Ant-Man and the Wasp will face their toughest foe to date in upcoming sequel Quantumania, which will pick up after the shocking events of the Loki ending on Disney Plus.
The final episode of Tom Hiddleston’s epic series introduced Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors as iconic comic book villain Kang The Conquerer, setting the stage for his lead role in this upcoming blockbuster.
The scheming time-traveller has been known to take on the entire Avengers team single-handedly in the comics, making him a sizeable step-up from the comparatively low-level villains Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) have faced so far.
Fortunately, they won’t have to fight him alone as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will also see the return of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), as well as an adult Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) – who might well be ready to suit up herself.
Still, it seems somewhat unlikely that even the combined efforts of that heroic family will be enough to defeat Kang once and for all, with many fans speculating Majors will reprise the role in other upcoming Marvel movies.
For now, read on for all the details we have on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, including release date, cast, and plot theories.
Ant-Man 3 release date
CONFIRMED: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be released on Thursday, 28th July 2023. It, along with the rest of the MCU slate post-Spider-Man, has recently seen its releases shift and this movie was originally set to come out on Friday 17th February 2023.
In June 2021, star Paul Rudd confirmed on Instagram that filming had started on the trilogy closer, with director Peyton Reed revealing that the production will utilise the same revolutionary technology as The Mandalorian.
The cutting edge method all but eliminates the need for real-world locations, instead using large screens displaying high quality images, proving particularly useful while pandemic-related travel restrictions remain enforced.
The logo and release date were featured in Marvel’s recent heartwarming clip celebrating the cinema experience, featured among a stellar line-up of titles sandwiched between Captain Marvel 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Ant-Man 3 cast
At its annual investor call, Disney confirmed that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly would return to the title roles for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Lily has said that this is a good film for her character who she couldn’t fully understand previously, but with this one it all clicked into place for her.
Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer will also return for the project as the original crimefighters to go by those codenames, who were recently reunited after decades apart.
The studio also confirmed what had long been rumoured: Lovecraft Country and Da 5 Bloods actor Jonathan Majors will indeed be portraying comic book villain Kang The Conquerer in Quantumania.
He’s set to be a major antagonist in the movie, but it has been widely speculated that his character will make subsequent appearances in future MCU films, having taken on the entire Avengers team numerous times in the source material.
“They’re Greek,” Majors said of the Marvel movies in an interview with Variety. “The size of them. The things they’re dealing with. The idea of fate and fantasy and future and legacy.”
Also joining the team is Big Little Lies star Kathryn Newton, who will take over the role of Cassie Lang in the MCU, portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson in the first two movies and Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame.
Director Peyton Reed, who helmed the first two Ant-Man films, will be back to finish off the trilogy.
Peyton Reed is back to direct the third Ant-Man film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer all return. Kathryn Newton joins the cast as Cassie Lang and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. pic.twitter.com/opXw1cmpFj
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 11, 2020
There’s no word yet on whether Michael Peña will return as hapless sidekick Luis, with the actor telling ComingSoon last February that he hopes to be asked back.
“I think they’re a year away from filming, I think it would be great if I could do a third one,” he said. “But you never know, especially with all the stuff that happened in Endgame.
“Right now, Marvel’s in a situation where they can crush some expectations, they’re gonna have to crush some expectations of other characters, not just mine, so hopefully I make the cut.”
Based on how Ant-Man and the Wasp ended, Laurence Fishburne and Hannah John-Kamen could also return as Bill Foster and Ghost, but this is yet to be confirmed.
One surprise cast member is Bill Murray who revealed his appearance in the movie to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine. “You know, recently I made a Marvel movie. I got to know the director – and really liked him very much. He was funny, humble, everything you want from a director.”
While he did not specifically say Ant-Man 3, he did mention that the director was behind the 2000 hit Bring It On. That director was Peyton Reed who has helmed all three Ant-Man movies so far.
Ant-Man 3 plot theories
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In typical Marvel fashion, plot details are being kept top secret for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but judging by the title it appears that the film will return to the psychedelic quantum realm.
We have seen glimpses of the alien micro-verse in the previous two movies but there are still plenty of unanswered questions about the secrets it holds, so expect to finally get some answers.
The mid-credits scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp saw Scott harvesting energy from the quantum realm to help his “new Ghost friend,” suggesting that Hannah John-Kamen’s character could be back for the sequel as an ally.
Scott will need all the help he can get if he’s to face off against Kang The Conquerer, a formidable Avengers foe who recently made his live-action debut in Loki episode six on Disney Plus – well, kind of.
The version we saw in the series finale was actually a variant of Kang who went by the alias He Who Remains, and was ultimately murdered by Sylvie in an act of cold-blooded revenge.
However, in his dying breath, he warned that even more dangerous versions of himself would emerge from the multiverse, as the once Sacred Timeline began growing branches at an uncontrollable rate.
There has already been a subtle hint towards the villain having a connection with Ant-Man’s world, with Loki’s fifth episode seeing a giant Yellowjacket helmet discarded near Kang’s void at the end of the time.
some of the cool things from this weeks #Loki including a giant Yellowjacket Helmet, THROG!, Qeng Tower and a crashed Hellicarrier pic.twitter.com/Rq8ztRUPeB
— Matt - Fortress of Solitude (@Matt_FOS) July 7, 2021
The Yellowjacket armour was modelled off technology designed by Hank Pym, but used against him by the unhinged businessman Darren Cross (played by Corey Stoll in 2015’s Ant-Man).
We never saw the suit go giant in that film, which leads us to wonder whether the helmet’s inclusion in Loki is foreshadowing a future event to be explored further in Quantumania.
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Perhaps Kang could also have Hank Pym in his sights, as the scientist’s revolutionary “Pym Particles” made time travel a breeze during the events of Avengers: Endgame.
The villain’s arrival could be the catalyst for Scott training his daughter, Cassie, in size manipulation, as the character becomes a super hero called Stature in the comic books and goes on to join the Young Avengers.
Looking for something to watch? Watch the Marvel movies in order or check out what else is on with our TV Guide.