Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - release date, cast and latest news

While reviews of the latest Ant-Man film might have been mixed, many agree that Kang is the villain we needed, with the character set to haunt us throughout Phase 5 and 6 of the MCU, with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty set for release in 2025.

Quantumania director Peyton Reid recently teased what the future will hold for Kang, telling RadioTimes.com: "It was sort of determined midway through [production] that we were going to be the beginning of Phase 5.

"And I always ask [Kevin] Feige, like, what does the phase actually mean? But I think for us, it really meant... it was Kang, right? The thing that sets him apart as an antagonist is there is Kang the Conqueror, who is featured in Quantumania. But he's a Nexus Being – there are variants of Kang.

"And what happens if you introduce a villain who's fighting our heroes, but he is separately at war with all the different versions of himself? And what does that mean for the ongoing Marvel Universe?

"Well, it changes everything that's happening," he added. "And at the same time, the Avengers, you know, in Doctor Strange and Spider-Man and certainly in Loki, they're becoming aware of the existence of the multiverse.

"And there might be these sort of incursions into the multiverse, and what does that mean for the Kangs? So it's setting up a lot of that stuff."

While Ant-Man might seem an unusual choice to begin Phase 5, Marvel boss Kevin Feige recently spoke out on the decision.

He told Empire: "We wanted to kick off Phase 5 with Ant-Man because he’d earned that position. To not simply be the back-up or the comic relief, but to take his position at the front of the podium of the MCU."

It seems Ant-Man's got a lot more to give! But for now, read on for all the details we have on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, including release date, cast, and plot theories.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania release date

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is out now after being released on 17th February 2023.

Along with the rest of the MCU slate post-Spider-Man, the film saw its release date shift last year, with the movie having once been set to come out in July 2023 before eventually returning to its previously slated February release date.

In June 2021, star Paul Rudd confirmed on Instagram that filming had started on the third entry, with director Peyton Reed revealing that the production will utilise the same revolutionary technology as The Mandalorian.

The cutting-edge method all but eliminates the need for real-world locations, instead of using large screens displaying high-quality images, proving particularly useful while pandemic-related travel restrictions remain enforced.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania cast

The following cast members star in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

• Paul Rudd as Ant-Man/Scott Lang
• Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp/Hope van Dyne
• Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conquerer
• Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang
• Bill Murray as Lord Krylar
• Corey Stoll as MODOK
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne
• Michael Douglas as Dr Hank Pymm
• David Dastmalchian as Veb
• Katy O'Brian as Jentorra
• William Jackson Harper as Quaz

At its annual investor call, Disney confirmed that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly would return to the title roles for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Lily has said that this is a good film for her character who she couldn't fully understand previously, but with this one, it all clicked into place for her.

Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer will also return for the project, while Lovecraft Country and Da 5 Bloods actor Jonathan Majors will portray the film's big bad Kang the Conquerer.

He's set to be a major antagonist in the movie, but it has been widely speculated that his character will make subsequent appearances in future MCU films, having taken on the entire Avengers team numerous times in the source material.

“They’re Greek,” Majors said of the Marvel movies in an interview with Variety. “The size of them. The things they’re dealing with. The idea of fate and fantasy and future and legacy.”

Majors made his debut as an alternate version of Kang dubbed He Who Remains in the season 1 finale of Loki.

Also joining the team is Big Little Lies star Kathryn Newton, who will take over the role of Cassie Lang in the MCU, portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson in the first two movies and Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame.

Director Peyton Reed, who helmed the first two Ant-Man films, will be back to finish off the trilogy.

One surprise cast member is Bill Murray who revealed his appearance in the movie to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine. "You know, recently I made a Marvel movie. I got to know the director – and really liked him very much. He was funny, humble, everything you want from a director."

It's been confirmed that he will play a king of beings living in the Quantum Realm named Krylar, a character from Marvel Comics.

Meanwhile, the trailer shown at San Diego Comic-Con confirmed the appearance of the comic book character MODOK, and after months of rumours it was later revealed that he would be played by Corey Stoll, who previously portrayed Yellowjacket/Darren Cross in the first Ant-Man film.

The star-studded cast also includes David Dastmalchian (Dune) as Veb, Katy O’Brian (The Mandalorian) as Jentorra and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) as Quaz.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer

Two full-length trailers for the film have been released – having originally debuted at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 and the D23 panel respectively.

The most recent trailer arrived in January 2023 and confirmed the reports that Corey Stoll would be playing MODOK, as well as giving us a look at the battle between Scott Lang and Kang the Conqueror and establishing a much darker tone than the previous two films.

You can check it out below:

Before that, a trailer dropped in October 2022, which teased the threat posed by Kang and also gave fans a brief first look at Bill Murray ass Lord Krylar.

You can watch the trailer in full below:

Ant-Man 3 plot theories

In typical Marvel fashion, plot details are being kept top secret for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but we were given a brief synopsis by the studio ahead of release.

It reads: "Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp.

"Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible."

We have seen glimpses of the alien micro-verse in the previous two movies but there are still plenty of unanswered questions about the secrets it holds, so expect to finally get some answers.

The mid-credits scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp saw Scott harvesting energy from the quantum realm to help his "new Ghost friend", suggesting that Hannah John-Kamen's character could be back for the sequel as an ally.

Scott will need all the help he can get if he's to face off against Kang the Conquerer, a formidable Avengers foe who made his live-action debut in Loki episode 6 on Disney Plus – well, kind of.

The version we saw in the series finale was actually a variant of Kang who went by the alias He Who Remains, and was ultimately murdered by Sylvie in an act of cold-blooded revenge.

However, in his dying breath, he warned that even more dangerous versions of himself would emerge from the multiverse, as the once Sacred Timeline began growing branches at an uncontrollable rate.

There has already been a subtle hint towards the villain having a connection with Ant-Man's world, with Loki's fifth episode seeing a giant Yellowjacket helmet discarded near Kang's void at the end of the time.

The Yellowjacket armour was modelled off technology designed by Hank Pym, but used against him by the unhinged businessman Darren Cross (played by Corey Stoll in 2015's Ant-Man).

We never saw the suit go giant in that film, which leads us to wonder whether the helmet's inclusion in Loki is foreshadowing a future event to be explored further in Quantumania – especially given we now know that Stoll is returning to play iconic comic book villain MODOK.

Perhaps Kang could also have Hank Pym in his sights, as the scientist's revolutionary "Pym Particles" made time travel a breeze during the events of Avengers: Endgame.

The villain's arrival could be the catalyst for Scott training his daughter, Cassie, in size manipulation, as the character becomes a superhero called Stature in the comic books and goes on to join the Young Avengers.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania running time: how long is the film?

The running time for the new film has been confirmed at exactly two hours – meaning it's pretty much the same length as the previous two entries in the series, 2015's Ant–Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Both those films came in at 1 hour 58 minutes, so this third outing in the trilogy is only very marginally longer.

What other Marvel films come out in 2023?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the first film in Phase 5 of the MCU, which continues with two further movies in 2023.

Those are Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, which arrives in cinemas in May, and The Marvels, which follows in July.

Meanwhile, there's also plenty to look forward to on the small screen, with as many as six shows currently slated to air throughout the year: second seasons for What If...? and Loki, and debut runs for Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Echo and Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is released in UK cinemas on Friday 17th February 2023.

Looking for something to watch? Watch the Marvel movies in order or check out what else is on with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Know a Marvel fan? Don't miss our round-up of Marvel merchandise.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.