Major’s plays that kind of monstrous villain.
Time’s ticking down to Quantumania’s release. The film, which sets the stage for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, hits theaters on February 17, 2023. While we anxiously wait to see if Ant-Man and his family survive the Quantum Realm, you can view the new teaser for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania down below.