Peyton Reed has made the Ant-Man IP work favorably for Marvel Studios with Ant-Man 3 set to launch in early 2023. Set to be the director’s MCU hat trick, the trilogy finale will be the kickstarter for Marvel’s expansive multiversal array of projects as well as introduce the main antagonist of the Avengers in the form of Kang the Conqueror.
However, the quantum realm adventure is not merely a definitive superhero action film that the moviegoers expect from the CBM franchise. Ant-Man 3 holds within its limitless potential the capacity to redeem the entirety of Phase Four which has been nothing short of disappointing considering Marvel’s stellar record of producing quality masterpieces.
Ant-Man 3 Does More Than Introduce Kang the Conqueror
Peyton Reed’s aptitude to spin the threads of a family-driven wholesome adventure while also focusing on the hero’s own character development and a grand showdown at the end has been the signature marker of an MCU success as positively received as Ant-Man. The puny character with ambitions greater than his size has dictated the fate of most battles he has fought in with nothing but his street smarts and bold heroism.
The same character is now fated to act as a valet for MCU by bringing in Kang the Conqueror on an epic scale and pitting him as the primary antagonist, not simply of Ant-Man 3 but the entire Multiverse Saga. Played by Jonathan Majors, a glimpse of the evil variant was first seen in the aftermath of Sylvie Laufeydottir killing He Who Remains in Loki Season 1 finale.
However, the Conqueror has been known to have remained in play for millennia before the events at the Citadel at the End of Time that changed the tide of the Sacred Timeline. Kang’s rampage across the universe will only begin to unravel now at MCU after Ant-Man 3 somehow acts as the catalyst for Kang’s escape from the quantum realm and the true proportions of the Conqueror’s villainy will finally start coming to light.
Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man 3 Expected to Deliver a Masterpiece
Marvel fandom has grown tired of the lackluster sequences that have shaped the entirety of Phase Four ever since the end of the Infinity Saga. Beyond 2019, there has been a rare few projects that have borne the marker of class and heroism that is so ubiquitously recognized by the franchise’s devotees. So when Phase Four closes off on a high with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the fans can only expect the oncoming slate to top the bar set by Kevin Feige’s visionary approach that was seen and felt with such clarity until the end of Phase 3.
Now, Ant-Man 3 being the first project tasked with heralding the Multiverse Saga, Peyton Reed feels the mounting pressure set by the hopes and expectations of a billion fans across the world.
“We’re really, really excited. We’re starting off Phase 5 in a big, big way. This is the biggest adventure that Ant-Man and Wasp have ever gone on. We’re going to some strange places and we’re encountering an antagonist who’s unlike anything they’ve ever experienced, and that includes Thanos.”
The Paul Rudd-helmed film is set to bring in the full arsenal with Evangeline Lilly returning as the Wasp, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer reprising their roles as Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, and new players like Kathryn Newton serving as the legacy child born to a superhero. Bill Murray adds to the already full plate as an undisclosed antagonist.
Ant-Man 3 premieres on 17 February 2023.
Source: Collider
