Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is right around the corner. Set to hit theaters on February 17, fans are expectant to see the exciting conclusion of Scott Lang in the third installment of its series. Ant-Man, the super-hero depicted by the charming Paul Rudd, returns to close his story arc after five years since Ant-Man and the Wasp’s intriguing finale, where the main characters were sent to the Quantum realm, a mysterious world that serves both as a trap as well as a setting for the upcoming threequel.
Ant-Man’s depiction is much lighter than most of the other MCU heroes. Profiting from Paul Rudd’s brilliant comedic side, the first two installments of the series were filled with the typical Marvel humor, something that shaped this superhero’s style. Clearly, this does not mean that the character lacks any kind of epic to which Marvel fans are accustomed in these movies, but this puts Ant-Man in a reduced category of the MCU films where comedy seems to be the predominant genre.
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Despite Ant-Man’s humor, the latest trailer gave us a much darker tone on what to expect. With practically no jokes, the second (and probably final) preview of the movie before the release contrasted completely with the first one, more in line with the more silly Scott Lang portrayal. Should we expect a shift in the franchise’s tone? Let’s take a look at what we know so far.
The Trailer Shows a Very Dark Moment in Ant-Man’s Life
Marvel Studios
As mentioned, Ant-Man and The Wasp’s cliffhanger ending foretold a gloomy situation. Trapped in the Quantum realm, time and space’s structure will affect any human, so Scott Lang will not be an exception. The trailer offers a glimpse into Ant-Man seeing his life changed completely, from hero to zero. The previous preview of the movie, a much more comical snippet, showed him enjoying a life of fame and fortune as a well-known superhero. In fact, though the timeline is yet to be confirmed, Ms. Marvel already mentioned Scott Lang being in charge of a hero-related podcast, a laid-back life contradicted by the second trailer.
Still, the point of conflict is obviously Scott Lang’s daughter. A very devoted father, there’s no way in which his being trapped in another realm won’t affect their relationship. In fact, Kang’s macabre voice (which we’ll talk about next) suggests him making a devilish pact to get her back. Just like Spider-Man: No Way Home, which involves complex magic and awful consequences, Scott Lang’s deal with Kang will surely bring a more obscure tone to this installment.
Ant-Man 3 Expands Marvel Phase 5’s Main Villain
Speaking of the devil, Kang the Conqueror is expected to be the Thanos of this new Marvel era. It was officially introduced in the Disney+ series Loki, represented as a powerful being that can bend time and space, a crucial and dangerous ability in the multiverse era. The villain’s presentation was a cryptic one, building up the sinister aura around the potential main antagonist of the phase.
As mentioned, part of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s plot will revolve around Scott Lang being tempted by Kang’s promises of a life he yearns to have back. Back in Marvel’s previous phases, where Thanos was the main antagonist, the character had little to no humor in the movies whatsoever. At least for now, part of the MCU’s villain manual says that the important baddies have no room for comedy. Thanos was a true foe, with clear reasons to perpetuate his plan. Therefore, each of his appearances had to preserve his villainous nature, something we should expect from Kang as well, shifting Quantumania’s tone.
It Wouldn’t Be Marvel’s First Genre Change
Marvel Studios / Disney
Back in the days when Thor was a more solemn hero, Thor: Ragnarok shook the series and gave it a new twist. The third installment of Odin’s son directed by Taika Waititi gave the franchise a much-needed fresh new take (which some think to be ruined by Thor: Love and Thunder) with a more comedic approach to the series.
In all fairness, the Ant-Man arc doesn’t necessarily need a change of tone. For Thor’s case, the first two movies were charming in their own right, but exploiting Chris Hemsworth’s funny side was an excellent decision, paving the way for a fourth movie (which ultimately, received some backlash but definitely had its hilarious moments).
Going back to Paul Rudd, comedy really suits him, so there is no way that humor will be out of the picture. Still, in short, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will undoubtedly be the darkest one in the trilogy. Set to close Ant-Man’s story arc (at least momentarily), the premise and potential nemesis are two clear indicators of a different perspective for this movie. There is no doubt that Paul Rudd can play any genre as well, so the tone shift looks promising, as long as Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s director, strikes the right balance that is expected from the best Marvel movies.
