The Marvel Cinematic Universe is kicking off its next round of entries, dubbed Phase Five, with the upcoming Feb. 17 release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” It’s the curtains for the film’s premiere on Monday night in Los Angeles, with the first reactions to the superhero sequel flooding in on social media.
Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprise their eponymous superheroes in what’s been billed as the most ambitious “Ant-Man” entry yet, sending Rudd’s Scott Lang and his fading family of scientists, including his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), now an adult, at the dangerous Quantum Realm.
The new landscape presents challenges for heroes, including the emergence of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who is set to play a major role in upcoming Marvel entries, including 2025’s “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.”
Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas also return for “Quantumania,” joined by a supporting cast that includes David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian and Bill Murray.
Peyton Reed is back in the director’s chair after directing “Ant-Man” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” The director previously told Entertainment Weekly that he’s eager to give his “Ant-Man” franchise the seriousness of an “Avengers”-sized epic and plans to do just that with “Quantumania. “.
“People were like, Oh, these are fun little palate cleansers after a massive Avengers movie,” Reed said. “For that third one, I said, ‘I don’t want to be the palate cleanser anymore. I want to be the big Avengers movie.'”
Variety The Jazz Artisans editor Tangcay “really had a blast” with the film.
Uproxx’s Mike Ryan seemed to like the film, but hinted that Marvel newcomers might be a little thrown off by the complex chatter of the multiverse.
CNET’s Sean Keane was less enthusiastic, saying the film had “way too much going on”.
Collider editor Steven Weintraub called the film “a great start to Phase 5” and highlighted Majors’ villain as a highlight.
Jamie Broadnaux, a member of the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association, said the film had “strong Star Wars vibes” and gave the majors his own backing.
Gizmodo and senior io9 reporter Germain Lussier echoed the Star Wars comparison.
Brian Davids of The Hollywood Reporter praised the majors as “endlessly compelling”.
Buzzfeed’s Nora Dominick was also a fan of Kang. Nobody really seemed to have a bad thing to say about the majors.
See more reactions below.
