Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a time of transition, and not always a popular one. Marvel had never gotten worse reviews in its 15 years producing its own movies. In fact, Phase Four produced both of the lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores in the company’s history. (Eternals, with 47 percent on the site, and Thor: Love and Thunder, with a 64 percent.)
So there is more than usual riding on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Not only does the film kick off the next phase of the MCU it also officially introduces Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, who is set to become the key antagonist of the next batch of Marvel movies and Disney+ series. The film pits this massive threat against the tiniest Avengers: Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, along with his allies the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Scott’s daughter turned nascent hero Cassie (Kathryn Newton).
So how did things turn out? We’ll have a better sense when critics’ full reviews go up next week, but according to the first wave of reactions from social media Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is full of exciting visuals — to the point that several critics say it merits comparison to Star Wars. So does that makes Kang the Conqueror Marvel’s Darth Vader?
Either way, Majors has gotten a bunch of solid notices so far. The same goes for the film’s quirky imagery, and the relationship between Paul Rudd’s Scott and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie. While most of the reviews were positive, a few did say it was tough to “connect emotionally” to what was going on.
Here’s a sampling of all the Quantumania reviews so far:
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premieres in theaters on February 17. Look for full reviews of the movie (including ScreenCrush’s) next week.
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