I want to start by saying that this is the start of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave us both a beautiful and tragic end to Phase 4, and we appreciate them for that. Scott, Hank, Janet, Cassie, Hope, and Kang had some big shoes to fill in continuing the legacy and action of the MCU.
Very interesting start to this phase, Marvel. So Janet had been living down there BEFORE Kang got there, which threw me for a loop until we continued to watch the film. Based on the post credits scene, which we will discuss later, the other Kang variants exiled him from their realm to the Quantum Realm. Now, what did he do to make them exile him? They all seem to have the same demeanor and want the same thing, but Kang was different for some reason. He was a threat. Why? We’ll explore that in another post later this week. I have to do more research.
First thing’s first, Cassie Lang is stupid. Now you may say, “Amber, she’s a teenager and doesn’t know what she’s doing and she had help from Hank and Hope.” To that I say, they’re stupid, too. You have a mom and wife, Janet, who never wants to talk about her time in the Quantum Realm, a realm she spent 30 years in, and somehow they all thought it would be ok to send a signal down there. Didn’t even know what or who they were sending a signal to. Just dumb! Are all the adults in this phase dumb? Dr. Strange just out here casting spells and not doing his research. Wanda out here recreating the love of her life and taking over a town. Y’all are supposed to be guiding the youth! This is why they’re dumb.
I personally thought the drink the ooze bit was hilarious. I know this is a way to explain how Janet was able to communicate with everyone down there for the years she was down there. Did it need to be a big thing? No, because they did the same thing with Hope, Janet, and Hank at the bar where they met Dan Aykroyd (90’s kid should know this joke!).
The star of this film isn’t Ant-Man or the Wasp. It is Jonathan Majors as Kang and the 75 other people he got to play in this film. I saw a comment on a YouTube video from my favorite nerds, New Rockstars, that said Jonathan Majors and Oscar Isaac are the kings of playing multiple characters in the MCU. I haven’t seen a more perfect comment since that one. I’ve seen Majors in several other projects and he is a chameleon. I’ve seen him interviewed in several different capabilities and never once have I seen Majors as himself in ANY of his roles. My favorite thing was to see the subtle similarities yet differences between He Who Remains and Kang and even the other three variants. They all are the same but vastly different. Another favorite piece of Majors as Kang is how they made it so we could feel his anger seething beneath a look or a scowl. There were very few times where we saw him explode but those weren’t the moments that made me cower. It was a moment like him making the deal with Scott in the cell across from Cassie. He started as a man who was coming to make a deal that seemed like he was asking for Scott to take his shift at work. He was asking the man to help him destroy worlds in timeliness across the universe AND he was going to kill his daughter if he didn’t. But if you really pay attention, you can see and sense the progression of his annoyance. In that scene, it really started with Modok, but I also would have told Darren to be quiet, too. Enough, Darren. Enough. Also, ladies and gentlemen, Kang is a Nexus being and we still don’t know what happened to Wanda in Multiverse of Madness. The power this man possesses in addition to the isolation he’s been through and the betrayal he feels might be worse than Wanda’s trauma. I can’t wait to see where he actually went and what we get to see of all his other variants. I think Feige lied to us. Maybe he isn’t the villain. Maybe he is just the beginning.
Speaking of Modok, Marvel, please come to the front of the class! We are too far into these films to be doing things for fan service. I get it but if you want to do it, it has to be done well, and I have the feeling like the graphics didn’t really come out the way they wanted so they created a joke around it. They did the same thing in She-Hulk, so I have to go with that. I didn’t need Modok. Kang didn’t need Modok. His connection to Kang was Janet and that’s all he needed. He didn’t need the Darren connection, and knowing what we know about Kang, he already had the technology to create this empire. Again, Marvel, what was Modok there for?
Was it me or did anyone else catch Kang explaining his variants and their meddling with time and compare it to when The Collector explained the Infinity Stones? Do we think that it will be one of those scenes that they replay in movie breakdowns and theory videos? I think it will. The scene with He Who Remains in Loki as well.
Janet Van Dyne, the Marvel fan congregation would like to see you! If you had told your family about Kang, not even your time in the realm completely, no one this would have happened…. in this timeline. Probably would have been a hard headed Janet in some realm, but not in this one. You told the man that he would kill trillions of innocent people to get revenge on himself, basically, and he said to you, “I wish that mattered.” This was a family table discussion where the dinner get awkward, but everyone remembers what was said and doesn’t do anything stupid.
My three favorite people, besides Kang, were Quaz, Jentorra, and the blob man they drank to understand each other. Best additions to the movie! I want them to meet so many of the other characters from the other movies, but I also don’t need them down in the Quantum Realm. Get real complicated from there. Imagine Korg down there.
Post credits scene. Let’s skip to Loki. We know that He Who Remains and Kang are variants of Nathaniel Richards, who Reed Richards is a descendant of. Victor Timely is an interesting addition to the variant bunch. The real question is what role does he play in this entire mess? Loki seems like Timely is the key to the Kang issue, but I heard another theory that could make a lot more sense. What if, and yes I stole this from Erik Voss at New Rockstars, this is the beginning of the TVA and one of those ladies is the blueprint for Miss Minutes? Once I heard it, I couldn’t unthink it. It would make perfect sense as to why Loki and Morbius would be there. I have to watch the show again but maybe that machine is an older version of those pruning devices the TVA uses. I want to let that set that in more and I’ll report back.
Kevin Feige, did you lie to us? Is Kang not the real threat but that other Kangs? It seemed like we would always hear that Kang was the biggest threat. Even bigger than Thanos who wanted to snap half of the universe out of existence. Half the universe y’all. This man is worse and it seems that he is because his focus is on himself. He wants to destroy himself, so to speak, so he can be the only one. Kang is the runt of the group it seems and I don’t think he’s dead, but where is he? What realm is he in now? Is that Kang at the end of Loki or is that another Kang variant? I needs the answer Feige! Bring me Loki now!
If this is the end of the Ant-Man and the Wasp trilogy, then it leaves me wanting more. Doesn’t close anything but what could be good for the team. Since everyone is so scattered, the Pym and Lang family seem like the only team we have that would have a plan when we need it. Now there are two parties that are aware of Kang. Could have been more if Janet had told someone but I digress. I wonder how Loki and the Pym/Lang parties will collide because they have to, am I right?
For a two and a half hour movie, I did not feel like I was there that long. The action was packed. The laughs were there. Yes, sometimes it was misplaced and random but I enjoyed it. But tell me what y’all thought!
BLACK WATCH 