With the release of we officially enter Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (in theaters February 17) starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas and Kathryn Newton.
As the new film begins, we quickly discover that there are some important family secrets. We learn that Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer) hasn’t been completely honest about her experiences in the quantum realm for 30 years, while Hank Pym (Douglas), Hope (Lilly) and Cassie (Newton) work on something together. This leads to the family going deep into the quantum realm and facing off with Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
“I will say yes, after finally being rescued from the quantum realm after 30 years and being reunited with her lovely husband Hank and daughter Hope, she is just enjoying this time together and she’s decidedly keeping quiet about her time down there.” Pfeiffer said during a press conference ahead of the film’s premiere. “Of course we all find ourselves in the parallel universe and world, and she’s forced to come with the truth to a place she hoped she’d never see again.”
“Thirty years is a long time. People have needs, and let’s not be judgmental. So I think there are a lot of surprises in store for the family. For some more than others. Maybe some decisions were questionable, but they’re very forgiving families … Of course, her story is part of the whole theme of family secrets that runs through the film.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige singled out this Pfeiffer, who also starred as Catwoman in 1992 batman returns, was a dream to have on board.
“I have to say in regards to them [Ant-Man trilogy]there’s a flashback to the Wasp in the first film, the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne,” Feige explained. “We don’t see her face, she’s wearing a mask.”
“It’s always been our dream that one day we could do another movie and then Michelle Pfeiffer could play that character. … There’s a big part of this movie where [director Peyton Reed] and the writers just hand the movie over to Michelle and it’s amazing. I keep thinking back to those first scenes on the first one ant man film where it was just a dream and a possibility who could play that role.”
Even as such a pro, Pfeiffer still thinks she could have used even more preparation Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
“I wish I had more preparation,” said Pfeiffer. “We have great stunt people, there’s just a whole department and you get incredible support.”
“I just worked with them to the point of exhaustion, really, on some of these more physical scenes. But it’s a lot of fun. I like doing that. I enjoy that -s.”
For Douglas, he said his preparation was, “Look ma, I’m in a Marvel movie!”
“Having a good time and in awe of my incredible wife Janet and what she was able to achieve and what great shape she was in 30 years down in the quantum realm,” added Douglas.
“I enjoyed [the opportunities] to see her and Evangeline in action and couldn’t be more blessed to have two female action heroes supporting the old man.”
Why is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania the start of Phase 5 of the MCU?
As you probably know by this point, the MCU is divided into different phases, with phase 4 introducing a number of new characters and ending with the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
When it came to phase 5 and what was done Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Feige was the right choice to start this new phase, emphasizing the family element of the story.
“We want to start Phase 5 with a third film with characters that were already loved,” Feige said. “Who better to take on one of the greatest villains the MCU has ever faced than this family you might think can’t handle it?”
“Then as the film progresses we learn that not only has Janet dealt with it, she’s been dealing with it for decades.”
When it came to Quantum Realm, the President of Marvel Studios revealed that the concept started even before we got the first one ant man Movie.
“I was kind of reminded recently that this was an idea that Paul had early on, before we even started filming the first one ant man Movie, what if we…explored quantum mechanics,” Feige said. “Things behave very differently at the quantum level, and Paul spoke about the amount of storytelling, imagination and fun that could be had there.”
“It’s a place at the subatomic level, where space and time operate differently, and which, at Scott Lang’s suggestion, allowed us to time travel endgame. … There’s a whole universe under the surface where we meet all sorts of funny, crazy characters.”
‘What the hell am I doing here? That doesn’t make any sense at all.’
Much of what fans of the predecessor noticed ant man Filming is the humor and lighter-hearted elements of its main character. Compared to other Avengers, Scott Lang still comes across as a relatively normal human, an everyman-type hero. It is this affiliation that Paul Rudd delights in portraying the character.
“I think what I like most about him is that he’s a normal guy who still has reservations about all of that and he’s just a dad,” Rudd said. “I like the fact that he’s part of this group of some pretty awesome people and superheroes and he’s the first to say, ‘What the hell am I doing here? That doesn’t make any sense at all.'”
“He’s a real person and that’s why as an actor you want to play someone who’s relatable and hopefully a sympathetic person. And someone you might understand what they’re going through.”
