Ant-Man 3 will be more connected to the MCU, teases star Evangeline Lilly. The threequel, officially titled Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, is now the last film on Marvel's current Phase 4 slate since it was just pushed back from February 2023 to July 2023. Rather than box office returns, Disney cited issues involving production as the reason for the recent pushbacks. Nevertheless, Ant-Man 3 began filming this past summer and appears to be humming along smoothly without any major concerns.

Lilly will be reprising her role as Hope Van Dyne alongside Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, the duo who now carries the titular mantle of Ant-Man and Wasp. Their predecessors, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), will also be returning. Scott's daughter Cassie has been recast with actor Kathryn Newton and she is expected to suit up as the superhero known as Stature. Perhaps the most anticipated part of Ant-Man 3 is the appearance of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who was first introduced as He Who Remains during the season 1 finale of Loki.

Related: Why Marvel Just Delayed 5 Phase 4 Movies (Again)

During a recent appearance on the Lights, Camera, Barstool podcast, one of Ant-Man 3's leading stars, Evangeline Lilly, offered some insight on what to expect from the MCU film. While the two previous Ant-Man movies have been more "stand alone... sweet family pieces" that have "existed outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe mythology machine," says Lilly, Quantumania is going to be "grander," perhaps suggesting more interconnectivity within the MCU. Read Lilly's full quote below:

So, Ant-Man, the brand, has always existed outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe mythology machine. So, we’ve had a lot of freedom to kind of come and go as we please, and like, make stories that are stand alone little pieces, sweet family pieces. And definitely the breadth of this one is... grander.

Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas in Ant-Man and the Wasp

While the Ant-Man movies have been more standalone stories focused on the Pym and Lang family dynamics, they have still contributed significantly to the overarching MCU storyline in phase three by introducing the Quantum Realm, which was crucial to the plot of Avengers: Endgame. One doesn't have to look far to know that Quantumania will continue to explore this enigmatic dimension of the multiverse.

Since Majors was cast as Ant-Man 3's primary antagonist over a year ago, it was clear that the appearance of Kang would elevate the film's scope from the previous two. After his surprise appearance in Loki, Quantumania is the next confirmed outing for Majors' multiversal villain, though some have theorized he might be appearing in Doctor Strange 2 before then. Regardless, Ant-Man 3 will likely end up doing much of the legwork in setting up Kang as the franchise's next big bad. Unfortunately, audiences will have to wait a little longer for the MCU film as its release was delayed to July 28, 2023.

Next: Ant-Man 3 Still Has To Solve A Major Scott Lang Issue After Endgame

Source: Lights, Camera, Barstool

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