What to Watch Before ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

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Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)

Credit: Marvel Studios

If you’re rushing around trying to fit all 30 Marvel Cinematic Universe films in before you head to the movie theater to see the latest, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), then fear not because you certainly don’t need to watch every single thing.

Here are the essentials you need to watch to get the most out of director Peyton Reed’s second sequel.

Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'
Credit: Marvel Studios

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in the MCU

What is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the second Ant-Man sequel after Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and is the first movie of Marvel Phase Five and the next chapter in the larger Multiverse Saga. Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man (2015) introduced the famous Marvel Comics character, and this 2023 outing will see the ensemble of heroes transported to the Quantum Realm where they will face the MCU’s newest Big Bad, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). The movie is directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jeff Loveness.

Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
Credit: Marvel Studios

Related: Problematic MCU Star Just Spoiled ‘Ant-Man 3’

Who is in the cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

The cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania features the return of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne/Wasp, respectively, in addition to Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Michelle Pfeiffer (Hope van Dyne), Jonathan Majors (Kang the Conqueror), Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang), David Dastmalchian (Veb), William Jackson Harper (Quaz), Katy O’Brian (Jentorra), Bill Murray (Lord Krylar), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), Corey Stoll (M.O.D.O.K), and Gregg Turkington (Dale).

MODOK (Corey Stoll) in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)
Credit: Marvel Studios

When does Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania come out?

Marvel fans will get to see the next installment in the Ant-Man franchise on February 17, 2023, exclusively in movie theaters.

Is there a trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

Yes — there are multiple trailers for Marvel’s 31st comic book adventure. Watch the latest below!

How to Watch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

What do you need to watch before seeing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

What movies do you need to see?

Ant-Man (2015)

The inaugural adventure for Rudd’s Scott Lang from Marvel Studios gave audiences a chance to see the MCU’s version of Ant-Man’s origin story. After serving a sentence in prison, Scott is recruited by Hank Pym to halt the creation and use of Darren Cross’s (Corey Stoll) Yellowjacket super suit. Required viewing in order to get to know how the criminal Scott Lang became an Avenger and, arguably, the savior of the universe following his revelations four years later in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The sequel to Ant-Man gave Lilly’s Wasp equal billing with Rudd’s superhero. The adventure further explored the dangerous nature of the Quantum Realm, with Hope’s mother, Janet van Dyne, offering the first real indication of how perilous this micro-world is. Her adventures in the Quantum Realm before being rescued will be explored in the forthcoming sequel.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)
Credit: Marvel Studios

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)/Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Wasp, as well as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, were seen to have been taken by Thanos’s (Josh Brolin) use of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War, leaving Rudd’s Ant-Man trapped in the Quantum Realm for the duration of the events of the first Avengers Phase Three movie.

However, his containment in the Quantum Realm provided the much-needed plan the surviving Avengers required to go back in time and reclaim the Stones before Thanos had the chance to. Scott reveals to a confused Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) that, while it had been five years for them it had only been five hours for him. This mechanic of the Quantum Realm could come into play in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania after the Langs and Van Dynes become trapped in the mystical, otherworldly universe.

Ant-Man in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp'
Credit: Marvel Studios

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

While it was Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) that gave the first big screen exploration into the mechanics of the Multiverse, Sam Raimi’s sequel to Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange (2016), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness allowed Marvel to contribute much more detailed time to the alternate realities that exist beyond Earth-616 — the version of Earth that many of the characters exist in.

As Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is another Multiverse Saga movie, giving Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness a viewing may provide context to the conversations that are probably going to happen in the movie. With fans already having met a Variant of Kang the Conqueror in Loki (more on Loki later), then Majors’ appearance here as another version of Kang suggests more Multiversal talk for the superheroes.

Doctor Strange and Wong
Credit: Marvel Studios

What TV shows do you need to see?

Loki

The six-episode event on Disney+ came from creator Michael Waldron and director Kate Herron. Tom Hiddleston returned as the God of Mischief Loki after he is captured by the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Over the first season, and a second is coming this year, Loki met Variants of himself including Sylvie played by Sophia Di Martino.

The TV show gave viewers a first glimpse of how the Multiverse can come into play in the MCU and also revealed Jonathan Majors for the first time — although here, the actor played a Variant of Kang the Conqueror called He Who Remains. Both the exploration of the Multiverse as well as the introduction of Kang makes Loki a must-see.

He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in Marvel Studios' LOKI, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Credit: Marvel Studios

Related: Marvel Fans Fear Huge Flop as ‘Ant-Man’ Star Paul Rudd Films Third Movie Again

What If…?

The animated canon series is by no means an Ant-Man-centric story but again, like Loki, offers a detailed and broader view of the mechanics and politics of the Multiverse. Each episode of the nine-episode first season gave viewers a look at one specific “what if?” moment and introduced a flurry of new Variants of popular characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Thor, and yes, Ant-Man.

Will Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania be released on Disney+?

Like every other movie in Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will eventually make its way to The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, Disney+. However, how long that will be post-theatrical release is unknown. Disney movies have a base 45-day period in theaters before shifting to the streamer, although it varies for each movie. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) had a longer stretch of exclusivity while the animated sleeper hit Encanto (2021) landed on Disney+ just over a month later.

Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2021)
Credit: Marvel Studios

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in movie theaters on February 17, 2023.

Will you be heading to the theater to see the next chapter of the MCU? Let us know in the comments down below!

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