5 things we’d like to see in Ant-Man 4

Now that we have Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in our lives and we’ve met Kang, it’s time to start thinking about what the future of this franchise might look like. It’s worth noting that, for much of the Infinity Saga, Ant-Man was a relatively minor character. He had two movies of his own, but they were basically light-hearted romps, and it was only with Endgame that it started to become clear how pivotal the character could be to the future of the MCU. That promise has been fulfilled with Quantumania, which puts Ant-Man at the center of introducing Kang, the villain who will come to define the next few years of Marvel stories. As a result, Quantumania is much more serious and tie-in oriented than previous Ant-Man installments, and it’s left some fans wondering where the franchise could be headed from here. With those things in mind, here are a few things Marvel should do in a potential fourth Ant-Man movie. Note: This article features spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Quantumania has its moments of levity, but on the whole, this movie is a much more conventional MCU property than previous Ant-Man installments. The first two Ant-Man movies are, by contrast, much more frothy and frivolous. Now, it’s possible to tell stories that are fun and meaningful; the Guardians of the Galaxymovies are both good examples. If Marvel makes another Ant-Man movie, it should focus squarely on how they can make it feel distinct from the rest of what Marvel has to offer on a regular basis. They cast Paul Rudd in this role for a reason, and they should be willing to let him do his thing, even if he doesn’t go full Anchorman. Ant-Man and the Wasp was a marked improvement from its predecessor in part because it gave Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne a much more central role in the story. While Hope is in almost all of Quantumania, she doesn’t actually have much to do except save Scott in a few crucial moments. Scott and Hope’s genuine love for one another is surprisingly rare in the MCU, and it’s a relationship that should be given more time. Scott may be the lead of these movies, but one of the implications of the second half of the title is that Hope should also get plenty to do. Look, we all know that Paul Rudd doesn’t age, and he could probably keep playing Scott Lang until he’s 70. If there is another Ant-Man movie, though, it might be the perfect opportunity for a younger actor to take on the mantle. Cassie is sitting right there, and she’s even got her suit all ready to go. There’s some precedent for Cassie Lang taking on the role, and it seems clear that Marvel is moving more generally toward some sort of young Avengers team-up. Introducing Cassie seems like another step in that path, and her arrival might also be a great moment for Rudd to gracefully step away from the character, or at least out of the spotlight. This is a relatively minor complaint, all things considered, but it would be great to see Scott in a suit that doesn’t look like the suit he’s worn in every other movie. The suit’s capabilities have changed, to be sure, but it seems like the perfect time for Hank Pym to build Scott something new that he can use to take on the world. Red is obviously Ant-Man’s signature color, but that doesn’t mean all of his suits have to look exactly the same. Tony Stark wore like 40 different outfits over the course of his time as Iron Man, and it’s time for Scott Lang to learn a little bit about fashion. Ant-Man has one of the more unique power sets in the entire MCU, and Quantumania comes down to a slugfest between Kang and Ant-Man that features basically no powers. Next time, they should try to find a more innovative way to integrate Ant-Man’s unique power set into the final moments of his film. The earlier Ant-Man films both found ways to do exactly that. Of course, making a climax inventive doesn’t only involve finding interesting ways to integrate Ant-Man’s powers. Whoever Ant-Man happens to be facing should have a power set that complements his. Kang is certainly an intimidating opponent, but his powers don’t seem to have much to do with Scott’s. Instead, Kang is basically an all-powerful, godlike figure that Scott just has to beat through the power of teamwork. You can tell Peyton Reed is a fan of Michelle Pfeiffer from the moment Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania starts. The actress appears in the opening sequence, demonstrating more vitality and giving a more believable performance in front of what is obviously a green screen than most Marvel actors half her age. Unlike many of her contemporaries, who Marvel recruits because of the gravitas they lend to their otherwise simplistic efforts, yet are given virtually nothing to do, Pfeiffer plays a large role in the movie. In fact, she might be the Wasp in the title, with Evangeline Lilly giving what is basically a supporting, underdeveloped, and nearly mute performance — seriously, if she speaks five lines in the movie, it’s too much. Pfeiffer is magnetic on-screen, elevating everything she’s in. If a film is too excessive, like Grease 2, she grounds it; if it’s too caustic, like French Exit, she modulates it; and if it’s too ridiculous, like Quantumania, she dignifies it. No matter who her co-stars are or how thankless her role is, no one else stands a chance when Pfeiffer is around. Nowhere is this unique, scene-stealing quality more obvious than in Tim Burton’s 1992 superhero dark fantasy Batman Returns, a film that challenged the superhero genre and cemented Pfeiffer as a timeless cinematic icon. It’s a timeless role, one that the actress can and should still play, in a genre still in need of female-centric movies.
Hear her roar With the release of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in theaters, audiences have finally gotten to see more of Scott Lang, his Ant-Family, and his latest adversary, Kang the Conqueror. It will likely be years before fans get to see them all appear again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they will likely do so to face the Kang in a rematch in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Fortunately, there are plenty of similar sci-fi films that should hold people over until Ant-Man and company’s next adventure.
Jurassic Park (1993) Power is subjective. Some may argue that power is best tested by physical prowess, while others believe it lies within the mind. Iwould argue power is a mixture of strength, intelligence, resourcefulness, and dumb luck. It’s with that criterion in mind that I rank the 10 most powerful characters in the latest MCU movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Does everyone’s favorite ex-Baskin Robbins employee-turned-Avenger come out on top? Or does Kang truly conquer all and take the title of Most Powerful Character? Well, if I tell you now, you probably won’t read the whole thing, so be patient, have a snack, and read on.