‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Trailer Promises the Rise of a Dynasty
'Quantumania' arrives in theaters on February 17.
With exactly a month to go till release day, Marvel has debuted a new trailer for the upcoming superhero sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Shorter than most trailers, this one runs a minute long and teases the film’s trippy visuals alongside the emotional core of the story, which revolves around our hero Scott Lang’s relationship with his daughter, Cassie. This is the third film in the Ant-Man series, and the 31st overall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Breathe,” Scott, played by Paul Rudd, tells her in the opening moments of the new trailer, as Cassie anxiously absorbs her alien surroundings. We then cut to the voice of Kang the Conqueror, the movie’s main antagonist, who attempts to lure Scott into a pact. But he’s warned by Janet van Dyne, who tells Scott not to put his trust in him.
The trailer attempts to sell the 3D format, which is a difficult thing to achieve in regular 2D. To enhance the depth, certain shots spill over the black letterboxes, and others, like the one where Kang hurls a kick in the camera lens’ direction, appear to be designed purely to heighten the 3D effect. It also makes sense that writer Jeff Loveness recently described the movie as “Jodorowsky’s Dune within Marvel,” going by some of the imaginative designs of the Quantum Realm. Marvel movies have often been criticized for favoring a bland visual aesthetic, and even Quantumania drew some flak for flat green screen work after the first trailer dropped.
'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania': Trailer, Cast, Release Date, Plot, and Everything We Know So Far
This new one ends with a tease of Scott’s showdown with Kang, and the briefest of glimpses at the villain’s powers unleashed. We saw the same shot in the last trailer as well, but no matter how many times you watch it, it’s still a formidable image.
Quantumania serves as the entry-point into Marvel’s Phase 5, which also includes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts and the now-delayed Blade. This phase will also be something of a litmus test for the franchise’s popularity. Easily the biggest movie series in history, the MCU is emerging from a period of upheaval, after the underperforming pandemic releases such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals; the wearily received 2022 titles Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; and the slew of streaming series that are only inspiring conversations about over-saturation.
