Kevin Smith has revealed his most anticipated upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project. With 10 films announced and several Disney+ shows on the way, the MCU is going to be filling the market with content for many years to come. After the Thanos attack in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has entered a rebuilding period that has seen new heroes such as Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) join its growing cast of characters, while also introducing its next major villain, the mighty Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Yet, with Phase 5 beginning with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the rebuild may be at its end.
Accomplished filmmaker and comic book fan Kevin Smith, a producer who earned acclaim after his work on Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Clerks, is as excited for the next phase as anyone else. Previously, Smith spoke out in support of James Gunn, but now he is opening up about his opinions on the MCU’s upcoming Phase 5. On a recent episode of his podcast, Fat Man Beyond, Kevin Smith made it clear that he is incredibly excited to see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Check out his quote below, as transcribed by ComicBook.com:
What am I looking most forward to… Quantumania, man. The beginning of Kang the Conqueror. Can’t wait. It looks f*****g badass. It looks bleak. I think some bad s**t happens to Ant-Man at the end. I’m here for it. I love Paul Rudd, but I’m ready to see Ant-Man face his trial as he deals with Kang.
Everything We Know About Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
There is good reason to be excited for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as the project seems set up to change everything for the MCU. While Ant-Man movies usually come at the end of each phase, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is breaking Ant-Man‘s own tradition by starting off the phase, and there’s a good reason for it. With Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) trapped in the Quantum Realm after an experiment gone wrong, the team desperately needs to find a way back to the real world. That’s why Kang the Conqueror will be there to help.
While Kang may be a villain, he is going to be an essential ally for Ant-Man and his team if they ever plan to escape the Quantum Realm. Since reports already indicate that Janet will be playing a larger role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, thanks to the time she already spent trapped in the Quantum Realm, the film will need to explore Janet’s complex relationship with Kang, who seems primed to make a deal with the wayward heroes. Kang’s presence alone will be a major wrench in the lives of everyone in the Ant-Man franchise and the MCU as a whole, especially with Cassie coming along for her first major mission, as she will need to learn the ropes of being a superhero at the worst possible time.
With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania reintroducing Kang in the wake of Loki‘s ending, it will need to reestablish the villain for a wider audience, while also showcasing the differences between this variant of Kang and He Who Remains. All the while, the project needs to explore how Cassie is important to Ant-Man’s arc and set her up as a potential legacy hero, since other Young Avengers are starting to appear in the MCU, such as Wiccan, Speed, and the younger Hawkeye. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is going to have to do some major establishing work for the MCU, which is a major reason Kevin Smith and many others are so excited for it.
Source: Fatman Beyond via ComicBook.com