Following its world premiere on Monday night, the first reactions to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are in, and thankfully they promise that the incoming threequel is just the epic closer to the Ant-Man trilogy that fans had been hoping for. Not that we know this is the absolute finale of the shrinking superhero’s solo franchise, however. One star of the series has seemingly let slip that they make it out of this one alive… And perhaps cast doubt on the movie’s leading man returning in the process.
Hank Pym star Michael Douglas was corned on the red carpet at the Quantumania premiere and was asked about the chances of him coming back for a prospective Ant-Man 4. Taking a leaf out of Harrison Ford’s “How to Act Like a Hilarious Curmudgeon” book, Douglas exclaimed, “as long as I could die.” Well, it sure looks like we can now rest assured that the OG Ant-Man survives the skirmish with Kang in the Quantum Realm.
That might seem like a relief to hear for fans fearful for Hank, however it only increases the target on the back of his common-law son-in-law, Scott Lang. The marketing for Quantumania has gone all in on the ominous threat of Kang, promising that he is by far the most dangerous foe the Ant-Man family has faced and that their battle with him will definitely end in tragedy. A veteran hero like Hank was a strong contender to be the one who sacrificed themselves in the fight, but with him ruled out of the running, Scott’s odds just went up. Or down, depending on how you look at it.
In last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder, Chris Hemsworth’s Odinson surprised us all by ending the film as an active Avenger, so Quantumania could easily pull the opposite move and kill off Scott earlier than we would’ve otherwise expected, allowing someone else to take up his mantle for the even bigger war against The Conqueror to come in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
On the other hand, Hank being in the clear also leaves his wife Janet Van Dyne in danger, but if Marvel is going to write out Michelle Pfeiffer out after only two movies and a cameo, then we are going to have words, Kevin Feige.
