MANILA, Philippines — The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) embarks on a new phase in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" which introduces the franchise's newest major villain — Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.
Scott Lang, adorably played again by Paul Rudd, has embraced his "little guy" Avenger role following the events of "Avengers: Endgame," which causes a little bit of friction with his teenage daughter Cassie (now played by Kathryn Newton).
Cassie has created a machine which beams a signal down to the quantum realm; the warnings of Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne come too late as the Ant-family are sucked into the miniature universe which has become the kingdom of Kang.
Scott must find a way to save his family and reach back home, but the powerful threat that is Kang looms not just for his world, but every moment in time and space.
As if being the beginning of Phase 5 wasn't a daunting task enough, "Quantumania" bears the responsibility of introducing audiences to Kang; comic readers may be aware of him, and fans got a little glimpse of his variant in the "Loki" series — but here, Majors is all terror and no charm.
The first two "Ant-Man" films always stood out from the bigger universe because of the size of its hero — pun slightly intended — like Spider-Man committing to be neighborhood savior, but "Quantumania" gives the opportunity for Lang to rise to the occasion.
As a result, "Quantumania" comes off as formulaic because the priority for many Marvel projects going forward is Kang. It does not take long for the film to be thrusted into the quantum realm, where majority of the movie takes place.
Related: WATCH: Kang the Conqueror shows off his power in new 'Ant-Man 3' trailer
Speaking of which, as visual effects-heavy as it is, the quantum realm is psychedelic world-building at its best; the possibilities are endless in a place where time runs differently, and the artists really played around to make sure the environment would stand out to other universes we have seen before in the MCU.
Rudd is still irresistibly good as Scott, Pfeiffer gets moments to shine in between exposition entries as does her onscreen partner Michael Douglas in humorous ways unimaginable, plus Newton is proving the decision to include her in the franchise a solid one.
But Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne feels pushed aside again despite her clear physical superiority, while Bill Murray — the smooth-talker that he is — definitely deserves more than the screentime he is given.
But the name that will ring out for weeks to come is Majors as the new face of the MCU. Granted Kang's backstory feels a bit rushed (even with the knowledge from "Loki"), but there is definite hope that there is more that he has to show audiences.
Thanos was a slow-burn villain who absolutely deserved being the so-called protagonist of "Avengers: Infinity War" — Josh Brolin's screentime dominated the sprawling ensemble — so Majors as Kang has a lot to live up to.
With the future of the MCU already set, all that remains is how much more Majors can shape the character of Kang, and if "Quantumania" is any indication then we are set to see a vengeful villain wielding temporal and multiversal power without mercy.
So as much as Kang's name is plastered along Marvel's threshold, let's not forget the little guy that Ant-Man started out as. After all, half the universe owes their thanks to the ex-convict who was fired from Baskin-Robbins (and is it a coincidence that "Quantumania" is the 31st film in the MCU?).
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
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