At the conclusion of the third quarter of the College Football National Championship, the world finally got what we’ve all been waiting for. Marvel released the new official trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which sparked conversation and excitement across all social media fandoms.
The trailer came at a perfect time, during an otherwise forgettable football game, and less than 6 weeks away from the release of the film. We see PLENTY to be excited about, and there are a lot of rousing details to cover.
Kang The Conqueror Has Arrived
This entire article is really just an excuse for me to talk about Jonathan Majors‘ Kang The Conqueror. Although the titular character for this movie is Ant-Man, he is far from the central focus in the eyes of the fans. We’ve heard stories of riveting footage from San Diego Comic Con, and seen bits and pieces in previous trailers and special looks–but this latest trailer is truly Kang’s opportunity to shine. We hear Kang narrating the entire trailer, yet surprisingly, we learn little to nothing about his true intentions.
It’s no secret the driving force behind the excitement for the trailer and this movie as a whole is Kang The Conqueror. For years there was speculation he would be the feature villain of the multiverse saga, and with the announcement of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty our suspicions were confirmed. They gave us exactly what we wanted, and featured Kang throughout the new trailer in prominent fashion.
Quantumania Trailer Details
We all watched the same trailer (probably multiple times) so instead of combing through frame by frame, let’s hit the high points. One of the first things that truly stands out is Cassie Lang coming out of a jail cell. How she got there is unclear, but I’m sure her father doesn’t want her following in his footsteps.
Kang offers Scott a second chance, telling him if he retrieves something for him, then he can give Scott the one thing he wants: “more time.” Janet tells Scott he cannot trust him, and follows with the ominous line that he can “shatter timelines and rewrite reality at will.”
Kang then threatens Scott, telling him if he doesn’t follow through, “everything he calls a life will end.” Scott tells Kang “we had a deal,” leading us to believe he ultimately brings him whatever it is he needs, but the terms and conditions of that deal no longer apply.
The two of them skirmish. A sleeveless Kang (whew) beats Ant-Man to a pulp, and buries him under a sea of smaller Ant-Men (variants?) One of the last things we hear from Scott is, “I don’t have to win, we both just have to lose.”
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Theories
What exactly could it be that Kang needs Scott to retrieve for him? We know Scott was a master thief before he got the Ant-Man suit, so the possibilities are endless. Could it have something to do with the bangle from Ms. Marvel, or perhaps the Ten Rings from Shang-Chi? It’s possible that instead of these items coming from deep in the past, they’re actually some of Kang’s advanced technology from the future.
Now we have to have the hard discussion, and believe me I’m not happy about it either. Is it possible for this movie to spell the end of Scott Lang? I certainly hope not, but there’s at least one character I don’t expect to make it out of the movie alive.
I doubt we come out on the other side with any more of Hank Pym’s story to tell. Despite the fact that they’ve mostly patched things up, Hank has a rocky past with his daughter Hope. It could be in line for Hank to sacrifice himself in order to give Scott and his daughter Cassie what he fought so long for–a second chance.
The Beginning Of A New Dynasty
For a lot of people, this is the most anticipated Marvel film of 2023, in a stacked slate that also features Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and The Marvels. Most of us are expecting Quantumania to be a Ragnarok-level tone shift for the Ant-Man franchise.
We’ve come a long way from two throw-away bad guys, to the next big headline villain–a new Thanos for the Multiverse Saga. Expectations are sure to be high as Marvel launches us into Phase 5, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania should be set up to stick the landing.
The film features Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, with Jonathan Majors portraying the main antagonist, Kang the Conqueror.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to release exclusively in theaters February 17th, 2023.
