Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp has finally flown in UK cinemas. It stars Paul Rudd as Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly as his partner in crime, the Wasp. The film is a sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man which introduced the character on the big screen. While this movie might not be on the same scale as the last Marvel film, Avengers: Infinity War, it should not be missed. With more contained action, important MCU connections, and new characters it has something for everyone.
Here are 5 reasons not to overlook Ant-Man and the Wasp!
There’s a female hero (and villain)
While fans saw Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne in the first Ant-Man film, Ant-Man and the Wasp sees her suiting up for the first time to fight alongside Scott. Her name is in the title as well, making her the first female co-lead of a Marvel movie. The film also has a female villain in Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost. And of course, we can’t forget Michelle Pfeiffer making an appearance as Hope’s mom- and the first Wasp, Janet van Dyne. As Hope said at the end of the first film, “It’s about damn time.”
Characters are the focus
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a small film (pun intended). It is not focused on a giant, galactic battle, but rather rescuing Janet from the Quantum Realm and stopping Ghost. The stakes are personal rather than global. While it’s great to see our favorite heroes teaming up, it is also nice to see these films that focus more on the characters and their relationships and families.
It will make you LOL
When Paul Rudd is the star of a movie you know it’s going to be funny. The first Ant-Man film was full of banter, with one-liners and visual gags. Plus who could forget the scene-stealing performance from Michael Pena as Scott’s criminal BFF Luis? This new film looks to be no different. And after that Infinity War ending, we could all use a movie with a lighter tone.
The history of the MCU
We’ve heard the name Janet van Dyne, but Ant-Man and the Wasp is introducing her character for the first time. Hopefully, this means the film will also feature flashbacks of her and Hank as the original Ant-Man and the Wasp. As we learned in the first film, Hank has important connections to SHIELD and learning more about the characters’ pasts could lead to clues for future films- especially with the rumors of time travel in Infinity War. These backstories also adds depth and complexity to the rich history of the MCU.
Infinity War connections
Scott and Hope were noticeably missing from Avengers: Infinity War leading fans to speculate as to why. Many are hoping that Ant-Man and the Wasp could provide the key as to how to beat Thanos. While Ant-Man and the Wasp is a standalone film that likely won’t directly connect to Infinity War, there is always the post-credit scene that may provide a hint at what is to come.
