"Ant-Man and the Wasp" marched into theaters this Friday, with the ever-charming Paul Rudd in a titular role, leaving superhero fans buzzing.
Alongside Rudd stars Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp, marking the first time a female superhero has been included in the title of a Marvel film.
If you plan to hit the theaters for the second installment of the Ant-Man series, here are a few small tidbits you won't want to miss.
Note: Spoilers ahead!
1. Ant-Man's Got Jokes
This is the movie we needed after the bleak ending of "Avengers: Infinity War." Marvel Cinematic Universe gives us its lighter side thanks in part to Paul Rudd, who plays Scott Lang. He not only stars in the film but also helped write the film as well. That being said a lot of his lines feel improvised and off-the-cuff which adds levity to the movie. Something we didn't get a lot of in Infinity War.
2. The Wasp Rocks
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
A large portion of this story focuses on Hope Van Dyne, a.k.a. The Wasp, played deftly by Evangeline Lilly. In fact a lot people say this is more her movie than Ant-Man's. She and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) are trying to reach The Quantum Realm because they believe her mother is stuck there. Things get real "sciency" here but you just have to buy into it and go along for the ride.
3. The O.G. Wasp
In this day of YouTube stars and Instagram celebs, it's a treat to see someone who is a real movie star still lighting up the big screen. Michelle Pfeiffer is only in the movie for a little bit, reprising her role as the original Wasp and it's delightful. She literally and figuratively glows in this film, and I for one loved every second of it.
4. Daddy/Daughter Stories
There are three major daddy/daughter stories happening in AMATW that gave me all the feels. We see Scott Lang's sweet side as he gets creative with his daughter while on house arrest. Then Hank Pym bonding with his daughter Hope while they try to save the lab and rescue her mom. And the fatherly way Laurence Fishburne's character Bill Foster cares for Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. He raises her after her family was involved in a deadly accident and vows to help her. All of the father/daughter relationships in this film are different, but you can feel the underlying love they have for each other.
5. History-Making Title
If you didn't know by now, "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is the first MCU movie in 10 years to have a female superhero character in the title. Tell your friends. Tell your family. This is big deal and a smart move for Marvel.
6. Ghost is a Girl
Hooray for more ladies in superhero movies! In the comics, Ghost is traditionally a male character but in AMATW, Ghost is a woman who steals the tech that allows her to phase through solid objects from Pym Technologies. However the jury is still out on whether Ghost is a villain or simply an antagonist to our good guys. She's definitely not the big bad force Thanos is, and that seems like it was an intentional move on producer Stephen Broussard's part.
7. Michael Peña Is A National Treasure
If Marvel is talking about any kind of spinoff from this movie, and they should be, it should be with Michael Peña and his sidekicks. Peña is back as Luis to provide even more comic relief in an already funny movie. While Scott is under house arrest, he and his buddies Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (T.I. Harris) are hustling to build a security business. Their side story will tickle your funny bone and leave you wanting more.
8. Stay For Both End Credits
Anyone who leaves a MCU movie before the end credits should know better by now. In fact some might argue the end scene of AMATW is the best part of the movie. There's a nod to "Avengers: Infinity War" that is sure to stir up many debates in geekdom. It's hard to tell if the second end scene is tacked on just for comedic effect, or if there is a nod to something larger in the story. Either way it's the perfect way to button up and end this very funny movie.
"Ant-Man and The Wasp" is now playing in theaters. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include "Captain Marvel" on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to "Spider-Man: Homecoming" on July 5, 2019, and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in 2020.
8 Tiny Takeaways from Ant-Man and The Wasp
**spoilers
1. Ant-Man’s Got Jokes
This is the movie we needed after the bleak ending of “Avengers: Infinity War.” MCU gives us it’s lighter side thanks in part to Paul Rudd, who plays Scott Lang. He not only stars in the film but also helped write the film as well. That being said a lot of his lines feel improvised and off the cuff which adds levity to the movie. Something we didn’t get a lot of in Infinity Wars.
2. The Wasp Rocks
A large portion of this story focuses on Hope Van Dyne, a.k.a. The Wasp, played deftly by Evangeline Lilly. In fact a lot people say this is more her movie than Ant-Man’s. She and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) are trying to reach The Quantum Realm because they believe her mother is stuck there. Things get real sciency here but you just have to buy into it and go along for the ride.
3. The O.G. Wasp
In this day of YouTube stars and Instagram celebs it’s a treat to see someone who is a real movie star still lighting up the big screen. Michelle Pfeiffer is only in the movie for a little bit, reprising her role as the original Wasp and it’s delightful. She literally and figuratively glows in this film and I for one loved every second of it.
4. Daddy/Daughter Stories
There are 3 major daddy/daughter stories happening in AMATW that gave me all the feels. We see Scott Lang’s sweet side as he gets creative with his daughter while on house arrest. Then Hank Pym bonding with his daughter Hope while they try to save the lab and rescue her mom. And the fatherly way Laurence Fishburn’s character Bill Foster cares for Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. He raises her after her family was involved in a deadly accident and vows to help her. All of the father/daughter relationships in this film are different, but you can feel the underlying love they have for each other.
5. History-Making Title
If you didn’t know by now, “Ant-Man and The Wasp” is the first MCU movie in 10 years to have a female superhero character in the title. Tell your friends. Tell your family. This is big deal and a smart move for Marvel.
6. Ghost is a Girl
Hooray for more ladies in superhero movies! In the comics, Ghost is traditionally a male character but in AMATW Ghost is a woman who steals the tech that allows her to phase through solid objects from Pym Technologies. However the jury is still out on whether Ghost is a villain or simply an antagonist to our good guys. She’s definitely not the big bad Thanos is and that seems like it was an intentional move on producer Stephen Broussard’s part.
7. Michael Peña Is A National Treasure
If Marvel is talking about any kind of spinoff from this movie, and they should be, it should be with Michael Peña and his sidekicks. Peña is back as Luis to provide even more comic relief in an already funny movie. While Scott is under house arrest, his and his buddies Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (T.I. Harris) are hustling to build a security business. Their side story will tickle your funny bone and leave you wanting more.
8. Stay For Both End Credits
Anyone who leaves a MCU movie before the end credits should know better by now. In fact some might argue the end scene of AMATW is the best part of the movie. There’s a nod to “Avengers: Infinity War” that is sure to stir up many debates in geekdom. It’s hard to tell if the second end scene is tacked on just for comedic effect, or if there is a nod to something larger in the story. Either way it’s the perfect button ending to this very funny movie.
“Ant-Man and The Wasp” is now playing in theaters. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include “Captain Marvel” on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming” on July 5th, 2019, and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in 2020.
