By the time Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania comes out, we’ll officially be halfway through phase four of the MCU. Although we haven’t received an official synopsis yet, the much-anticipated sequel will continue Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne’s (Evangeline Lilly) storyline.
Nonetheless, based on the title and the cast, it is fair to assume that the movie will continue the Multiverse storyline explored in Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The last time we saw Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, they successfully rescued Hope’s mother, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the quantum realm with the help of Hope’s father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). In rescuing Janet, the characters could explore the quantum realm’s uncharted territory. And through that excursion, the idea for time travel seen in Avengers: Endgame was born.
All that to say, the Ant-Man films have been some of the most pivotal in the MCU’s overarching storyline. Now that we’re well into phase four, we’re as excited as ever to see how this film will move along the overall story.
Of course, what’s a good movie without a good cast? It’s been four years since Ant-Man and the Wasp came out. Can we expect to see the same people return? Here’s what we know so far.
Have any cast members and characters been confirmed for Ant-Man 3?
Following Kevin Feige’s announcement about Ant-Man 3 at Disney Investor’s Day 2020, Marvel officially tweeted the cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Thankfully, it includes the major characters and actors from the previous films.
We can expect to see Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprise their roles as Ant-Man and The Wasp. In addition, husband and wife due, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer will return as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne. Although, Pfeiffer did initially express hesitation about returning.
Scott Lang’s daughter, Cassie Lang, will also return for Ant-Man 3, but the character who played the adult Cassie in Avengers: Endgame (Emma Fuhrmann) will not. The first iteration of Cassie Lang came from the young actress, Abby Ryder Fortson. However, because of the 5-year time jump in Endgame, the role was re-casted to Emma Fuhrmann. Marvel has once again decided to recast the role with actress Kathryn Newton as Scott Lang’s daughter. Fans of Supernatural will instantly recognize Newton as Claire Novak, the hot-headed monster hunter fresh out of high school. Although Marvel’s reasoning for recasting Cassie’s character has not been made known, it might have something to do with Cassie’s future in the comics. In the Marvel comics, Cassie eventually becomes the superhero, Stature. Still, Marvel has not officially stated whether or not they intend to do the same with the MCU version of the character.
Jonathan Majors will also join the cast of Ant-Man 3 as Kang the Conqueror. Fans will remember Majors as He Who Remains from the Disney Plus original show, Loki. The last time we saw him, he had Sylvie’s knife in his gut, and his final words before dying were “See you soon,” with a farewell wink. Majors’ character in Ant-Man 3 will be a variant of He Who Remains. He Who Remains was goofy and lighthearted, but Kang the Conqueror will be sinister and serve as the movie’s main villain.
Rounding out our list of returning characters is the director of the film, Peyton Reed. Reed’s vision and talent earned the first two Ant-Man films $1.14 billion at the global box office, so it’s no surprise that Marvel has brought him back. Hopefully, Reed’s return will provide continuity to the three films, as we can likely expect a similar tone and vibe.
Is anyone else rumored to star in the film?
The only actor not yet confirmed by Marvel is Bill Murray. However, Murray let the cat out of the bag in an interview with German newspaper FAZ (via The Wrap), in which he said:
“I made a Marvel movie recently. I’m probably not allowed to tell you, but whatever…Anyways, some people were pretty surprised why I decided on a project like this, of all things. But for me the situation was completely clear: I got to know the director, and really liked him. He was witty, humble, everything you want from a director. And with the cheerleader movie ‘Bring It On,‘ he had already made a film years ago which I think is damn good.”
Given Marvel’s reputation for tight-lipped secrets, there was no doubt some displeasure regarding Murrary’s leak, which might be why they have yet to confirm his character.
Scott Lang has no shortage of friends, from his ex-wife’s husband, Jim Paxton (Bobby Cannavale), to his crew of oddballs. As of now, none of them have been confirmed to return in this newest installment, and unfortunately, at least one of them is sure he won’t be in the movie.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is expected to premiere in theaters on February 17, 2023.
