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Credit: Marvel StudiosAfter a year of no new Marvel content, 2021 has brought the superhero studio back with a bang. By the end of this year, Marvel Studios will have released at least six television series and four feature films all within Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.
One hugely anticipated Marvel movie is Paul Rudd’s next Ant-Man installment — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) — which will see Marvel’s most recently introduced new Big-Bad return to the screen. Well, the next film from director Peyton Reed has just made huge progress.
With all this new content happening now, it’s easy to forget the mammoth plans Marvel has for the next few years with upcoming films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and the secretive Fantastic Four reboot, among others.
There’s a lot still to come from Marvel Studios this year, but that hasn’t stopped Peyton Reed from cutting through the noise and getting the internet excited for the third installment in his Ant-Man franchise. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania brings back Rudd’s Scott Lang, and Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne — the eponymous Marvel Comics characters Ant-Man and Wasp, respectively. Jeff Loveness of Rick and Morty fame is penning the script.
The movie, which is set for a February 2023 release, marks the third entry in Marvel’s Ant-Man series following Ant-Man (2015), and the Marvel sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). The latter, of course, marking a huge moment for Rudd’s character after the post-credits scene of him entering the Quantum Realm crossed over with the ending of Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Excitement about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has already been building. Earlier this year, Lilly accidentally revealed a villain’s return to the film after posting a photo of the movie’s script. The former Lost actress tagged Ant-Man actor Corey Stoll — who played Darren Cross AKA Yellowjacket in the first movie — in the post before quickly removing and then ultimately deleting the update.
At this time, Stoll’s involvement in the project — or his future in the Marvel franchise — hasn’t been confirmed although a Loki easter egg has added fuel to this rumor.
Thanks to Peyton Reed, we know now Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has started principal photography:
It begins. Day One – Principal Photography
#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania
It begins.
Day One – Principal Photography #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania pic.twitter.com/86RqUN3MLQ— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) July 26, 2021
The Tweet references Scott’s daughter’s stuffed animal — the ugly rabbit he gifted to her for her eighth birthday — in a rather terrifying image.
Although this is the beginning of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s principal photography, Rudd revealed last month that filming had begun in London and then just shortly after San Francisco Chronicle revealed the production did actually secretly film some location shots in San Francisco.
For now, we know little about the upcoming threequel aside from the major villain being Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror and the return of cast members Michael Douglas (Hank Pym) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet van Dyne). The film will also welcome Kathryn Newton, who joins the Hollywood stars, as Scott Lang’s daughter, Cassie Lang. Newton replaces Emma Fuhrmann who played the role in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
What’s coming up for Marvel’s Phase 4 THIS year?
Here’s a quick recap on what to expect from Marvel Studios for the remainder of this year.
August 11 brings the latest Disney+ television outing from Marvel, with the world-bending animated series, What If…?, debut on the streaming service. Later in the year, Marvel fans will hopefully be treated to Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye, which the studio recently confirmed will debut this year.
In terms of the blockbuster slate, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) follows Cate Shortland’s and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow (2021) as the next MCU feature film. Then towards the end of the year Phase 4 will welcome the newest alien race into the Marvel Universe with Chloé Zhao’s, Eternals (2021) before the hugely anticipated, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) closes out the year in December. Tom Holland’s potentially final venture as Spidey is still yet to release a trailer.
Are you excited about the latest Ant-Man movie? Let us know in the comments!