Whether it’s sly character name drops, cameos from characters and titans of real-life comics, or anything that could connect a 2025 movie like The Fantastic Four: First Steps to the vastness of the MCU, easter eggs are always on the table. The latest Marvel movie pulls from all three buckets, but it also includes some pretty deep cut connections - like director Matt Shakman’s history with Saved by the Bell.

However, I think I’ve found what’s potentially the most deep-cut reference included in this array of adventure. Should I be correct, I have to applaud both what it stands for and the manner it paid tribute.

Sue Storm: A Woman Of The Here And Now

During an early montage that fills in the backstory of the four years the Fantastic Four have been protecting the world, we see the team appear on various magazine covers heralding their exploits. One such cover is for a publication named Now Politics, with Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) pictured as a respected diplomat in the world of Earth-828.

The easter egg of the moment isn’t the multiversal designation, which does come from the birthday of Marvel Comics titan/Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby. Rather, it’s the magazine, which I think takes its name from the underrated 2003 rom-com Down with Love. Spoiler alert, but at the end of that very film, Renée Zellweger starts a magazine named Now, which lovesick Ewan McGregor comes on board to write for.

Take a moment, because at this moment I’m sure you’re looking at the screen like I’m crazy. Well, true believers, if you look a little deeper into that movie’s roster, you’ll see it’s directed by one Peyton Reed. “Ok Mike,” you say as you look slightly more convinced, “what’s that got to do with the price of a Reed Tech baby monitor?” I’m glad you asked.

Peyton Reed Developed A Very Similar Fantastic Four Movie, Before Joining The MCU

Let’s take our story way back to the year 2001, when Variety announced that Mr. Reed, fresh off making Bring It On, was set to develop and direct what would eventually yield 2005’s Fantastic Four (which you can conveniently stream now, with a Disney+ subscription).

Though he’d eventually wind up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after Edgar Wright’s resignation from Ant-Man’s directing post, we could have had Mr. Reed directing Reed Richards a lot sooner. What’s more, when the North Carolina native described his pitch in a 2019 Q&A with Collider, it laid out a concept you might now see as somewhat familiar:

Now, according to a 2023 interview with THR, Peyton Reed had done some work right after making Down With Love, between the years of 2002 and 2003. So his mind was definitely in the headspace to make this sort of carefree picture happen, and that 2001 announcement may have been just a hiring notice.

However the timing shakes out, it’s unfortunate that the project never came to pass; supposedly due to creative differences. At the same time, considering First Steps took some of those ideas and ran with them, director Matt Shakman’s picture does seem to have paid this creative/spiritual debt off with this reverent reference.

In a picture that offers tributes to the entire cast of Roger Corman’s 1994 adaptation, as well as Jack Kirby himself, I am convinced that The Fantastic Four: First Steps subtly tipped its hat to Mr. Reed. Also, this is just more of an excuse for fans like me to push 20th Century Studios to finally release Down With Love on 4K and Blu-ray. So it really feels like a win-win here.

If you want to get into the know on what’s happening now in the MCU, race over to your local theater and see this retro-futuristic gem. Oh, and keep your eyes and ears peeled - you never know where the next easter egg is gonna come from.

Director Peyton Reed ("Ant-Man," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania") goes to AMC Theaters with us to reflect on his trilogy of "Ant-Man" movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We chat about what makes Paul Rudd the perfect Ant-Man, the nuances that make the Scott and Cassie Lang relationship so enjoyable, and much more. Plus, Reed teases what's to come for Kang the Conqueror in Marvel's Phase 5.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro
00:10 - Peyton Reed's Go-To Movie Theater Snack
00:28 Peyton Reed reflects on closing Phase 2 of the MCU with 'Ant-Man' and kicking off Phase 5 with 'Quantumania'-
01:38 - Why Paul Rudd is the "perfect" actor to play Scott Lang/Ant-Man
02:00 - Kang the Conqueror and why he's in the Quantum Realm
03:28 - He Who Remains vs. Kang the Conqueror
04:16 - Time has always been a theme of the 'Ant-Man' movies, specifically relating to Scott Lang and Cassie Lang
05:27 - What makes the Scott Lang and Cassie Lang father/daughter dynamic "fun"
06:30 - What Made Kathryn Newton The Perfect Casting For Cassie Lang
07:10 - Reflecting on the epic bathtub shrinking scene from 'Ant-Man' (2015)
08:20 - Bringing the Quantum Realm to life
10:04 - Bringing MODOK to the MCU

One of the big reveals in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania addresses a Marvel mystery that has been lingering for eight years: what happened to Yellowjacket a.k.a. Darren Cross? In 2015’s Ant-Man, the character, played by Corey Stoll, was shown being shrunk down into nothingness, and we learn in the latest blockbuster from the MCU that he went to the Quantum Realm and was transformed by Kang The Conqueror into the cyborg known as M.O.D.O.K. It’s an interesting way to address a popular question, but fans are still waiting to learn the answer to another loose Ant-Man thread: what happened to Mitchell Carson, played by Martin Donovan?

Curious about this, I took the opportunity to ask director Peyton Reed about it earlier this month during the Los Angles press day for Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. I inquired if the filmmaker had a canonical answer to what ended up happening to the Ant-Man antagonist, and while he didn’t provide a specific answer, he did pose a bunch of additional questions that opens up the door to different possibilities. Said Reed,

For those who don’t recall the character, Mitchell Carson was introduced in Ant-Man as the Head of Defense at S.H.I.E.L.D. – though he was secretly a HYDRA operative. In the movie, he works to make a deal with Darren Cross to acquire Cross Particles – a rip-off of the proprietary shrinking technology invented by Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym (a.k.a. Pym Particles). In all of the chaos featured in the third act, he is shown escaping with a vial of the potentially dangerous material, and we have not seen him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since then.

So what happened to him? That’s presently up in the air in the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity. As suggested by Peyton Reed, it’s possible that Cross Particles aren’t as stable as Pym Particles and that the technology didn’t work well enough for further use by Mitchell Carson and his associates. On the other hand, it’s possible that they remain as dangerous as ever and that they are secretly being used in nefarious ways that have not yet been revealed.

For what it’s worth, there was originally a scene in Ant-Man that provided a firm answer regarding what happened to the villainous character. When I interviewed Peyton Reed back in 2015, he told me about a deleted scene from the end of the blockbuster that featured Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang confronting Mitchell Carson in the aftermath of his first big shrinking adventure and getting the Cross Particles back. The sequence was cut from the film because the filmmakers liked the idea of the dangerous tech being out in the world – potentially as story material for sequels – but nothing is said about them in either 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp or the newly released Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

Without an official answer on the table, the door is wide open for Mitchell Carson and his Cross Particles to make a surprising reappearance in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe film or television show… but we have no idea when that might happen. We may just have to wait and see if Marvel Studios ends up giving a green light to a fourth Ant-Man And Wasp movie.

For now, you can learn about everything that is on the way from the franchise via our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides, and take a deep dive into the MCU with our ranking of the Marvel blockbusters and our outline of the Marvel timeline. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is now playing in theaters everywhere.

When Marvel Studios brings Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to theaters on February 17, audiences will be learning a lot more about the main villain who will threaten the Avengers – and the state of the Multiverse that we have been hearing about in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors) will be waiting for Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) when they enter the quantum realm, and will begin to enact his massive plan to overtake the MCU. And Peyton Reed has offered up some clues about this madman’s scheme ahead of the movie’s release. With that in mind, AMC Theatres, in partnership with CinemaBlend, hosted Reed at the AMC Theatres Century City location in Los Angeles for a deeper dive into this complex character, and what audiences might expect from him thanks to Majors’ portrayal. 

AMC already has a helpful guide on the history of Kang, and what you need to know about him from the issues of Marvel Comics, as well as Season 1 of the Disney+ series Loki. In that show, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) encountered one of Kang’s variants – or, alternate identities – in the room found at the end of time. Dubbed “He Who Remains,” this Kang variant spoke of a massive Multiversal war that he alone was helping to prevent by pruning timelines and keeping his other Kang variants in check. 

That speech from Loki is important, as Peyton Reed told AMC and CinemaBlend that it plays deeper into what Kang from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has in mind for our heroes. Reed said:

You can see how this becomes a massive problem for the Marvel heroes who currently are occupying the MCU. At the moment, there is no clear-cut Avengers team, just a scattered band of heroes waiting to meet various threats. As we learned at the end of Doctor Strange In the Multiverse Of Madness, the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch) was heading into the Dark Dimension with Clea (Charlize Theron) to confront a new danger. Wakanda just addressed the presence of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) lives by himself in New York City, having been forgotten by all of his loved ones. 

Not the mightiest team on Earth, if you ask us.

But all of that will start to change once Peyton Reed unveils the action that’s pending in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Yes, audiences will follow Scott and Hope into the quantum realm, where they will fight Kang in order to rescue Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton). But by meeting this banished variant of Kang, MCU fans likely will get a better sense of the powers this villain wields, and the dangers he can bring to the MCU if he ever managed to free himself from the bonds of the quantum realm. 

Peyton Reed digs deeper into Kang, his role in the new movie, and the history of the Ant-Man franchise in our full sit-down interview conducted by AMC Theatres and CinemaBlend at the AMC Century City. Watch it now!

Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) was a singular threat lording over the first three Phases of Marvel Studios movies. Sometimes he was pulling strings from the background, like sending the Chitari to Earth in the first Avengers movie. And then he decided he’d take care of the Avengers himself, which culminated in Avengers: Endgame. The MCU still has been picking up the pieces from The Snap that Thanos used to eliminate half of the world’s population. 

You might be asking how Kang the Conqueror can be more lethal than Thanos. But when you consider that there are multiple versions of Kang who all exist in different universes, and have the ability to come together at any moment to overwhelm an opponent, you begin to realize the type of danger the MCU might be in. And that will merit the formation of a new Avengers team for the already promised Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. 

We have a while to wait until those team-up movies reach theaters. While you are waiting patiently, make sure that you have your tickets for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It marks the official launch of Marvel’s Phase 5, which also will include Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, The Marvels and much more!

Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is being released as a keystone piece for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Launching what has been referred to as Phase 5 of the canon, the movie has an important big picture role to play thanks to the much-hyped arrival of Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conqueror – the villain set up to be the MCU’s new overarching central antagonist following the blockbuster defeat of Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Avengers: Endgame.

The film is set up with the intention of giving fans an important preview of what’s to come from the next few years in the superhero-centric world… but with any luck, that’s not a promise on which Marvel will deliver. This is because audiences have come to expect a lot from the popular comic book movie franchise, and while Kang does stand out as an interesting character, the third Ant-Man And The Wasp feature is among the most disappointing that Marvel Studios has produced.

The movie marks another crack at world building for the MCU, this time exploring the microscopic universe known as the Quantum Realm, but it’s an effort that is fumbled in almost every way. A tepid, boring narrative, weak character development and utilization, and mucky and endless green screen scenery are just some of the film’s significant weak spots, and it all amounts to a blockbuster that’s never compelling for more than five minutes at a time and has nothing original or special to contribute to the superhero genre.

Scripted by Jeff Loveless, Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania catches up with Avenger Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) at his cheeriest. He has written and published a new book about his adventures as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and he is part of a tight family unit with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and his now-adult daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). There are secrets being held from him, however: Janet is consistently hesitant to reveal anything about the decades that she spent in the Quantum Realm prior to her rescue in Ant-Man And The Wasp, and Cassie has been quietly doing research with Hope and Hank to learn more about the mysterious and dangerous world. This all comes to a head when a device Cassie has invented malfunctions, and all five of them get shrunk down and sent to the strange alternate dimension.

Separated into two groups – Scott paired with Cassie, and Hope with Hank and Janet – they explore the Quantum Realm and try to find each other, all the while discovering what Janet has been hiding from them. It turns out that there is an entire civilization that exists in the bizarre pocket universe, and ruling over it is Kang The Conqueror, a being exiled from the multiverse who has risen to power thanks to his possession of advanced technology from the distant future.

Jonathan Majors is terrific, but Kang The Conqueror doesn't make the impact that he's meant to make.

The introduction of Kang is easily the best thing that Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania has going for it. Jonathan Majors once again proves that his charisma and magnetism is boundless, and flashback sequences that inform the audience about the character’s history with Janet van Dyne prove to be the most enthralling bits that the film has to offer. As much excitement as that provides, though, everything else is almost entirely hollow. The blockbuster has a terrible “telling, not showing” problem that both handicaps the storytelling and undermines the antagonist’s impact.

It’s explained by both Janet and residents of the Quantum Realm that Kang is a terrible despot who rules as an oppressive and terrifying tyrant, but that’s never illustrated in any significant way (he just seems to occupy his own little corner of the Quantum Realm, which he has outfitted with a bunch of empty, shiny buildings patrolled by faceless robots). And while it’s said that he has dangerous powers, we don’t actually see anything more than some flying, minimal telekinesis, and the ability to shoot beams out of his hands. With the way things unfold, you definitely don’t get to grasp why this villain is expected to be a serious threat that will eventually require the attention of the Avengers.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania has no idea what to do with its characters.

And while Kang’s role is undercooked in the film, he’s hardly alone. None of the characters have arcs to speak of, unless you count Scott Lang making a bit more of an effort to be a better father (which isn’t really much of an arc). Despite her being a titular character, Hope van Dyne barely has a role in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, as her presence in the story is almost entirely defined by her being frustrated that her mother hasn’t been more open with her. Janet at least gets to be a part of the aforementioned Kang flashbacks; Hank and Cassie are just kind of… there.

It’s also hard not to feel bad for MCU newcomers Katy O’Brian and William Jackson Harper, who respectively play Quantum Realm inhabitants Jentorra and Quaz. It’s not altogether surprising that a movie that doesn’t know what to do with its leads doesn’t know what to do with its supporting cast, but he actors’ talents are nonetheless wasted on bit parts that carry zero weight. They provide exposition and take part in battle sequences, and that’s it. Additionally, it would be unwise to start having expectations for the role played by Bill Murray in the film, as he is part of a 15-minute segment in the first half of the second act that could be excised from the blockbuster and the only impact would be improving the narrative’s pacing.

It's hard not to be concerned about Marvel's future after Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

Given that the Ant-Man movies have been teasing the full breadth of the Quantum Realm for the better part of a decade now, you’d also think that the visuals would be spectacular and eye-popping in Quantumania, but it’s just another arena of disappointment. There is some decent character design executed, but environments look ugly and unreal, and there is a total lack of dynamic set pieces. Heroes growing and shrinking lacks novelty eight years after the release of the first Ant-Man, and while the film does try and get a bit creative at one point by having Scott Lang get trapped in what’s referred to as a “probability storm,” it turns out to be an idea with zero internal logic, and that seriously detracts from the fun.

In the past few years, Marvel Studio’s overall output hasn’t been as strong as what was accomplished between 2008 and 2019, but that’s been somewhat excusable. A high bar was set by the overall quality of the Infinity Saga, release and production plans were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the firing/re-hiring of James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 forced some surprise shuffles behind-the-scenes, and the canon has been diversifying with the development of original programming for Disney+ to pair with the big screen blockbusters.

Arriving in the aftermath of all that, Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania was supposed to be the film that put the franchise back on solid ground and set up an exciting future – but that’s not what has been made here. Instead, it’s a film that mightily struggles in pretty much every important area, and it raises some serious concerns about what’s on the way from the MCU in the months and years to come.

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Paul Rudd suit up as Ant-Man in the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame. The tiny superhero is back in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which has been tapped to not only usher the MCU into a new year but to kick off Marvel’s Phase 5. Anticipation is high, as Ant-Man will find himself getting sucked into the Quantum Realm and meeting Marvel’s next big villain — Kang the Conqueror, who did some pretty awful things in the comics. The movie premiered in Los Angeles on February 6, so let’s check out some of the first responses to the screening.

Jonathan Majors, who dedicated himself to getting into shape for this role, made his Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Kang variant He Who Remains in Loki, but audiences will obviously see a very different character when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17. The trippy trailer promises an adventure that should be Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne’s (Evangeline Lilly) biggest challenge yet, and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) has apparently been keeping a big secret. Let’s check out the social media reactions to the film’s premiere screening.

Self-proclaimed Marvel nerd Nora Dominick of BuzzFeed praises the casting of Jonathan Majors, saying he brings complexity to the role of Kang the Conqueror: 

Film critic Fico Cangiano agrees that Jonathan Majors is a show-stealer once Kang makes his appearance, and he calls this movie the best of the Ant-Man trilogy: 

However, Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast feels Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is missing some of the comedy we’ve come to expect from the MCU blockbusters, and while there are aspects that are “astonishing,” Baptista calls the movie overambitious: 

Critic Simon Thompson also thinks the movie never quite finds its footing, positing that the “messy spectacle” chooses style over substance: 

A number of those who saw an early screening of the threequel are comparing it to Star Wars, including Kristian Harloff, who says it’s an epic sci-fi story that won’t work for all fans but it wraps nicely: 

Writer Michael Lee says director Peyton Reed’s work on The Mandalorian pays off in this Ant-Man film in terms of production and character design. He says the movie has a good balance of action, humor and heart: 

Rayyan of The Cine Geek agrees that there’s a good balance of comedy while still keeping the family aspect at the forefront. The script is smart, though the writer says the CGI is a bit overused: 

Those who have seen Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also mention that there are two post-credit scenes to be on the lookout for. We’ll be able to find out more about where this one will fall in the ranking of Marvel movies when reviews come out on February 14, so check back to CinemaBlend then! In the meantime, make sure you’re caught up on everything you need to know about Marvel’s Phase 5, and you can take a look at the other upcoming Marvel movies, as well as what else is set to hit theaters soon with our 2023 Movie Release Schedule. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth place, with various franchises filling out their own corners of the property. The next highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters will be Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which looks like a blockbuster with a truly epic scale. And the director recently explained why he wanted the threequel to be so much bigger than the previous two movies. Good thing Scott has Giant Man abilities.

All three of the Ant-Man movies were helmed by Peyton Reed, so he definitely knows the Paul Rudd-led franchise well. But the footage of Quantumania looks way crazier than the first two movies, while also introducing the MCU’s next big bad in the form of Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Reed recently spoke to EW about the upcoming blockbuster, where he explained why he wanted to raise the stakes of his third Marvel installment. In his words,

Touche. The first two Ant-Man movies were definitely lighter fare, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with Quantumania. And that’s by design by the franchise’s director, who was ready to step out of the sidelines with his acclaimed property. We’ll just have to wait and see what twists he’s got up his sleeve when the movie arrives in February.

Peyton Reed’s comments will no doubt ring true for hardcore Marvel fans who see every new movie in theaters. The first Ant-Man movie was the final installment of Phase Two, following the explosive events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Meanwhile, the sequel Ant-Man and The Wasp was the first movie to follow Avengers: Infinity War, and Thanos’ snap. Now it looks like Reed is ready to direct the next big movie, rather than simply follow it.

Later in that same interview, Peyton Reed further explained how he leaned into the concept of the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man 3. That setting is still such a mysterious place, and one that we’ll finally dive deep into for the aptly named sequel Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. He shared why this was an exciting change, saying:

Sign me up. It looks like the Marvel fandom’s various questions about the Quantum Realm might just be answered in Ant-Man 3. This includes learning more about what happened when Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne spent years in the subatomic setting. As a reminder, you can check out the trailer for the movie below: 

The stakes certainly feel high, especially because Ant-Man doesn’t seem nearly powerful enough to take on a foe like Kang the Conqueror (unless he goes with that viral butt strategy). This limited footage shows him looking pretty beat up, although he’s got support in the form of The Wasp as well as his daughter Cassie. Let’s just hope the full cast survives this upcoming adventure.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will arrive in theaters on February 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater in the New Year. And it sounds like the upcoming movie will have a major effect on the shared universe as a whole. 

Since the superhero movies took off in the 2000s, there have been multiple iterations of Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four. Of course, now, Marvel is working on the Fantastic Four reboot with WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman set to direct after Jon Watts stepped away from the project. With that in mind, there haven’t been frequent updates on the superhero film. But Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed might’ve just teased some exciting news about the film.

Reed has been a major contributor to the MCU through the Ant-Man film series. The third installment is gearing up to be one of 2023’s upcoming blockbusters. But the Bring It On director seemed as giddy as the fans about the dysfunctional superhero family finally joining the MCU. More than anything, the film and TV director was more than ready to see Shakman’s vision for the group. But being part of the MCU family gives Reed a chance to preview new projects as he threw out a nice teaser to Somos Geeks.

While he didn’t spill any major secrets, the director gave fans a nice little peek into the long-awaited reboot. Just hearing about the design would make anyone want to know more about the film. There are already multiple rumors surrounding the MCU reboot, including how the group’s archnemesis Doctor Doom will be used in the film. The latest update only scratches the surface of what Marvel’s First Family might bring to the MCU. The film is poised to be an important story in Phase 6 with a release date of February 14, 2025.

Reed’s excitement over the Fantastic Four reboot didn’t just appear upon Marvel head Kevin Feige making the big announcement. The Yes Man director has a proven track record with the superhero family that goes back two decades. He was originally set to direct the original 2005 film before being replaced by Tim Story in 2004. The filmmaker went on to explain how his work with the Ant-Man franchise helped him reconnect with the family-like superhero group.

At least, Reed is championing Shakman’s vision for the Fantastic Four instead of downplaying the latter’s efforts. After his vision didn’t come to the big screen, it appeared the director has moved on from his previous experience. It will be fun to see if Ant-Man and co. have interactions with the superhero family in the future.

But Peyton Reed has a bigger task at hand right now with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania dropping in theaters on February 17, 2023. Before the sequel premieres, check out what upcoming Marvel movies you can expect from Phases 5 and 6.

Last year, Disney+ subscribers saw The Harder They Fall’s Jonathan Majors debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as He Who Remains, a variant of the time-traveling menace known as Kang the Conqueror, in the Loki Season 1 finale. We’re now just a few months away from Majors making his first appearance as the primary Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the first of the upcoming Marvel movies in 2023. Ahead of that release, Quantumania director Peyton Reed took some time to tease Kang’s “profound impact” on the MCU, as well as share how the villain differs from He Who Remains.

In case you’re out of the loop, Kang the Conqueror isn’t simply serving as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s main villain. He’s following in Thanos’ footsteps as the MCU’s overarching antagonist, with his machinations coming to a head in 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and likely continuing (but not confirmed) into 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars. So Quantumania obviously needs to present Kang as a formidable opponent, and Peyton Reed assured Empire that Kang’s arrival will have “major reverberations” on this franchise. As the director put it:

Later in the interview, Peyton Reed called noted that with the first two Ant-Man movies seeing Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang face off against smaller-scale (pun intended) threats like Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross, Walton Goggins’ Sonny Burch and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, he was excited by the prospect of the superhero and his allies dealing with “an all-timer antagonist.” Reed explained that because Scott is “the tiniest, and in some people’s minds weakest, Avenger,” he welcomed the opportunity to pit him against “this absolute force of nature.” On that note, just because Kang the Conqueror shares the same face as He Who Remains doesn’t mean he has the same kind of personality. In Reed’s words:

In the Loki Season 1 finale, He Who Remains was revealed as the mastermind behind the Time Variance Authority, having established the temporal organization and weaponized the creature Alioth to close off the Sacred Timeline and stop Kang and his other nefarious variants from continuing the Multiversal War. He Who Remains came off as unhinged in his meeting with Loki and Sylvie, and as a result of living countless lifetimes in the Citadel at the End of Time, he’d also grown weary of his existence. He ultimately met his ends at Sylvie’s hands, but his death paved the way for the MCU’s multiverse to be opened up and for the more reserved, Kang the Conqueror to resume his… well, conquering.

Exactly what Kang the Conqueror is up to in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is still being kept under wraps, although the first Quantumania trailer indicated he’s willing to help Scott Lang get home provided the superhero helps him out with something. We’ll learn what that is when Quantumania is released on February 17 as one of the many high-profile 2023 movie releases. Next year will also deliver Loki Season 2, and since the Season 1 finale revealed that Kang now controlled the TVA, there’s a decent chance he could appear in that show too.

This year’s Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con most definitely delivered the goods when it came to footage. The crowd gathered in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center got the chance to witness the world premiere of some exciting new previews for upcoming projects, including a brand new look at the upcoming She-Hulk: Attorney At Law series on Disney+ and the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Of course, not all of the footage from the panel was officially released online after its debut – and that includes an exciting sneak peak at Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania that was debuted.

Director Peyton Reed and the stars of the new Marvel film gathered on stage at Hall H this afternoon, and while they couldn’t actually say much about the film during the question and answer portion of their appearance, they did deliver on the footage front, and I’ve broken down what was shown for you below.

Catching up with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to start, the Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania footage began in the City Lights Bookstore where we discover what Ant-Man has been up to since we last saw him in Avengers:Endgame: he’s been writing a book. The tome is titled Look Out For The Little Guy, and he is shown confidently reading a passage to an enraptured crowd – which includes a beaming little kid dressed in Ant-Man cosplay. He explains that he is still on call if the Avengers need him, but that his main priority in life is taking care of his daughter, Cassie. As he finishes the chapter and the crowd applauds, Scott’s phone rings, and the caller ID tells him that it’s the SFPD – leading him to remark aloud, “Why is jail calling?”

It turns out that the reason jail is calling is because Cassie (Kathryn Newton) has been arrested, and Scott goes to the police station to pick her up. Back at home, the father and daughter sit with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and from context it seems that Cassie has been trying out some vigilante action with some friends. Scott explains that he knows that she is just trying to help, and when Cassie says that she is trying to do something that matters, her dad reminds her that he “literally saved the world.” This comment receives fake shock from everyone else, who sarcastically note that he has never mentioned that fact before, and Janet tells him that he should write a book about it. Shrugging it off, the Avenger retorts, “You’re all welcome for all not being dust.”

From there the Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania footage started to get into story territory… while not revealing all that much. Voice over narration from Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) begins, with the antagonist talking about Scott being a fascinating man, but not having a proper concept of time – it doesn’t unfold in a straight line. This dialogue is played as the heroes stand in a lab around some kind of device, which unexpectedly turns on. As it powers up, it emits a bright blue light that sends out an energy wave, and Cassie gets sucked inside of it. As Scott Lang panics and tries to grab her, he too is pulled inside the light, and – as you probably could have guessed – all of heroes (including Janet, Hank and Hope) get sucked into the Quantum Realm.

In montage footage, we finally get to actually see the mysterious alternate dimension that was teased in both Ant-Man and Ant-Man And The Wasp, including a wide variety of strange aliens, crazy environments… and none other than Bill Murray (well, a character played by Bill Murray, anyway). Dressed in blue, Murray’s mysterious character is shown being particularly elated to see Janet van Dyne, who fans will remember spent decades trapped in the Quantum Realm before being rescued in the previous film in the series. Also very briefly featured is none other than MODOK, whose appearance in the film was confirmed following the footage being played.

Kang’s voice over continues, explaining that he knows how everything in Scott’s life ends. At teh end of the Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania clip, the hero meets with Kang face-to-face, and the confident hero explains, “I don’t know who you are, but you’ve made a big mistake. I’m an Avenger.” To this, Kang – walking out of the shadows and on screen for the first time – replies,

Between its excellent cameos, the revelations with the characters, the humor, and the thrills, the Ant-Man And The Wasp footage got an overwhelming reaction from the crowd, and clearly the Marvel Studios panel convinced the 6,500 people in attendance to check out the film when it hits theaters next year.

Featuring an outstanding cast including Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors and more, Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania will be the first film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2023 – the blockbuster set to arrive in cinemas everywhere on February 17, 2023. For more big reveals from the Marvel Studios Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, be sure to check out our description of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Comic-Con footage, the title reveals for Phase 5, and the news about the big Avengers films that will be ending Phase 6.  

In Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, audiences met the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Reed Richards (John Krasinski), leader of the Fantastic Four… well, a version of the Fantastic Four from a realm known now as Earth-838. And while that version of Mister Fantastic didn’t last very long against Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) – dying in one of the sequel’s most gruesome moments – Marvel clearly has plans for the family of superheroes. There’s a movie coming, despite some bumps on the road to production, and new rumors suggest that Kevin Feige is seeking a big name to helm the feature centered around the Fantastic Four.

This news comes from the Twitter account of Deadline senior film reporter Justin Kroll, who quotes a source saying that Marvel’s list of potential Fantastic Four directors remains long, and that this person would be “shocked” if the replacement for Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts was revealed before Labor Day. And the reason given for this lengthy deliberation is that Marvel President Kevin Feige, thrilled with the collaboration with Raimi, wants another big name in the director’s chair for Fantastic Four. As Kroll notes:

Kevin Feige will always have his input. But given the fact that Marvel Studios is juggling so many projects between planned sequels for Deadpool, the re-introduction of Blade, the multiple Disney+ programs, and whatever the future plan is for mutants, we can understand his unwillingness to commit to a younger filmmaker like Watts or Destin Daniel Cretton, and commit to proven directors such as Chloe Zhao, Raimi, or James Gunn. With that in mind, we’ve selected seven possible directors who’d fit that bill, and also be fantastic choices (pun intended) to lead the MCU’s FF into the future.

John Krasinski

This one’s easy. John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place movies established him as a tentpole director, particularly with the way the second installment raised the stakes and played with more budget. Krasinski just played Reed Richards in the Doctor Strange movie, and he and his wife Emily Blunt have been fan-favorite choices to play Reed and Sue for years. Hand this power couple the keys to the franchise, and let Krasinski make the sci-fi Amblin family picture he’s been chasing.   

Peyton Reed

This would be a fun callback for Marvel historians, as well as a reward to Peyton Reed for a “job well done” on the Ant-Man series. Before he stepped in and replaced Edgar Wright on the first Ant-Man, Reed had a pitch for a Fantastic Four movie that would have been set in the 1960s and blasted past the team’s origin story to begin with them as celebrity superheroes. He has a passion for the material, he’s a proven MCU guy… so is it time for his shot? 

Bryce Dallas Howard

The Jurassic World co-star is hearing her name attached to this franchise in two forms. Some would like her to be in contention for Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, and after her time in the Jurassic franchise concludes, she could transition over. But others (myself included) want to see her direct Fantastic Four for Marvel Studios, especially after the outstanding work she has been delivering in the Star Wars realm. Maybe Star Wars is her passion? But she has proven her talents as a filmmaker, and I’d love to see what she could do with the FF.

Bert & Bertie

This choice flies in the face of the theory that Kevin Feige wants a director with a name, but I so enjoyed the action work that Bert & Bertie did on the Disney+ series Hawkeye that I’d love to see them transition to Marvel features. Watch the Hawkeye episodes “Echoes” and “Ronin” to see what they are capable of, as well as their work on the pirate adventure series Our Flag Means Death. They’d be an exciting hire. 

Edgar Wright

Again, this would be Marvel giving someone a second chance – similar to the way they brought James Gunn back into the fold after hastily firing him from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Edgar Wright developed Ant-Man for Marvel, then left the project over creative differences. He’s only improved as a filmmaker and storyteller, and his most recent Last Night in Soho proves he can do 1960s kitsch if that’s still in the cards for Fantastic Four. Also, we’d probably get Nick Frost as Ben Grimm, and that sounds excellent. 

Justin Lin

Could the Fast & Furious’s loss be Marvel’s gain? Apparently after failing to see eye to eye with Vin Diesel, Justin Lin walked away from Fast X, and should drive right over to Marvel Studios to take on Fantastic Four. Lin delivered some of the best installments of the Fast franchise. He’s a skilled action director who also hit one out of the park when he helmed Star Trek Beyond for Paramount. A franchise filmmaker with loads of experience in action and science-fiction? That sounds exactly what Kevin Feige is looking for, so give Lin a call. 

Brad Bird

Some argue that Brad Bird already made the best Fantastic Four movie, but called it The Incredibles. The powers used by the Parr family in the two Pixar movies absolutely resemble those of the Fantastic Four, especially Elastagirl’s stretching and Violet’s force fields. So, would Bird want to retread old ground and do FF in live action? His filmography suggests a deep interest in sci-fi (Tomorrowland, The Iron Giant) and action (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). And his announced feature 1906 lingers in development, meaning he might have time to transition to Marvel and give the FF a shot. 

How about you? Who do you want to see bringing Marvel’s first family to the big screen? Contemplate the question, and plan your trip to the theater for the other upcoming Marvel movies, starting with Thor: Love and Thunder in multiplexes on July 8.

Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne/The Wasp may be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s smallest superheroes (when the former isn’t going giant-sized, that is), but their film series is anything but. Having last appeared in Avengers: Endgame, these heroes will finally return to center stage for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The threequel kicked off principal photography in late July, and now director Peyton Reed has announced that filming is officially complete.

As has become customary with major motion pictures, Peyton Reed went on social media to commemorate this stage of the filmmaking process reaching its conclusion. Here’s how Reed shared with the public on Twitter that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is done rolling cameras:

That is some cool artwork of Ant-Man and Wasp in action! While it stands to reason Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has reshoots lined up at a later date, as is a common practice with Marvel movies, the main filming period is now over. As such, Quantumania enters the post-production phase, where the movie is edited together, visual effects are added, music is thrown in, the list goes on. With over a year and a half to go until Quantumania’s release, Peyton Reed and his team certainly aren’t lacking for time to put together the best product possible.

Along with Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s other returning faces include Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne. We’ll also reunite with Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang, who’s played this time around by Freaky’s Kathryn Newton, and Bill Murray has been cast as a yet-to-be-revealed character. Oh, and let’s not forget Jonathan Majors, who made his MCU debut in the Loki Season 1 finale as He Who Remains, and will take part in Quantumania as Kang the Conqueror, a variant of the man who created the Time Variance Authority.

Plot-wise, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania remains an enigma, although it’s worth mentioning that Rick and Morty’s Jeff Loveness wrote the script. Going off the title, it’s obvious the Quantum Realm will factor heavily into the narrative. Not only has that other dimension been a key aspect of the Ant-Man film series, it also allowed the superheroes who weren’t turned to dust by Thanos to go back in time and retrieve other versions of the Infinity Stone to undo The Mad Titan’s genocide during Avengers: Endgame. Who knows what kind of surprises the Quantum Realm hold in store next?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now slated to arrive on July 28, 2023. While we wait for more news about its progress, our upcoming Marvel movies guide is available for those of you curious about what else the MCU is priming for the silver screen, or head over to Disney+ to watch past installments. 

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe exponentially growing every single year, it feels like we will eventually hit a point where every actor in Hollywood has a part in the superhero franchise. It's actually part of the charm at this point to see certain stars in comic book movies that one would never have expected to see in comic book movies. The latest example of this is Bill Murray, who has revealed that he has a part in one of the MCU's upcoming blockbusters.

SPOILER WARNING: If you really don't want to know what Marvel movie Bill Murray is going to be in and maintain the surprise for the big screen, you should not read any further!

Currently promoting his new movie The French Dispatch, Bill Murray recently did an interview with German newspaper FAZ (via The Wrap) and he bluntly let it slip that he has a role in 2023's Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. Explaining why, he said that he took the part because he formed a great bond with director Peyton Reed, saying (after translation from German),

That's what we call "Pure Bill Murray Energy" right there.

Is it kind of a bummer that this isn't a surprise that is being maintained for the big screen? Sure – it would have been nice to be sitting in a theater a couple years from now watching Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania and be hilariously blindsided by a sudden appearance from Bill Murray. At the same time, though, knowing that Murray is a part of anything should raise one's anticipation levels, and there is also one key piece of information that we still don't know: who he is playing.

It's pretty hard to even make guesses about his character seeing as we know very little about the plot of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. We know that Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer have all returned, reprising their respective roles from the previous two Ant-Man movies, and it has been confirmed that Jonathan Majors will be featured on the big screen as Kang the Conqueror following his stunning MCU introduction this past summer in Loki. The title of the blockbuster obviously also suggests that the story will be doing a deep dive into the mysterious Quantum Realm, but beyond that surmise details dry up.

Filming on Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is happening now, and Marvel Studios has slated it for release on July 28, 2023. For a full rundown on everything that the franchise has coming out on the big screen in the next few years, be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide. 

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Following the release of Black Widow, the MCU has finally returned to theaters. Fans will be treated to the rapid release of three new blockbusters over the next few movies, but there are a number of highly anticipated projects also coming together. This includes Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, with director Peyton Reed celebrating filming with a creepy message.

Peyton Reed will helm his third MCU installment with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and fans can’t wait to dive back into the titular realm. Filming has just begun, and Reed shared his excitement with a photo of that hideous bunny Scott Lang gave his daughter Cassie in the last sequel. Check it out below.

That stuffed animal is truly the thing of nightmares. But Cassie Lang loved it in Ant-Man and The Wasp, presumably keeping through the five-year time jump where her father was missing. We’ll just have to see how the creepy little guy factors into the story of the threequel.

The above image comes to us from Peyton Reed’s personal Twitter account, and marks the start of photography on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In the image we see Cassie Lang’s ugly rabbit stuffed animal, which is placed suspiciously next to some biohazard containers. Considering the title of the upcoming movie and the characters’ dangerous work in the Quantum Realm, this cryptic post is sure to inspire a few fan theories.

Marvel fans can re-watch Ant-Man’s story in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Cassie Lang will be returning to the MCU in a big way for Ant-Man 3, this time played by Big Little Lies actress Kathryn Newton. Fans are hoping to see her become a superhero in her own right, and now it’s clear that the ugly bunny is still around. We’ll just have to wait and see how many size-changing adventures Cassie gets into for the upcoming blockbuster.

The anticipation surrounding Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania also comes as a result of the movie’s cryptic title. There are countless questions about the Quantum Realm, and exactly what power lies within. Additionally, the threequel will feature the return of Loki actor Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conquerer, who has been teased as the next big crossover villain for the MCU. Considering what a splash Majors made playing He Who Remains, there's a built-in audience for this new character. Especially since the fandom wasn't treated to the appearance of the variant Kang quite yet.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is currently expected to arrive in theaters on February 17th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

While Peyton Reed is probably best known to fans as the director of the Ant-Man movies, the filmmaker made a huge impression last year taking a break from the incredible shrinking hero to spend some time in the Star Wars universe. Reed took the helm of two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2, including the shocking, surprised filled finale, and while doing so he got a taste of the special way that series is made – which is to say with the use of a digital backlot called The Volume. Now the filmmaker is preparing for his next cinematic adventure in the world of Marvel... but he's not totally leaving his Mandalorian experience behind as he ventures into the making of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

We only just recently learned that the Ant-Man And The Wasp sequel will be coming out in early 2023, and while its release date is still almost two years away Peyton Reed is evidently already starting work on the new blockbuster. He teased the gears are now turning with a post on Twitter, and in doing so also revealed that the production of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania will be utilizing a digital backlot. Check out his post below:

As detailed in the behind-the-scenes docuseries Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian on Disney+, The Volume is an arranged series of displays that can be manipulated in coordination with cameras to simulate a real environment. Practical elements are still built, but there is a heavy reliance on visual effects. It's pretty damn impressive technology when you consider that The Mandalorian compares incredibly well aesthetically side-by-side with the other modern Star Wars movies (which have all been shot at least partially on location).

Another notable aspect of Peyton Reed's post is the revelation of a key way in which his latest cinematic adventure will differ from his last two. Ant-Man and Ant-Man And The Wasp were both filmed in the Pinewood Studios location in Atlanta, Georgia, but as noted by the "Iver Heath" location tag in the director's post, that won't be the case for Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. Instead, the movie will shoot at the original Pinewood Studios in England. Exactly why this choice was made isn't clear, but it should be noted that Marvel has plenty of history on the UK lot, having recently made Black Widow and Eternals there.

Presently not much is known about Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, but Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michele Pfeiffer are all expected back to reprise their roles, and they will be joined by Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror, and Kathryn Newton as the new Cassie Lang. If Peyton Reed is getting the movie ready for principal photography, that means that we could hear a number of updates about the project in the coming weeks/months, so stay tuned for all of that. And to check out everything that is on its way to the big screen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next few years, be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a behemoth in the entertainment industry, recently expanding to the small screen on Disney+. In addition to fighting Thanos and his forces, the starring cast is also known for their friendships and funny social media banter. So when Mark Ruffalo took the time to wish Paul Rudd a happy birthday, it was an A+ message.

Mark Ruffalo and Paul Rudd were able to work with each other on Avengers: Endgame, with Ant-Man and Smart Hulk sharing the iconic taco scene. Rudd is celebrating his 52nd birthday, and Ruffalo wished him well by poking fun at his apparent agelessness. Check it out below.

I mean, same. Paul Rudd is known for aging like a fine wine, so it makes sense that Mark Ruffalo would want to get in on the joke when sending a birthday message. Seriously, he needs to drop the skincare info. Or perhaps its the Nano Gauntlet that gives him such a glow.

Mark Ruffalo sent Paul Rudd birthday wishes over on his personal Twitter. Ruffalo is super active on social media, and just days ago he wished happy birthday to another Avenger: Robert Downey Jr. Clearly Ruffalo is a guy who checks his calendar.

Marvel fans can re-watch the Infinity Saga on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Paul Rudd first captured the hearts of audiences in ‘90s projects like Clueless and Romeo + Juliet. He’s had a long and successful career, including a run as a superhero with the Ant-Man franchise. Now Rudd is in his ‘50s, and is arguably in the best shape of his life.

Of course Mark Ruffalo isn’t the only Marvel contributor to wish Paul Rudd a happy birthday. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed also took to social media for the occasion. In fact, he posted a photo of... Donnie Osmond? Check it out.

Well, that's one way of showing love to your co-worker. Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd will once again collaborate on the upcoming Marvel threequel Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The movie's contents are being kept under wraps, but it should be interesting to see what comes next for Rudd's title character. After all, the world of the MCU has been greatly changed in the wake of The Blip.

In Phase Three Ant-Man was able to crossover into ensemble projects like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. The idea of the time heist was ultimately his, although the tech was perfected by Tony Stark. And with characters like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America in the rear view, it's expected that other heroes like Ant-Man will become more important in the overall franchise.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is expected to hit theaters in 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

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Over the past decade of filmmaking, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a well-oiled machine. But there have been plenty of twists and shakeups behind the camera, most of which have worked out quite well. For instance, Baby Driver director Edgar Wright was originally set to direct the first Ant-Man movie, before departing the project over creative differences. But the drama had a happy ending, as Wright recently resumed contact with Marvel's Kevin Feige.

Edgar Wright departed Ant-Man in 2014, after being with the project through its development process. This made way for director Peyton Reed to take the helm of the burgeoning franchise, while Wright was still credited as a screenwriter for the origin story. And while he's yet to do any further work in the MCU, the filmmaker recently spoke about his reunion with Kevin Feige, which came ahead of an article he participated in. In his words,

Sometimes things work out for the best. And while Edgar Wright has yet to make his official debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he helped develop Ant-Man ahead of principal photography. Years have gone by, and the filmmaker now feels comfortable coming back into contact with Kevin Feige and putting the drama behind him.

Edgar Wright's comments to Empire are sure to be comforting to moviegoers who were following the Ant-Man drama as it was happening in real time. It's been a number of years, with the franchise continuing to grow with the upcoming threequel Quantumania. It seems this time apart has allowed both Wright and Kevin Feige to bury the hatchet of their professional snafu, and move on in a healthy way.

Ant-Man's tenure in the MCU is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Obviously Edgar Wright isn't the first director to part ways with a studio over creative differences, and he certainly wasn't the last. It's only in major blockbusters like Star Wars or the MCU that this news manages to break the internet. In the end Peyton Reed stuck the landing with his first two Ant-Man movies, while Edgar Wright saw great success with Baby Driver. He's also got a new movie coming out this coming fall.

Edgar Wright still managed to help plant the seeds of Ant-Man, who would go on to become a major force in the greater MCU. Paul Rudd's signature character had his first major crossover in Captain America: Civil War, and was instrumental to the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame. Fans are eager to catch up with Scott Lang, especially since the threequel will seemingly transform his daughter Cassie into a superhero as well.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is currently in development, and Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho will arrive October 22nd. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

The Mandalorian Season 2 left Star Wars fans floored with its action-packed and emotional season finale. But the biggest surprise was the inclusion of Luke Skywalker, who arrived to take Grogu (Baby Yoda) in order to begin the small alien’s Jedi training. Of course, the iconic character was portrayed by a de-aged Mark Hamill, who has since been expressing gratitude for getting to reprise this iteration of Skywalker. The finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” was helmed by Ant-Man director Peyton Reed and, after the filmmaker paid tribute to Hamill, the actor sent him a heartfelt message in return.

Peyton Reed grew up a Star Wars fan, so getting to direct not one, but two, episodes of The Mandalorian was a dream come true. While Reed has given thanks to producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni for bringing him on, he couldn’t help but share a vintage photo of the actor and thank him for the positive work experience.

Mark Hamill, being the sentimental person that he is, later thanked Peyton Reed through a message of his own. Check out the Twitter post down below:

As much love as Mark Hamill receives from Star Wars fans for his role as Luke Skywalker, he definitely doesn’t mind showering it on others as well. The Mandalorian Season 2 finale was checked off a bucket list item for both Hamill and Peyton Reed, and you have to love that the two are so thankful for it.

Hamill, who’s incredibly active on social media, is known for having sweet interactions with fans and fellow Star Wars collaborators. Just recently, Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand on The Mandalorian, had a great time geeking out with Hamill about their roles in the expansive franchise. And he also likes to have a bit of fun with fans as well. Before the actor truly opened up about the Mandalorian finale, he first responded to it with a short and cheeky post.

The fact that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were able to get Hamill to return as Luke Skywalker was probably a bit surprising for many fans. After playing the role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Hamill claimed that he had retired from the role and seemed to solidify this with a bittersweet social media post. But it would appear that the allure of playing a Return of the Jedi-era Luke was just too great for him to overcome, and Hamill certainly did not disappoint when reviving the hero.

It’s possible that The Mandalorian may be the final time we ever see Mark Hamill don his Jedi robes and lightsaber. But if it is, there probably isn’t a better way for the actor and his character to go out.

The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are available to stream on Disney+.

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Warning: SPOILERS for the latest episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian, “The Passenger,” are ahead!

While Disney owns both Marvel and Star Wars, these franchises are understandably kept very much apart. However, that doesn’t mean one franchise can’t reference the other. The Marvel Cinematic Universe can be a little more blatant with this by outright mentioning the Star Wars movies, but the newest episode of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian managed to sneak in a fun reference to the Ant-Man film series through an alien the eponymous protagonist meets.

The Mandalorian Season 2 premiered last week, with showrunner Jon Favreau directing the first episode, “The Marshal.” This week, we were given “The Passenger,” which Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp director Peyton Reed helmed. So the fact that an ant-like alien by the name of Dr. Mandible was featured now makes even more sense, as opposed to this just being another opportunity to show off an unusual Star Wars creature that was excellently puppeteered.

Now, to be fair, Dr. Mandible wasn’t created specifically for “The Passenger.” He previously popped up as a background character in The Mandalorian Season 1 episode “The Gunslinger” when Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin stopped by the Mos Eisley Cantina to look for some work while his ship, the Razor Crest, was being repaired. This time around though, Dr. Mandible had a direct impact on the plot.

Following his adventure with Cobb Vanth near Mos Pelgo, “The Passenger” began with Mando preventing some bandits from kidnapping The Child, though his speeder bike was destroyed in the process. Walking the rest of the way back to Mos Eisley, Mando reconnects with Amy Sedaris’ Peli Motto, who’s playing cards at the cantina with Dr. Mandible. After their game is finished, Mandible informs Mando about someone he knows who can lead him to other Mandalorians. This contact is the Frog Lady, who Mando must transport to the planet Trask at sub-light speeds so her husband can fertilize her eggs. In exchange, Frog Lady’s husband will tell the bounty hunter the information he has on the other Mandalorians.

So on the one hand, we have Dr. Mandible to thank for Mando’s newest lead on his journey to returning The Child to his people. On the other hand, given how the rest of “The Passenger” unfolded, namely Mando, The Child and Frog Lady crash-landing on an ice planet, nearly being devoured by ice-spiders and the Razor Crest now being badly damaged, maybe Mando might have been better off not crossing paths with Dr. Mandible. We’ll have to wait and see what happens next week to learn if this difficult mission was worth the reward.

It’s hard to say if Dr. Mandible was in “The Passenger” before Peyton Reed was hired to direct the episode, or if he was added in once Reed was on board. Either way, it’s fun that this episode was able to include a subtle nod to Peyton Reed’s work on the Ant-Man film series. And who knows, since Mando has visited Tatooine twice now within The Mandalorian’s run, maybe he’ll eventually make his way there a third time and run into Dr. Mandible again.

The Mandalorian Season 2 premieres new episodes every Friday on Disney+, which you can sign up for now. As for Peyton Reed, it’s been confirmed he’ll be back to direct Ant-Man 3, which will also Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas all unsurprisingly reprising their respective roles, as well as reportedly feature Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror.

Every once in a while, ReelBlend is able to get really special guests for really special events. This week, we present a bonus interview with director Peyton Reed and writer Jessica Bendinger discussing Bring It On 20 years after its initial release.

As you can imagine, we get into some awesome stories and memories of making the film including its incredible opening weekend, and subsequent theatrical run. We discuss finding Bring It On's amazing cast, and creating iconic character introductions like Missy Pantone's audition played by Eliza Dushku.

Are you interested in a return to the Bring It On franchise with a sequel? We also asked if the duo would be interested in teaming back up for another swing at the original concept, and it appears they'd be more than happy to oblige if fans want in. Listen through for their full explanation.

We'll be back later this week with a full episode of ReelBlend, including an exciting announcement you won't want to miss, and will also feature another great interview. Stay tuned.

Be sure to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube! You can also sign up to get an extra, exclusive episode of the show each week with a ReelBlend Premium subscription right here.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever growing place, and the countless fans out there are eager to see Phase Four finally kick off with Black Widow. One of the projects coming down the pipeline in Phase Five is the Ant-Man threequel, which will once again be helmed by franchise director Peyton Reed. And now Reed has opened up about a deleted sequence from the acclaim sequels Ant-Man and The Wasp.

The original Ant-Man movie was originally going to be directed by Edgar Wright, before he departed the project due to creative differences. Peyton Reed jumped in to bring the story to life, and the first two Ant-Man movies brought a unique tone to the MCU and became box office and critical successes. Ant-Man and The Wasp greatly expanded the story, and brought in characters like Ghost who are expected to return in the third movie. Reed recently appeared on our very own ReelBlend podcast, where host Sean O'Connell asked about a set he witnessed during the set visit that never showed up in the actual movie. The filmmaker explained this deleted scene, saying:

Well, there you have it. Because while Peyton Reed and the cast/crew of Ant-Man and The Wasp shot additional footage set in Bueno Aires, most if it was left on the cutting room floor. This helped keep the movie's brisk pace, even if the hard work was never seen by the public as a whole.

Ant-Man and The Wasp is currently streaming on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Peyton Reed recently appeared on ReelBlend to speak about the 20th anniversary of his iconic cheerleading comedy Bring It On, where eventually the conversation turned to the filmmaker's time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell recalled a set that he saw while Ant-Man and The Wasp was filming, which never actually made it into the theatrical cut. And it turns out it was simply cut for time.

The scene in question was another flashback sequence that further fleshed out the backstory of Hannah John-Kamen's character Ava Starr / Ghost. While she was the primary villain of Peyton Reed's first Marvel sequel, although her tragic backstory provided context to her actions. It turns out she was in constant pain due to an experiment gone wrong, and was only seeking treatment for her unique condition.

Peyton Reed has a ton of narrative threads to pull from for Ant-Man 3, so the story could seemingly go anywhere. Hope, Janet, and Hank were all dusted as a result of Thanos' snap, so it'll be interesting to see where they pick up. Ghost's fate was also left ambiguous, especially considering that she needed the samples that Scott Lang was searching for when he was suddenly stranded in the Quantum Realm. If she wasn't dusted as well, the new character might have had a hard time surviving the five-year time jump.

Ant-Man 3 is expected to arrive in theaters sometime in Phase Five, following Captain Marvel 2. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

For decades, most comic book movies have been headlined by a single, male superhero, like Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and, of course, Ant-Man; you get the picture. But for Marvel Studios, that shifted with Ant-Man and the Wasp, which highlighted a pair of superheroes. And according to director Peyton Reed, that partnership will continue to be important in Ant-Man 3.

Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and Evangeline Lily's The Wasp have formed quite the partnership in their franchise and the Avengers films. And as it so happens, that dynamic isn't about to end anytime soon. Director Peyton Reed spoke with Yahoo! Entertainment and gave us a little information about how that relationship is important and what it means moving forward. Needless to say, it looks like Ant-Man and the Wasp will continue to share the spotlight. Here’s what he had to say about it:

As you may recall, Paul Rudd took the spotlight in Ant-Man as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, but Evangeline Lily’s Hope Van Dyne played a key role in both training Scott Lang and aiding him and father Hank Pym in orchestrating their heist. An elevated role for Hope Van Dyne role was then alluded to in a post-credits scene in which we got to see the beginnings of her Wasp suit.

It wasn’t until Ant-Man and the Wasp that Hope Van Dyne really took things into her own hands and started doing a lot more of the “hero work.” And while some female Marvel characters have been able to shine in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers, they haven’t had many chances to get their own standalone movies. After Captain Marvel, Black Widow will only be the second female-led standalone movie in the MCU, when it eventually releases.

As for Ant-Man 3, there were some initial doubts that the movie would even happen but, of course, we now know it is moving forward. Sadly, like most movie projects right now, current events have delayed things for the film. But that doesn’t mean Peyton Reed and his team aren’t still working on the project. He later said:

It was announced earlier this year that Rick and Morty writer and producer Jeff Loveness will be working on the Ant-Man 3 script. This happened early in the Hollywood shut down, so he's had quite a bit of time to work on the script.

It’ll be interesting to see how Ant-Man 3 progresses and how they’ll further Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne’s partnership and romantic relationship. Though Evangeline Lily has said she doesn’t want it, you have to wonder if Marvel would consider doing a Wasp standalone movie. For more movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of Bring It On, a small-budget teen comedy about rival cheerleader teams that hit No. 1 at the box office in its first weekend and went on to become a cult classic. Now, over the years, the franchise has certainly been around: there have been five straight-to-video sequels and a Broadway musical, but the original filmmakers behind Bring It On were never part of them.

As the original film that starred Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union reaches its milestone, Bring It On screenwriter Jessica Bendinger teased that she may be finally working on another movie from the series with these words:

That’s just enough to spring into a backflip. During their conversation with Variety, Bendinger and Bring It On’s director Peyton Reed told the trade that the idea of a sequel has been on their minds for some time now, and they’ve been bouncing ideas between one another all this time. While there isn’t another movie officially in the works, it certainly looks like there could be. Here’s what Reed said:

Case in point, Netflix’s original reality series, Cheer, was a huge hit earlier this year, and Bring It On has continued to reach audiences over the years, between its six films. Peyton Reed also brought up this “Bring It On Cinematic Universe” that had been proposed to him before (maybe because there have been so many characters at its center, including Hayden Panettiere?) that got them thinking about “devising certain things.”

It definitely sounds like the writer and director of the 2000 film have been seriously mulling over a story for an official Bring It On sequel, which is super exciting for fans. Kirsten Dunst showed her interest in reprising her role as Torrance Shipman last year, too! Now, the question is whether they are planning to bring in the original stars into the fold or tell a new story. Reed’s “generational” comment makes me believe it’s the former.

Since Bring It On scored $90 million at the box office, Peyton Reed has gone on to make comedy films The Break-Up and Yes Man, and he also helmed the two Ant-Man movies. A third Marvel film about Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is reportedly in the works with the director, but its timeline isn’t clear yet. Bendinger’s last writing credit is 2006’s Stick It, which is insane.

What do you think? Would you be on board for another Bring It On? Vote in our poll below and stick with us here on CinemaBlend for more movie news.

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Stan Lee always made a point to cameo in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, but it turns out that wasn't all he was doing on set. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed recently revealed that the man behind so many of Marvel's great characters assisted him in filming Ant-Man by discussing with him some of the tips and tricks that had been learned drawing the character for the comics. Specifically, the importance of framing a shrunken Ant-Man with normal sized objects in order to impart to the audience the difference is size. According to Reed...

The entire gimmick of Ant-Man is, of course, the fact that he can shrink down to a tiny size. The joy of reading a comic book or seeing him in a movie is getting to experience that strange world of a man the size of an insect. The environment is just as much the star of an Ant-Man story as the superhero, something which Stan Lee apparently took some time to relate to Peyton Reed as Reed was getting ready to direct the first Ant-Man movie.

And as Peyton Reed explained during a recent Q&A session following a screening of Ant-Man and the Wasp (via IMAX), this conversation was useful, as many of the same issues that can crop up when creating an Ant-Man comic were also important when creating an Ant-Man movie. Just because the medium and the technology were different, didn't mean the fundamentals of the character had changed.

Overall, it seems fair to say that these issues were overcome in both Ant-Man films. It was nearly always clear what the audience was looking at, and what size our characters were, due to the way that everytime objects appeared incredibly massive, or sometimes incredibly tiny, in order to convey that information.

We know we'll see Ant-Man again very soon in Avengers: Endgame, though how the character is important, or how is size will play a role, we still don't know. We'll find out this April.

While Ant-Man And The Wasp did a great job as a story capitalizing on the previous on-screen adventures of Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, there is one plot thread from their first movie that has yet to be concluded. At the end of Ant-Man, Mitchell Carson (played by Martin Donovan) was shown grabbing a vile of Cross Particles before escaping the soon-to-be-imploded Pym Tech building, and in the last three years we haven't heard anything about his whereabouts or what he's done with the shrinking material. It remains as a lingering mystery in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it should be recognized that director Peyton Reed knows it's a question worthy of answering, and told me in a recent interview,

Earlier this week I sat down with Peyton Reed at the 10 Years of Art in the Marvel Cinematic Universe event at the Hero Complex Gallery in Los Angeles, and it was in the midst of our conversation that I brought up Mitchell Carson. I was curious if the character was ever in the mix for the story being told in Ant-Man And The Wasp, and while Reed confirmed that there were discussions about him, they ultimately decided to dedicate more focus to the story they wanted to tell.

What gives this story an extra little twist is that there almost was a definitive end to Mitchell Carson's arc in the first Ant-Man... until there wasn't. As Peyton Reed explained, the production actually filmed a scene for the end of the movie where Carson has a final confrontation with Scott Lang, allowing him to retrieve the dangerous technology, but that sequence was left on the cutting room floor. Said Reed,

Of course, there are still many Marvel Cinematic Universe movies coming in the future, and nobody expects that the Ant-Man And The Wasp series will stop after just two titles. Obviously it's not clear now how exactly Mitchell Carson could take advantage of the rare technology he possesses in a third blockbuster, but that's for Peyton Reed, Paul Rudd, and the other creatives to figure out between now and then.

For now, fans can endlessly enjoy both Ant-Man and Ant-Man And The Wasp, the latter having been released on digital this past Tuesday. And if you're more into physical media, the film will be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD starting October 16th.

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man and The Wasp.

Since Avengers: Infinity War arrived months ago and changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we knew it, fans and cinephiles have been wondering what The Russo Brothers could possibly be planning for the untitled Avengers 4 movie. Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of time left before our answers arrive, with two Marvel movies arriving in the interim. The first of which was Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp, which ran parallel to the events of Infinity War. The sequel didn't connect to the battle against Thanos until its mid-credits scene, where Hope, Janet, and Hank faded away to dust, leaving Scott stranded in the Quantum Realm. Reed recently explained why he loved the sequence, and how it mirrored the quirky tone of the Ant-Man franchise.

He's got a point. The Ant-Man franchise is known for its quirky and surprising tone, so its connection to the greater shared universe should be handled as such. So when Thanos' finger snap came for Peyton Reed's characters, it needed to be appropriately quirky.

Peyton Reed's comments to the Empire Film Podcast show how specifically the director thought about Ant-Man and The Wasp's mid-credits scene. Reed is famously not a fan of crossovers, and would prefer to have some ownership over Scott Lang and the rest of the crew. But with Ant-Man being noticeably absent from Infinity War, the fandom is eager for Paul Rudd's character to factor into the shared universe's greater narrative.

Ant-Man and The Wasp ended with Scott, and the rest of the crew doing a new experiment in the Quantum Realm in an attempt to help Ghost's condition. There's plenty of bantering and Ant-Man humor, and he promptly departs. Still high from the movie's excitement and happy ending montage, all looks well. But then Ant-Man and is left with radio silence, we see the last specks of dust falling to the ground, meaning with Hope, Hank, and Janet victims of Thanos' finger snap of death. It's unclear how Scott will survive, with fans theorizing he might access an alternate dimension or even time travel while exploring the Quantum Realm.

All will be revealed when Avengers 4 arrives in theaters on May 3rd, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Marvel Comics have been around for decades, and while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has honored many of the stories that have taken place in the source material, the live-action films have largely eschewed some of the more controversial subplots. One such narrative thread is Ant-Man hero Hank Pym's domestic abuse, and while that's a famous moment in comic book history, Ant-Man and The Wasp director Peyton Reed recently opened up and admitted that the Ant-Man team never wanted to adapt that version of Hank. Reed explained:

So while Hank Pym striking Janet van Dyne is certainly canon in the comics, it's not the canon that anyone involved in Ant-Man or Ant-Man and The Wasp wanted to adapt when it was decided that the characters would make the transition. Hank Pym abusing his wife is not as fundamental to his personality as Superman's cape is to his, so leaving it out of the MCU ended up being a fairly easy move for Peyton Reed and his team.

Peyton Reed's remarks during his interview with Yahoo Movies also emphasizes something that has become notable throughout the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No matter how dark a film like Avengers: Infinity War may get, certain elements of the comics arguably have very little chance of making it to the big screen. Whether it's Tony Stark's alcoholism (which was barely hinted at in Iron Man 2), or the incestuous relationship between Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver depicted in the Ultimate universe, the filmmakers who adapt these stories aren't necessarily beholden to that specific continuity when they bring these icons to the big screen.

Ant-Man and The Wasp is still in theaters, so if you have not seen it yet, make sure to check out our review of the film and then head out to see it on the big screen. From there, Scott Lang will return next year to help round out the Phase 3 slate of films when Avengers 4 debuts in theaters on May 3, 2019!

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Ant-Man And The Wasp. If you have not yet seen the film, please bookmark this page, and come back after your screening!

One of the most important events that occurs in the runtime of Ant-Man And The Wasp is the "resurrection" of Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who had previously been stuck in the Quantum Realm for decades. It makes for an emotional reunion with both her husband and her daughter, but fans quickly learn one outstanding fact about her: she isn't the same spunky woman who used to fly around in a Wasp costume on missions for the government. Instead, in the words of director Peyton Reed,

For a recording of our HeroBlend podcast, I recently had the fantastic opportunity to sit down with Peyton Reed for a deep dive interview examining the making of Ant-Man And The Wasp, and one of the many key points discussed was about Janet van Dyne. Curious about the choices made in the development stage that led to the creation of the character played by Michelle Pfeiffer, I broached the subject asking if there was ever an impulse to do something more sinister storywise with Janet's return. Apparently they did toy with that idea, but what they ultimately settled on was making her essentially a more evolved being.

In his explanation, Peyton Reed explicitly illustrated this change by describing one of Ant-Man And The Wasp's last and most important confrontations. After Janet and Hank (Michael Douglas) return from the Quantum Realm, Hope (Evangeline Lilly) is 100 percent ready to kill Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and prevent her from killing her mother. Janet steps in, however, and offers that violence isn't the way to solve the conflict. Instead, she is able to use her new abilities, apparently fueled by Quantum Realm energy, to stop Ghost's phasing problem and temporarily heal her.

As for how Janet van Dyne changed physically during her time in the Quantum Realm, that was another subject I broached in my conversation with Peyton Reed. Following the release of Ant-Man there was a great deal of speculation about who would play the character, and there were many who suggested that she should be played by an actress in her 30s. After all, the Quantum Realm is supposed to be a dimension without laws of time and space, so how could she age? The director explained that there was a great deal of deliberation, and that at the end what it came down to was just visuals and the idea of the movie dealing in legacy heroes. Said Reed,

You can listen to my full 30-minute chat with Peyton Reed, including more about Janet van Dyne and her role in Ant-Man And The Wasp, by clicking play on the embed below and listening to the most recent episode of HeroBlend:

We'll have more from my interview with Peyton Reed here on CinemaBlend in the coming days, and if you want to see Ant-Man And The Wasp again you're in luck, as it's currently playing everywhere nationwide.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be 10 years and 20 movies in, but the behemoth franchise only continues to change and adapt. Marvel blockbusters always rely on comedy, but there are certain properties that are especially hilarious. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man movies definitely stand out among the rest, as the perfect vehicle for Paul Rudd's impeccable timing. Ant-Man and The Wasp hit theaters this past month, bringing the pint sized hero back alongside his new partner and plenty of laughs. Now that the blockbuster has hit theaters, there are plenty of questions left regarding the filmmaking. Peyton Reed recently spoke about the most challenging aspect of the franchise: balancing the bonkers concept with the need for awesome comic book action.

This is a pretty solid point, and highlights what is so great about the Ant-Man franchise. Because while Scott Lang's powers could easily be the butt of the joke, each film gets ahead of it, pointing out to the entire concept's absurdity. That, and giving the hero new powers every time we see him onscreen.

Peyton Reed's comments come from Screen Junkies, where he recently watched and discussed their brutal honest trailer for Ant-Man. Reed took all the jokes in stride, which makes sense given the franchise's penchant for comedy. But he was also able to dissect some of the more complicated aspects of his job, including Ant-Man's very specific powers.

While Iron Man can fly and shoot projectiles and Thor has strength and electricity, Scott Lang's suit gives him the ability to shrink his size, and also communicate with Ants. The kicker is that he doesn't lose his physical strength when shrunk, so his fists pack a full sized punch. But the franchise also keeps the audience on its toes in regards to Pym's other work. The shrinking and growing of objects is present in both car chases and fights, and Captain America: Civil War introduced Giant Man into the MCU for the first time. So while an army of ants doesn't seem as exciting as the Battle of Wakanda, there's way to keep excitement up. That, and embracing the crazy.

Ant-Man and The Wasp is in theaters now. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe offering comes with its own unique tone and style, but comedy has always stood out as a critical element of each movie. These movies almost always come packed to the brim with gags, but few have ever reached the heights of humor in Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp. Not only is it a hilarious movie in its own right, but it also offers up a perfect antidote for the overwhelming sadness of Avengers: Infinity War.

On that note, and with the movie now in theaters, we have put together a list of the funniest moments from Ant-Man and The Wasp. With so many awesome scenes to get to, let's get started with where we find Scott Lang at the beginning of the movie.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and The Wasp! Read ahead at your own risk!

Scott's Daily Routine Under House Arrest

Paul Rudd is the kind of movie star who oozes charisma, and Ant-Man and The Wasp capitalizes on that by just letting him cut loose in one of Scott Lang's first scenes. The guy has been on house arrest for the last two years, and it's clear that he has gotten pretty bored, so he's taken up more than a few strange habits. It makes for a fantastic montage, as we see Scott do everything in his power to try and pass the time -- ranging from playing the drums to crying while reading The Fault in Our Stars. It's honestly a perfect way to set up the movie, as well as to remind us that Scott Lang is not a macho tough guy like Thor or even Captain America; he's a sensitive dad who's not afraid to have some fun.

Woo Explaining Scott's Crimes

Global politics are hard to dumb down for a child to understand, and Agent Woo does an abysmal job of explaining Scott Lang's crimes during the events of Captain America: Civil War to Cassie, Scott's daughter. Initially starting off on the right foot with a metaphor about how it's bad to draw on the walls, the explanation falls apart when he starts talking about Scott going to Germany and drawing on the walls with Captain America, eventually devolving into complicated exposition regarding the legal ramifications of Scott's actions. Cassie Lang is very clearly a smart girl in the Ant-Man movies, but Woo did not read his audience well at all when he opened his mouth.

Janet Possessing Scott's Body

Ant-Man and The Wasp doesn't skimp when it comes to awesome, well-utilized science-fiction tropes, and one of the best examples is when Janet van Dyne possesses Scott Lang to provide Hank and Hope with the information that they need in order to get her out of the Quantum Realm. The scene is heavy on exposition, but it also gets some of the biggest laughs, especially once the audience remembers that Scott Lang is actually completely unaware of what is happening to him (which shines through perfectly when he comes to and notices that he's holding Hank's hand). The kicker? Paul Rudd actually does an amazing impersonation of Michelle Pfeiffer, and we wonder how much he practiced that.

Truth Serum

Ant-Man and The Wasp is packed with some great running gags, one of which comes in the form of the ever-present debate over whether or not truth serum actually exists. The chemical cocktail is first suggested by Luis, Kurt, and Dave when they're captured by Sonny Burch's gang, with the henchmen insisting that the syringe they use is not the cliché that constantly pops up in movies and TV shows. Nevertheless, the three wombats remain unconvinced throughout the run of the movie, and their persistence actually forces Burch and his men to eventually realize that they actually HAVE been using truth serum when they find themselves injected with the substance at the end.

Scott As A "Kid"

Prior to the release of Ant-Man and The Wasp, on-screen evidence told us that Scott Lang could either make himself incredibly large or incredibly small depending on the needs of the situation. However, things get a bit more complicated in this latest film when the Ant-Man suit keeps failing him. As a result, there are several moments in the movie (particularly when he infiltrates Cassie's school) that the Pym Particle technology winds up making very strange. Scott is left standing around three or four feet tall, and he has to hide in plain sight by pretending to be a child. The gag then continues after he gets out of the school, as the pint-sized Avenger is mocked mercilessly by Hank and Hope in the van.

Baba Yaga

The John Wick franchise isn't the only action film series that can make jokes about the Baba Yaga now, and Ant-Man and The Wasp really pulls it off. The scene in question comes when Sonny Burch and his henchman corner Luis, Kurt, and Dave to interrogate them about where Scott, Hope, and Hank have gone. The mystical beast of Slavic origin had been previously teased earlier in the movie, but then Ghost appears out of nowhere and confirms Kurt's belief that the Baba Yaga actually exists. Ghost's arrival in the scene comes out of nowhere, and the combination of jump scare with a solid joke gets a big laugh.

Close-Up Magic

Sure, Doctor Strange's Dr. Stephen Strange may be on the road toward becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, but he's not the only member of The Avengers roster who has the ability to use magic. More specifically, Scott Lang spent quite a bit of time learning the ins and outs of close-up magic during his time under house arrest, and the technique comes up multiple times in Ant-Man And The Wasp's story. The tactic eventually comes in handy when they want to beat Ghost, but the funniest moments come when simpler characters like Agent Woo and Paxton cannot figure out how Scott does his illusions. Even in a world where The Hulk and Thor exists, simple card tricks still seem to excite them.

Luis' Story

Remember when Michael Pena got to cut loose as Luis in the original Ant-Man and tell his rapid-fire stories? Well, Peyton Reed and the folks at Marvel clearly realized that those sequences worked with fans back in 2015, because we get yet another awesome tale narrated by Scott's ex-con best friend in the sequel. This time we learn the backstory of Scott and Luis' friendship during their time in prison (and see the awesome hairstyle that Luis was rocking at the time), as well as Luis' perceived version of the events that transpired during the original Ant-Man. We don't know if Ant-Man 3 is going to happen, but if it does, then we really want to see more of these stories.

Ant-Man And Cap

Have you ever met a celebrity or a public figure and then tried to play it up like you and that person are much closer than you really are? Well, Scott Lang has, and it turns out that he's a Captain America fanboy after the events of Captain America: Civil War. The thief-turned-superhero is forever changed by the act of working alongside The First Avenger, and that notion shines through in how he constantly name drops Captain America (or Cap) throughout his mission with Hope and Hank. The kicker? Hope is not particularly interested in what Scott has to say about the star-spangled hero, and she doesn't even seem impressed by his newfound status as an almost Avenger.

The Seagull Gag

It is a major testament to the Ant-Man franchise that it manages to make us feel so many complex emotions for the ants -- who never actually get to speak or express themselves in any meaningful way. Scott's own affinity largely helps in this department, and you can see it in the anger he feels when seagulls keep eating them when he tries to catch a ride at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco during the climactic chase of Ant-Man and The Wasp. Those pesky flying creatures are what keep him from going after Sonny Burch, and it isn't until Ant-onio Banderas swoops down to pick him up that he's able to continue his pursuit. Alas, Ant-onio ends up perishing as well, forcing Scott to become Giant Man one more time.

The Dinner Plans

Last but not least, we finish up our list with one of the best gags between Scott Lang and Agent Woo - specifically at the end when the FBI breaks into Scott's house in an attempt to catch him as he returns from his mission with Hank and Hope. Scott is able to evade capture with the help of his daughter, and Woo tries to act tough by stating that he will be seeing Scott around. Woo means to play the moment off like a cliché macho cop, but Scott highlights the ridiculousness of it by implying that Woo is asking him to dinner -- which Woo eventually does when it becomes clear that he actually kind of likes Scott.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains minor spoilers for Ant-Man And The Wasp.

One of the coolest things about the lead Marvel heroes in Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp is the fact that they are legacy heroes. There was no Iron Man before Iron Man, or a Captain America before Captain America; but before Scott Lang there was Hank Pym, and before Hope van Dyne there was Janet van Dyne. You'd think this fact would have led to the new movie featuring more flashback sequences, but the director recently explained to me in an interview why he didn't take that approach:

The screenshot at the top of this article comes from one of those flashback action sequences, as it was featured in the main theatrical trailer for Ant-Man And The Wasp, but anyone who has seen the film will tell you that the moment isn't actually in the movie. Instead, the film really only has two brief looks at the past, and one of them is essentially a recreation of the flashback in the first Ant-Man.

I had the opportunity to bring up scenes with the original Ant-Man and Wasp when I sat down with Peyton Reed a couple weeks ago for an episode of our podcast, HeroBlend. Having noticed the aforementioned cut flashback scene in the trailers, I asked the filmmaker if there were earlier versions of the movie that took more trips to the 1980s. He confirmed that there was originally going to be more of them, but focused primarily on why they didn't make the theatrical cut:

You can listen to my full interview with Peyton Reed by clicking play on the HeroBlend embed below!

Ant-Man And The Wasp may not feature much of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne in action, but it should be noted that it does have some key and amazing flashbacks. The opening, featuring a de-aged Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet saying goodbye to young Hope before her last mission, is jaw-dropping, and it's equally great to see the de-aged Lawrence Fishburne as Bill Foster during the telling of Ghost's origin story. Presumably including more scenes set in the 1980s would have slowed down the movie too much, but hopefully we'll get to see what the production shot later this year when this film arrives on home video.

For now, audiences can enjoy the outrageously fun blockbuster on the big screen, as Ant-Man And The Wasp is now in theaters everywhere nationwide.

A lot of the focus of Ant-Man and the Wasp has been on the two title characters, but a superhero movie wouldn't be very good if there wasn't a villain. That's where Ghost, a mysterious antagonist with the ability to phase through solid matter, comes in. The character is played by Hannah John-Kamen, who is having a pretty banger 2018, having appeared in three blockbuster movies so far. It's likely that she didn't need much help to secure the role of Ghost, but when Steven Spielberg writes you a letter of recommendation, well, it certainly doesn't hurt.

Earlier this year, Hannah John-Kamen appeared in a small role for the Tomb Raider reboot. She followed that up with a larger supporting role in Ready Player One as F'Nale Zandor, an executive at a gaming company who had little trepidation about getting her hands dirty. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg, who John-Kamen made quite the impression on. It was such a good experience that Spielberg had no problem writing Ant-Man and the Wasp director Peyton Reed a personal letter about how he should cast John-Kamen in the superhero sequel.

In a portfolio on Hannah John-Kamen with the Los Angeles Times, Peyton Reed detailed how he received a letter from Steven Spielberg about John-Kamen. The letter was pretty brief, but when you have a quote from Spielberg about how terrific you are, that's kind of all you really need. John-Kamen went into a bit more detail about working with Spielberg on Ready Player One, saying that the two of them would sing show tunes between scenes. (Apparently, Spielberg has a great voice).

Of course, Hannah John-Kamen was hired for more reason than just a letter from Spielberg. During her camera test, John-Kamen impressed producers with her physicality, performing stunt sequences as a part of her audition. While stunt doubles were used at points during production, the bulk of it is actually John-Kamen. Couple that with her dramatic skills and it was likely a no-brainer to hire the actress as Ghost in the fun Marvel sequel.

You don't need a letter from Spielberg to go see Ant-Man and the Wasp, out in theaters right now. The sequel is doing pretty good right now and should win the weekend by a solid amount. We're pretty into the movie over here and have already written a ton about, such as what that post-credits scene means. To find out what else is coming down the pipeline from Marvel, here's our MCU release guide.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Ant-Man And The Wasp. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know major, important details about the ending, please bookmark this page and come back after your screening!

Marvel movies are famous for including little hints that only the most dedicated of fans will ever catch, and one of the most perfect examples is featured at the end of Ant-Man - with audiences getting a very brief look at the lost Janet Van Dyne as Scott Lang falls deeper into the Quantum Realm. It's a great little moment that nerds can forever pause and enjoy, and now I'm excited to report that there is a sequel to that Easter egg in Ant-Man And The Wasp. Director Peyton Reed recently confirmed it, telling me,

I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Peyton Reed for an in-depth chat about Ant-Man And The Wasp for our Hero Blend podcast, and it was towards the end of our conversation that we dug into the subject of the Quantum Realm. It was evidently one of the key things discussed in the making of the movie, determining how the environment works and how Janet Van Dyne was able to stay down there as long as she did. And while the movie doesn't do a full, exposition-filled dive into all of the mechanics, Reed told me that there are some key hints for audiences to discover -- particularly one that can be spotted as Hank and Janet are leaving the microverse and going back to normal size.

As you can probably tell, Peyton Reed didn't want to give too much away about the Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantum Realm Easter egg, but I did do a little more digging. Specifically, I asked if the hint was more for the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, or if it was something planted as a means of teasing a direct sequel. The director couldn't go into it too much, but he told me,

Without more evidence it's pretty hard to speculate about exactly what fans should be looking for here. Could it be a reference to another character who may be trapped in the Quantum Realm? Or is it a hint about a key location within the dimension? We may not actually know until Ant-Man And The Wasp arrives on home video, which is when fans will be able to pause scenes and examine it.

On the front, though, Peyton Reed also offered up another interesting nugget. It seems that the Blu-ray and DVD for Ant-Man And The Wasp will feature at least one special deleted scene that takes place in the Quantum Realm and will give audiences a better sense of how Janet survived. Said Reed:

Fans will be able to pick up a copy of Ant-Man And The Wasp when it hits home video this fall... but let's not jump too far ahead. For example, after you've seen the new movie, do yourself a favor and listen to the new episode of HeroBlend, featuring by 30 minute interview with Peyton Reed!

Ant-Man And The Wasp is in theaters now, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers!

Another day, another Marvel blockbuster. While fans are still reeling from the shocking events of Avengers: Infinity War, Peyton Reed's highly anticipated Ant-Man sequel has finally arrived in theaters. Ant-Man and The Wasp tells a capsulated story about the titular pint-sized heroes, with Hope van Dyne debuting as a bonafide superhero. The sequel made history for being the first MCU blockbuster featuring a female character's name, so naturally all eyes are on what the inevitable third Ant-Man movie might be titled. CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg spoke with Ant-Man and The Wasp director Peyton Reed about the acclaimed film, and asked whether threequel titles were being thrown around. Reed responded with:

While Peyton Reed and the folks involved in the Ant-Man franchise might already be pondering ideas for a third film, they're mostly being kept under wraps. A threequel is not a guarantee, especially given the harrowing events of Infinity War and Ant-Man's post-credits scene. But given the impressive box office haul the blockbuster is currently raking in, it would be baffling if Marvel Studios decided not to move forward with the franchise.

Ant-Man and The Wasp has been getting rave reviews and making money at the box office, all but guaranteeing a third film. The sequel has had a much warmer welcome than the original 2015 flick, as the fans have come to know and love Paul Rudd's Scott Lang. The entire MCU is in flux after Thanos' wrath in Infinity War, so fans are clamoring to see how the snap of death affected the greater MCU. With another female hero now in the mix and Michelle Pfeiffer joining the ensemble cast, there's more excitement about Peyton Reed's films than ever before.

Spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and The Wasp and Infinity War.

Narratively, there are a ton of threads to pull from for Ant-Man 3. The Quantum Realm was further explored in the new sequel, with the world bending possibilities that will likely come into play when Scott Lang joins the fray in Avengers 4. The film's post-credits scene also saw Hope, Janet, and Hank all fade away into dust as a result of Thanos' galaxy destroying finger snap in Infinity War. The fandom has been debating how the dusted characters might return from the dead, given the myriad franchises that would be impossible due to so many heroes dying. Ultimately Ant-Man and The Wasp functioned outside of the greater MCU, but in one quick scene connected in an epic way, practically guaranteeing fans will see Avengers 4.

To listen to our full interview with Peyton Reed, be sure to listen to the latest episode of HeroBlend, as he does a great deep dive into the movie. Check it out by clicking play below!

Ant-Man and The Wasp is in theaters now, and Avengers 4 will arrive on March 3rd, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Welcome to the HeroBlend Podcast #13! Ant-Man and The Wasp is finally in theaters, so now is the perfect time to let you in on all the important parts of the film, from what Eric and Adrienne thought of it overall to a full, spoiler-filled conversation! To start, we'll tell you all the plot details and then get into the good and bad things about Ant-Man and The Wasp, from how this film compares to Ant-Man to our thoughts on the antagonists of the new movie and much more.

Next, we'll get into all the nitty gritty details of the mid-credits scene, what it means for the characters and what it might mean for the MCU as a whole. This will include Eric being forced to explain what Adrienne sees as some rather unlikely behavior during said scene, so be sure to tune in for his take on how Ant-Man and The Wasp handled what might be the coolest moment in the film. Last, but certainly not least, we'll dig into what the events and revelations of Ant-Man and The Wasp might mean for Avengers 4 or the MCU in general. Then, you'll get a special treat as we play Eric's interview with the movie's director, Peyton Reed, for you so you get the inside scoop directly from the source! Sit back and relax, folks, because this is one chat you're not going to want to miss! Ready to dive in? Great! Read on to get the lowdown on this week's podcast and then listen for yourself above!

00:48 - General Spoiler Reactions to Ant-Man and the Wasp

14:58 - Ant-Man and the Wasp End Credits Scene

21:04 - What Ant-Man and the Wasp Means for Avengers 4

31:28 - Peyton Reed Interview

Now, get in on the superhero-filled fun and have a listen to the HeroBlend Podcast #13! And, be sure to subscribe to the HeroBlend Podcast on iTunes, right here.

In his time as a director, Peyton Reed has gone from helming TV documentaries and episodes of the Back to the Future animated series, to feature films like the teen classic Bring It On. In 2015, Peyton Reed made the jump to directing big budget superhero fare with Ant-Man, and now this weekend's Ant-Man and The Wasp. The latest MCU film is a blast, with great action set pieces that probably weren't easy to shoot. However, the most challenging scene Peyton Reed ever shot isn't in Ant-Man and the Wasp or its predecessor. The most difficult was actually the dinner scene in the 2006 comedy The Break-Up, as he explained:

This may not be the scene you would expect, but it is certainly a memorable one. The dinner scene is one of the most awkward and funny scenes in The Break-Up, as Vince Vaughn's Gary is squirming in his seat while John Michael Higgins' Richard sings in his face. A great scene to be sure, but its just a dinner scene with very little camera movement, how could this rom-com be more challenging than fight scenes and the Quantum Realm? Just watching the scene it might be hard to see what made it so difficult, but Peyton Reed further explained,

There are nine characters sitting around a dinner table in the scene, which lasts for several minutes. As Peyton Reed elaborated to Syfy Wire, the sheer amount of coverage needed for the scene is part of what made it such a challenge. Every character needs to have their moments and be represented, which requires each of them to be shot from like 4 or 5 different angles in what is a fairly long scene. That means moving the cameras and changing lighting to make sure everyone looks their best... which takes a ton of time. Also, one of the primary jobs of a director is to get necessary performances out of the actors. As Peyton Reed recalled, after the third day of filming the same comedic scene, some of that spontaneity and energy gets zapped. So maintaining the sense of urgency and keeping the performances where they need to be is another major challenge.

You can see how it all turned out in the video of the dinner scene below:

Watching this after hearing Peyton Reed's explanation, you can begin to see how much this must have taken. There are single shots, two-shots, wide shots and over the shoulders. And with the dinner table setup, even the actors just on the edge of the frame or out of focus are still performing, so there's a lot to cover. This goes to show how even scenes that seem simple and aren't visually impressive can still be extremely difficult to film.

Peyton Reed's latest movie Ant-Man and the Wasp is in theaters now. Make sure you buy the right ticket and come back after you've seen it to let us know what you think.

Avengers: Infinity War surprised us earlier this summer, being the first Marvel Studios movie since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron to not include at least two post-credits sequences. Of course, some fans didn't love this, with many hungry to know as much as possible about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the good news is that Ant-Man And The Wasp doesn't scrimp in the same way. The 20th MCU feature once again has two end credits scenes -- a mid-credits and post-credits -- and it's those sequences we're here to discuss.

Marvel credits scenes have been key in teasing future blockbusters ever since Nick Fury broke into Tony Stark's Malibu home in 2008, and Ant-Man And The Wasp is no exception. In this piece we will not only break down the details of exactly what happens in the new movie's contributions to this franchise legacy, but also examine what they potentially mean for the future. So let's imitate Scott Lang entering the Quantum Realm and dive in, beginning with they extremely important mid-credits scene:

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Ant-Man And The Wasp. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know major, important details about the ending, please bookmark this page and come back after your screening!

The First Ant-Men And The Wasp's Collaboration Goes Horribly Wrong

Picking up shortly after the end of the film, the mid-credits scene takes us to what appears to be the first real scientific mission on which Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hank (Michael Douglas), Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and Scott (Paul Rudd) have embarked together. Their collaboration has led to the creation of a smaller Quantum Tunnel -- one that fits in the back of Luis' old van -- and there is a plan in place to try and help their new friend, Ghost a.k.a. Ava Starr. They need to collect Quantum Realm energy to help the former-antagonist's phasing problem, and the idea is to have Scott go subatomic and collect some in a specialized canister.

Before diving in, Janet, who has more than a little experience in the Quantum Realm, offers Scott some last second advice: avoid the cute-but-deadly Tardigrades, and be wary of time vortexes. The tunnel boots up and Scott dives back to the microscopic realm he visited at the end of the first Ant-Man. At first it seems as though there might be a problem, as Hope's calls to him over their communicator go unanswered, but everyone is relieved when Scott hails them back.

In the Quantum Realm, Scott produces the canister, successfully activates it, and collects all of the energy needed to help Ghost -- basically a second's work. He then calls back to his teammates for retrieval, but he gets no response. The hero believes it to be childish revenge for the extra second he took on the coms earlier, but the audience learns that's definitely not the case. Instead, it's shown that Hope, Hank and Janet have all experienced the extreme consequences featured at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, with Thanos' snap reducing them to dust. Meanwhile, Scott is left stuck in the Quantum Realm with no visible means of escape.

With that, Ant-Man And The Wasp delivers what is unquestionably the most devastating end credits scene in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but as we get into on the next page, the movie does at least have audiences leaving the theater smiling...

A Lone Ant Still Follows Its Commands

The narrative of Ant-Man And The Wasp has insects taking on more than a few odd tasks, but certainly one of the funniest applications of them in the story is the giant ant sent to replicate Scott Lang's every day activities on house arrest. The FBI is watching Scott's every move via ankle bracelet after his team-up with Captain America in Germany, and so Hank and Hope devise a way to have them think nothing of the former criminal's behavior while they steal him for their mission. As a result, the aforementioned massive arthropod is assigned the duty of taking baths and banging on electronic drum kit in Scott's apartment.

This takes us to the post-credits scene in Ant-Man And The Wasp, which is seemingly the furthest in the future we've seen in the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The streets of San Francisco are practically silent following Thanos' epic snap, and this leaves the dominating sound to be the Emergency Broadcast Signal blaring from Scott Lang's television. It's a terrifying vision... right up until we see that there is still some activity in the apartment. It would seem that Hank and Hope never told the giant ant to stop performing Scott's daily routine, and so he is left peacefully banging on the hero's electronic drum kit.

Like half of Marvel's end credits scenes, this one is really just meant as a gag, and will probably have zero impact on the future of the franchise. That being said, it is a funny sequence that reminds you of how funny the majority of Ant-Man And The Wasp is.

Is Scott Stuck In The Quantum Realm?

Like the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the mid-credits scene in Ant-Man And The Wasp is specifically meant to have audiences wonder if all of the characters killed by Thanos' snap will be resurrected in Avengers 4. This remains a question for which we have zero answers, but the sequence notably offers up a situation that is unique. As noted, it would seem that Scott Lang is trapped in the Quantum Realm with no means of escape.

Of all the heroes we know about who are still alive after Thanos' snap, Scott is left in the worst position of all. The Avengers in Wakanda know exactly what happened because they were there to witness it; and while Iron Man is on a distant planet, at least he has Nebula to get him on a spaceship and take him back to Earth. Scott, however, is basically just as stuck in the Quantum Realm as Janet van Dyne was for decades, with the key difference being that nobody in the world knows that he's there. It's an unquestionably horrific scenario, but there are a few approaches that come to mind when it comes to having him come back for Avengers 4.

The first possibility is that Scott will pull off a trick similar to what he accomplished in the third act of Ant-Man. As you may remember, his strategy to defeat Yellowjacket also left him stranded in the Quantum Realm, but he was able to escape because he placed a grow disc in his suit's regulator and was able to return to normal size. It won't be that simple this time around, as we learn during the events of Ant-Man And The Wasp that Hank's new designs have eliminated archaic regulars -- but that doesn't mean Scott won't be able to find some other clever way to get out (let's not forget that he is an expert electronics technician).

Option number two is a touch less optimistic. Rather than being able to rescue himself, Scott may need to wait to be rescued... and that may take a while. Assuming that Scott's family doesn't know the intimate details of his work with fugitives Hank, Hope, and Janet, the presumption at large among the living will probably be that he was killed by Thanos. It may only be by chance/coincidence that it's discovered that Scott is found to be alive, and by then he may be a very different person than who he was going in (much like Janet).

The third possibility ties into the advice that Janet gave to Scott just prior to his Quantum Realm expedition. No, not the Tardigrades -- the time vortexes. He may come to the realization that they could be his only means of escape, and so he tries to utilize him. Unfortunately, they are surely unpredictable, which means not only that he could be randomly thrown backwards or forwards in time, but also that his actions may cause serious damage to the time-space continuum.

The "Ant-Man And The Wasp Will Return" message at the very end of the movie is punctuated with a very important question mark -- but it's hard to imagine that this is the end for the titular heroes. What lies ahead we don't know, but surely we will get most of our answers next May when Avengers 4 arrives in theaters.

Were The Thanos Deaths Ever Going To Be A Part Of The Regular Movie?

Coming after Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man And The Wasp was designed as a pallet cleanser -- leaning into the charm and comedic sensibilities of its ensemble to balance out the horror and devastation by Thanos earlier in the summer. That being said, audiences certainly expected some kind of reference to the larger world, and that arrived in the mid-credits. That in mind, it still makes one wonder if the events were ever going to be more tied together, and I recently got answers on that front from director Peyton Reed and producer/Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

I sat down with Peyton Reed about a week before the theatrical release of Ant-Man And The Wasp for a spoiler filled Hero Blend podcast interview, and it was at one point in our conversation that I steered things toward the end credits sequences. I asked about how they were both planned and executed in the wake of Avengers: Infinity War, and Reed explained that the big tie-in was always going to be a part of the mid-credits,

Exactly like Avengers: Infinity War, the key reaction is devastation, with the added worry about Scott Lang's fate. Adding to his comments, he also noted that his movie also simply wasn't in the market for dramatic competition. He acknowledged that directors Joe and Anthony Russo delivered an unmatchable gut punch with their film, and it wasn't something he was interested in trying to replicate. Said Reed,

As for Kevin Feige's thoughts on the matter, he explained that the Ant-Man And The Wasp end credits always featured the deaths of Hope, Hank, and Janet, and promised that we will get to see their stories followed-up next May:

There are more than 40 weeks in between the releases of Ant-Man And The Wasp and Avengers 4, and we will be surely spending a lot of that time speculating and coming up with our own reasonable explanations. Thankfully Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel will arrive in March to break up the wait, and will provide a couple end credits scenes of its own that will add more pieces to the puzzle.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massive landscape that draws from a deep well of source material. Every movie in the long-running franchise features some serious deep cut Easter eggs, and it turns out that Ant-Man and The Wasp is no different. In fact, CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg recently had a chance to ask the cast and crew of the film to talk about some of the film's attention to detail and things to look for in the movie, and they homed in on some of the interesting elements in Hank Pym's lab that showcased the power of the Pym Particles. Check out the interviews, below!

So, make sure to keep an eye out when you finally get a chance to see Ant-Man and The Wasp on the big screen. Hank Pym's lab isn't just a storytelling device; it's packed to the brim with some awesome details, ranging from paper clips to bread clips. In fact, Evangeline Lilly even got a behind-the-scenes photo of herself holding an oversized bread clip, and I think it's safe to say that we all want to see that photo now.

Of course, this is very much on brand for what we have come to expect from the Ant-Man corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Peyton Reed's franchise has become known for its inventive used of oversized (or undersized) objects to enhance the story and add depth to Scott Lang and Hank Pym's adventures, and not all of them are directly related to the main plot of the films. Some details (like a bread clip to keep wires together) are just fun ways to jar the audience and keep them off balance while telling a story.

One specific thing worth noting about Peyton Reed's remarks is the fact that he wanted to make Hank Pym feel distinct from Tony Stark -- another wacky scientist from a different corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead of having everything looks sleek and polished in the way that the Iron Man hero often does, Hank's version of a lab is far messier, with improvised devices made of large (or small) items powering the equipment and holding it all together.

Ant-Man and The Wasp picks up two years after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang has been under house arrest since signing on to fight alongside Team Cap, but he finds himself dragged back into action by Hank and Hope when it's discovered that his time in the Quantum Realm during the first film could hold the key to bringing Janet van Dyne back after being presumed dead for decades.

Ant-Man and The Wasp opens in theaters tomorrow, so make sure to check out our review of the film and take a look at our guide to the original Ant-Man to get yourself up-to-speed on everything that you need to know about it.

As we've written about, director Peyton Reed took more than a few references with him into the making of Ant-Man And The Wasp. For example, the idea of starting the story years after the first was inspired by the opening of Empire Strikes Back, and the whole narrative is reminiscent of titles like After Hours and Midnight Run. It's very easy to see these influences if you know to look for them, and this goes for The Big Lebowski as well - which Reed recently confirmed to me had a key impact on Paul Rudd's costuming in the movie:

We regularly get to see Marvel Cinematic Universe movies about heroes who are ready to jump into action at any given moment, but Ant-Man And The Wasp is a very different kind of Marvel blockbuster. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, who has spent a little bit too much time in prison, is just trying to live a responsible life, but that turns out to be a luxury he can't afford. Much like Jeff Bridges' The Dude in The Big Lebowski, he's unwittingly part of a much bigger plot going on in the world around him, and that connection was driven home by the wardrobe department on the film by having one of Rudd's key pieces of costuming be a bathrobe.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Peyton Reed last week for a big deep dive into the making of Ant-Man And The Wasp, and it was during this conversation that the subject of The Big Lebowski was raised. It led to a serious discussion about Scott Lang's big motivations in the story, doing everything he can to try and keep his nose clean, and it was actually very important in determining who Scott is at the start of the film. Said Reed,

Going into more detail than that about the plot of Ant-Man And The Wasp starts to get into spoiler territory... but if you've seen the movie, you're in luck! Our full interview with Peyton Reed is now available on this week's episode of the Hero Blend podcast, so give it a listen!

As for Ant-Man And The Wasp, the movie will be arriving in theaters nationwide on Thursday night, and is expected to hit big this weekend. Check it out, let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned here on the site for a lot more from my interviews with the movie's cast and filmmakers.

It's funny to point out that Marvel's Ant-Man And The Wasp and Avengers 4 were both filmed at the same time last year in the same Atlanta studio -- but you really wouldn't really know it watching the former title. While the latter is surely going to be a star-studded affair unlike anything audiences have ever seen, the Ant-Man sequel very much exists in its own small corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and only focuses on its core group of characters. All the same, you'd think that director Peyton Reed would have been tempted at some point to wrangle some extra heroes into his blockbuster, but he recently explained to me why that wasn't his move:

There are two different kinds of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, the big crossovers and the small standalones, and it's definitely in the latter category that Peyton Reed sees Ant-Man And The Wasp -- which is why fans shouldn't expect the superhero comedy to be overloaded with major Marvel characters. It surely would have been easy to throw a few of them in, given that they were all in the nearby vicinity while filming was happening at Pinewood Studios Atlanta, but Reed ultimately didn't feel that their contributions would have been in line with what he was trying to accomplish with his film.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Peyton Reed during the Los Angeles press day for Ant-Man And The Wasp, and it was during that conversation I asked about his decision not to throw a fun surprise name into the action of his movie (with Anthony Mackie's cameo as Falcon in the first Ant-Man in the back of my head the whole time). Reed cited the scale of the project and narrative being the driving force behind the decision, but further stressed that it was an extension of part of the nature of the comics. Said the director,

You can watch Peyton Reed discuss the lack of Marvel superhero cameos in Ant-Man And The Wasp by clicking play on the video below:

Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Hannah John-Kamen, Lawrence Fishburne and Michelle Pfeiffer, Ant-Man And The Wasp will be crawling/flying into theaters everywhere domestically this Friday, July 6th. Be sure to check it out (it's a blast), and keep heading back here to CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers behind the blockbuster.

Earlier this summer, just about every major Marvel character graced the screen in Avengers: Infinity War, which boasted the biggest cast of any MCU film. However, there were some tiny exclusions. Ant-Man and the Wasp were nowhere to be seen in Infinity War and while people didn't get as riled up about it as they did Hawkeye, there were still plenty who were upset that the duo was missing out. Peyton Reed, director of Ant-Man and the Wasp, was not one of those people, and recently stated that they were left out so that their own movie could stand alone.

Even if you were bummed that Ant-Man and the Wasp sat out Infinity War, it's not like you had to wait long to see them in action. Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters in less than a week, and early reactions to the movie are labeling it as a light, fun romp that will leave a smile on your face. That's almost the opposite of Infinity War, which might have left you crying in a corner on the movie theater. It'd be pretty hard for Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne to go from fighting Thanos right into their superhero comedy, which factored into the decision to leave them out in the first place.

In an interview with IGN, Peyton Reed revealed that the shrinking duo wasn't in the Avengers movie so that Ant-Man and the Wasp could be a standalone adventure. The first Ant-Man was fairly standalone from the rest of the MCU, which helped make the movie more refreshing for how low stakes it was. The sequel is following suit and it's part of the charm of this particular franchise. You can always count on having a good time with Ant-Man!

Plus, the sequel had the job of introducing the Wasp to the masses. Doing so in Infinity War likely wouldn't have done the character much justice and she'll get plenty more time to shine in her own movie. Early on in development for Captain America: Civil War, the Wasp was supposed to be involved, but she was cut from the movie for that exact same reason as her exclusion from Infinity War.

You'll finally be able to see both of the characters in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which hits theaters on July 6.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was changed forever with the events of Avengers: Infinity War, with a ton of questions left in the wake of Thanos' path of destruction. But it's already time to move on to a new MCU blockbuster, as Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp will arrive in theaters in a matter of days. The upcoming sequel will help to bring levity back to the shared universe, and reportedly tells a self-contained story that will help set things up for Avengers 4. But it appears that Thanos isn't the only character causing mass death, as the new trailer for Ant-Man 2 shows Scott Lang being responsible for a myriad of flying ant deaths. Check it out.

Well, my day has been made. The Ant-Man franchise is known for its irreverent humor, and this new clip shows just one of the upcoming blockbuster's comedic bits, and one can only imagine what other bonkers hijinks _Ant-Man and The Wasp'_s pint sized heroes will get into throughout the course of the film.

The above trailer shows a shrunken Scott Lang looking for a way to fly across the skies. Unable to do this at full size, he shrinks and communicates to the nearest flying ants. There's just one problem: a flock of seagulls. The gulls continually chomp down on the ants before they can reach Ant-Man, much to his dismay. And once he finally gets onto the back of one, affectionally named ANTonio Bandares, the MCU hero is forced to abandon ship in order to avoid being gobbled up by one of those loudmouth birds.

Fans of the Ant-Man franchise are no doubt excited about this new trailer, as it shows an aspect of the title character that was noticeably missing in Captain America: Civil War. While that threequel debuted Scott Lang's new growing abilities, he didn't end up using any of his bug friends to help him duke it out against the likes of Spider-Man and War Machine. But now that he's got the room to once again take the spotlight, Ant-Man can use the full depth of his abilities.

Aside from Ant-Man's powers, MCU fans are eager to see the debut of Hope van Dyne's Wasp. She's finally gotten her own suit, full of unique weapons. She can fly, has blasters on her arms, and is extremely comfortable with Pym's shrinking tech. Ant-Man and The Wasp's trailers indicate that a large part of the narrative will focus on Hope attempting to bring her long lost mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) back from the Quantum Realm, resulting in a story more focused on Hope.

Marvel President Kevin Feige has also promised that Ant-Man's sequel will have a strong affect on what happens in Avengers 4. The dynamic duo will no doubt be called to fill in the ranks of the Avengers after losing so many heroes in Infinity War. And if the Quantum Realm has the ability to affect time travel and/or alternate dimensions, Scott Lang may have the key to bringing the galaxy's fallen heroes back from the dead.

Ant-Man and The Wasp will arrive in theaters on July 6, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

In the early days of the superhero genre, comic book characters could change when new directors stepped in to tell new stories -- which is why the Tim Burton Batman years are so different from the Schumacher films. Now, the MCU has created an atmosphere in which consistency is critical. That's something that has not gone unnoticed by Marvel Studios, and it turns out that Ant-Man and The Wasp director Peyton Reed actually worked with the Avengers 4 team to keep Paul Rudd's Scott Lang recognizable compared to the depiction of him in his solo movies. In a recent interview, Reed explained:

The whole point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that the studio can tell a long story over the course of several years. This requires coordination between directors to maintain consistency of character. As Peyton Reed explained in his recent interview with Screen Rant, he worked with The Russos, as well as Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, to ensure that Scott Lang's personality remained recognizable from Ant-Man to Captain America: Civil War to Ant-Man and The Wasp, and the eventual release of Avengers 4.

This process is not an uncommon form of collaboration in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the same way that Peyton Reed helped maintain Scott Lang's character for Avengers 4, so too did Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn step in and help out with the depiction of the space-based Marvel team. In fact, Gunn even wrote dialogue for The Guardians. We don't know if Reed helped write any of the dialogue in the next Avengers movie, but it seems that Kevin Feige has fostered an environment that encourages creators to work on each others' projects.

With all of that said, Peyton Reed's lack of further details serves as a concrete reminder that we don't exactly know what to expect from Avengers 4. The Avengers: Infinity War follow-up remains a closely-guarded secret by the folks at Marvel Studios, and very little information about the overarching plot, or even the characters who will appear, has been revealed. Regardless of that fact, it's still comforting to know that Reed played a role in making sure that Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne will feel authentic to his depiction in the Ant-Man films.

For now, make sure to catch Ant-Man and The Wasp when it premieres next month on July 6; reactions to the self-contained Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure have started to roll in, so check them out and let us know if you're excited for the film in the comments! Looking ahead to the future, Avengers 4 will debut next year on May 3, 2019.

While director Peyton Reed got to make his first comic book movie with Ant-Man back in 2015, the project wasn't his first toe-dip into the superhero world. Instead, that happened nearly two decades ago when he was developing a version of Fantastic Four. That project obviously never came together, but now that it looks like the Disney-Fox merger may go through, is it possible that the script could be resurrected in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I asked that exact question to Reed earlier today, and he told me the following:

Ant-Man & The Wasp's first domestic press day was held this afternoon in Pasadena, California, and it was at the end of my sit down with Peyton Reed that I inquired about the Fantastic Four. In recent months there's been a lot of chatter about Marvel's First Family potentially finding their way into the cinematic world of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, and Reed didn't shut down my proposal of potentially blowing the dust off his old script.

Peyton Reed started working on his version of the Fantastic Four at 20th Century Fox circa 2001 -- part of a long line of filmmakers who the studio hired over time to try developing the property as a potential blockbuster. Reed's take was notably different than the other proposals in that it was set in the 1960s and created parallels between the Cold War space race and the activities of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. It didn't come together, though, and the project was picked up by director Tim Story, who went on to actually make both the 2005 Fantastic Four and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer.

Reflecting on what Peyton Reed wanted to do with the Fantastic Four, the concept could potentially be a wonderful fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- but there is kind of a catch. On the plus side, the movie would be stylistically different than all of the previous franchise films and other iterations thanks to the groovy setting, and their absence from modern day action could easily be explained away by saying that they've been lost/trapped in another dimension for decades. The real hiccup is that a version of this storytelling methodology was not only previously used in Captain America: The First Avenger, but is also expected to be a part of the upcoming Captain Marvel. They could find a way to get creative with it, though, and avoid making it feel like treaded material.

As noted by Peyton Reed, Disney's acquisition of Fox is not set in stone yet, so we can't say for certain if the Fantastic Four have a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If they ultimately do, however, it would be exciting to see Reed's take come to life. For now, though, the good news is that we have his Ant-Man & The Wasp set to arrive very soon, hitting theaters everywhere on July 6th.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a fascinating place right now. Cinephiles and Marvel fans alike had to take their jaws off the floor after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, as we watched a ton of characters fall in Thanos' quest to wipe out half the galaxy. The next installment in the MCU is Ant-Man and The Wasp, which should have a significantly lighter tone. The pressure was is on for Marvel to deliver yet another hit in the wake of Infinity War, and now Ant-Man's sequel has screened for the first time. The internet went ablaze with initial reactions, which all seem to be very positive. Just ask CinemBlend's Eric Eisenberg.

Much like Peyton Reed's first Marvel movie, Ant-Man and The Wasp looks like it's going to keep audiences laughing throughout Scott Lang's first adventure with a partner. Much like its titular heroes, the sequel is small in scale, but that's a self-contained and purposeful choice.

Another reason folks are celebrating Ant-Man and The Wasp is because of the film's post-credits scene. While keeping spoiler-free, CinemaBlend's Conner Schwerdtfeger maintained the upcoming credits scenes are some of the shared universe's best.

Collider's Haleigh Foutch also praised Ant-Man and The Wasp's post credits scenes, as well as the overall film. While these teases about those credits scenes are enough to get most Marvel fans excited, it's also good to know that film stands on its own two feet regardless.

Of course, most fans are going to hope that the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp offer some explanations in the wake of Thanos' finger snap of death from Infinity War. But it turns out the film doesn't go there, although smart money says those already infamous post-credits scenes will do some set up forAvengers 4.

Comedy is obviously at the heart of the Ant-Man franchise, as Paul Rudd is given the chance to showcase his signature charm and comedic timing as a superhero. Ant-Man and The Wasp apparently has this in spades, as all the early buzz is about how laugh out loud funny the sequel is. In particular, there seems to be one sequence that is reducing people to tears.

Now the question is: what could that scene be? Peyton Reed has crafted a bonkers and quirky world for the film's heroes to function within, and it seems like there is on visual gag off limit for the Ant-Man franchise. The Wraps's Phil Owen claims that the upcoming sequel went as full tilt as Doctor Strange, which presumably means that the Quantum Realm is going to have some trippy visuals.

While early buzz for Ant-Man and The Wasp seems to be overwhelmingly positive, you can judge for yourself in just a few weeks. Peyton Reed's sequel will arrive in theaters on July 6, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

With the idea of advancing beyond the idea of the "comic book movie," the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been very careful when it comes to offering different genres with their different superhero properties. For example, Guardians of the Galaxy is a space opera; Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a political thriller; and Ant-Man was crafted as a heist narrative. So what can we expect from the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp? According to director Peyton Reed, you should be thinking about Martin Scorsese's After Hours and Martin Brest's Midnight Run:

Every director takes particular cinematic influences with them into shooting a movie, and on the set of Ant-Man and The Wasp Peyton Reed revealed two fantastic titles that were on his mind during the production of his second Marvel feature. I visited the Atlanta, Georgia set last year along with a small group of other journalists, given permission to watch filming and interview the actors/filmmakers, and it was early in our interview with Reed that he revealed the inspiration provided by After Hours and Midnight Run.

It should be noted that After Hours and Midnight Run are pretty different movies -- the former chronicling a crazy, weird night in the life of an ordinary guy; and the latter following a straight-laced bounty hunter on a mission to deliver a talkative target -- but one thing that the two titles have in common is consistent pressure and motivation that is ever driving the characters forward. As described by Peyton Reed, for Ant-Man and The Wasp what's serving that purpose is the titular heroes trying to find a way to rescue The Wasp's mom, Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne. Said Reed,

Being a bit fan of both After Hours and Midnight Run, this was incredibly exciting to hear, but Peyton Reed also offered up another key outside influence that fans may be able to pick up on. Evidently along with the ticking clock mission to save Janet van Dyne there were also be a nice sprawling mystery filled with all kinds of important characters/roadblocks -- similar to those found in the works of author Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty,Out of Sight, Rum Punch, et. al.). Reed explained,

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: the only way that comic book movies stay popular is if they are consistently offering up something fresh and new for fans, and it definitely sounds like Ant-Man and The Wasp is being cooked up as something original and a whole lot of fun.

We'll have plenty more set visit coverage coming your way soon, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, and look for Ant-Man and The Wasp in theaters on July 6th.

The last time we saw Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne, she was over the moon. After all, her father, Michael Douglas' Dr. Hank Pym, had finally accepted her future as a costumed hero, and revealed a new prototype suit for her to wear. It makes for one of the best end credits scenes in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but it has a funny real world ending. As it turns out, Lilly's first time actually getting to wear the suit for her titular role in Ant-Man and The Wasp didn't exactly go perfectly, as she explained during an on-set interview:

Evangeline Lilly shared this funny story when I was on set last year while Ant-Man and The Wasp was still filming down in Atlanta, Georgia. As part of a roundtable interview with a small group of other journalists, the actress was asked about her first time wearing the Wasp costume, and she shared that it wasn't the most memorable experience in the world. It turns out that it's pretty hard to nail a superhero get-up on the first try, and so it had to go back to the artisans and be reworked after the initial fitting.

They didn't exactly nail it on the second time either, however. The truth is that it took months of hard work to get the whole thing right, and the production even brought on a special seamstress to accentuate a certain aspect of the Wasp costume that Evangeline Lilly felt was important. Said the actress,

It was clearly a lot of work for all involved, but as you can tell looking at the finished result in the Ant-Man and The Wasp trailers and various stills it was all worth it. When it was finally perfected, Evangeline Lilly absolutely loved the finished result, and told us that she tried to spend as much time in the suit as she possibly could. Said Lilly,

We've only seen previews of what the Wasp costume can do, but it won't be long until we see the thing fully function on the big screen. Ant-Man and The Wasp, will be here in just a few short weeks, so get excited, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my time on set!

When I sat down with Evangeline Lilly three years ago during the Los Angeles press day for Ant-Man, she had an immediate answer for who she wanted to play Janet van Dyne, a.k.a. her on-screen mother, in the sequel: Michelle Pfeiffer. Funny enough, this dream wound up coming true, with Pfeiffer being announced in the role last year -- but this doesn't mean you should start crediting Lilly for the suggestion. According to her, she may have put some good thoughts into the universe, but that's pretty much where it ended:

I had the pleasure of talking with Evangeline Lilly again last year as part of a roundtable interview on the set of Ant-Man and The Wasp, and the first question I asked was about Michelle Pfeiffer playing Janet van Dyne. I asked if she had any specific influence in the casting, possibly letting the producers know her thoughts, but that apparently wasn't the case. Instead, it's really just a case of things working out well.

Michelle Pfeiffer, of course, has an important history in comic book movies, having famously played Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns. She hasn't returned to the "genre" since, but is now coming back in a big way. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, Janet van Dyne was the original Wasp, teaming up with Dr. Hank Pym's Ant-Man on missions during the Cold War. In order to stop a potentially deadly missile, she shrunk herself small enough to fit between the molecules of titanium plate -- and while she was successful in disabling the projectile, it was a sacrifice. Making herself that tiny essentially transported her to what's known as the Quantum Realm, where all meaning of time and space is lost. She's been there for the equivalent of decades in the normal world, but Ant-Man and The Wasp will see the heroes on a mission to bring her back.

At the time when I was on the Ant-Man and The Wasp set Michelle Pfeiffer hadn't started filming yet -- but Evangeline Lilly did tell us about her first opportunity meeting the actress. It was part of a shoot for a special San Diego Comic-Con video, and according to her, it went as well as she could have hoped. Said Lilly,

Outside of poster shots we haven't really seen much of Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne yet, but we don't have too much longer to wait. Ant-Man and The Wasp will be in theaters on July 6 -- and we have plenty more set visit coverage coming your way between now and then.

The year 2017 was a notably crazy one for Marvel Studios. Not only did Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 have a 12-month schedule bringing together all the heroes of the cinematic universe, but simultaneously productions were also going for both Black Panther and Ant-Man and The Wasp. If that seems like a lot, it was, and as director Peyton Reed explained during an on-set interview, it required a lot of shuffling and intense scheduling. Said Reed,

As part of a group of journalists visiting the set of Ant-Man and The Wasp last year, I had the chance to participate in a roundtable interview with Peyton Reed, and the subject of Avengers: Infinity War/Avengers 4 was broached in conversation. At the time of the interview there hadn't been any specific encroachment, however, the director mentioned that there was going to be some crossover schedules that October in reaction to certain needs of the other production.

Because Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly's Wasp don't appear in Avengers: Infinity War (which we didn't know for sure until the blockbuster premiered), the set of Ant-Man and The Wasp benefited -- and not only due to freed schedules. As Peyton Reed explained, the movie had the chance to be built in its own small segment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe much like the first one did, having been released the same summer as Avengers: Age of Ultron. Said the director,

Of course, we still don't know for sure how exactly Ant-Man and The Wasp will sync up with the cataclysmic finale of Avengers: Infinity War, but those answers will be coming soon. The 20th film from Marvel Studios will be out on July 6 -- and between now and then we'll have plenty more set visit coverage coming your way!

When it comes to making sequels, The Empire Strikes Back has been used as a reference point by filmmakers for decades. After all, it's one of the most successful and exciting follow-ups of all time, so why not use it as a model? Of course, there are many lessons to be taken from the legendary blockbuster, but there is interestingly one in particular that has inspired director Peyton Reed in the making of the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp:

Ant-Man and The Wasp is kind of an unconventional direct sequel, as one of its main heroes had a small supporting role in another blockbuster before it (gotta love the Marvel Cinematic Universe), but Peyton Reed wound up finding that as a benefit instead of a detriment. Along with a small group of other film journalists, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the director on the set of his upcoming movie last year, and it was during that roundtable that he discussed his Empire Strikes Back influence. It's not about making things darker or having the heroes lose -- it's just about creatively catching up with the protagonists in an unexpected place.

Certainly one of the biggest challenges being a Marvel Studios filmmaker must be keeping up with the continuity and ensuring that individual visions don't collide -- but in the case of Ant-Man and The Wasp, those kinds of "roadblocks" worked as prompts to a certain degree. As Peyton Reed revealed during our interview, the events of Captain America: Civil War forced him to confront certain important background questions for his characters, and the answers to those queries put him on the path towards helping to constructing a proper sequel story:

As it turns out, the whole situation creates a ton of conflict -- which is used by the movie as story fuel. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) made the decision to turn himself in, and wound up being put under house arrest. As for Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), they never authorized Scott to take the Ant-Man suit for the mission in Germany, and they aren't too happy with him -- not to mention the fact that they are on the run because they won't comply with the Sokovia Accords. Unfortunately, they need him for the mission they are trying to complete, which unites one of the most iconic duos in Marvel Comics: Ant-Man and The Wasp.

With Avengers: Infinity War in the rearview mirror, Ant-Man and The Wasp is the next big adventure for Marvel Studios, and it's coming up soon. The comic book adventure film will be in theaters on July 6 -- and be sure to keep following CinemaBlend, as we still have a lot more articles coming from my time on set.