Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania first reactions ‘Big Star Wars vibes’

The first of three Marvel movies to release in 2023 hits cinemas next week, in a blockbuster kicking off the MCU’s Phase 5. The Multiverse Saga’s Thanos-level villain Kang the Conqueror debuts in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and critics can’t get enough of his performance. Check out the first reactions for Paul Rudd’s new movie from the world premiere last night.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is really weird, but apparently that’s a good thing

The Hollywood Reporter
There comes a point where every franchise has to get weird, and the MCU has done just that with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Like all his other roles, Jonathan Majors remains endlessly compelling. M.O.D.O.K., David Dastmalchian’s new character and composer Christophe Beck are standouts as well. 

Collider
Quantumania tells a tight story that balances humour with heart and manages to be one of the weirdest MCU movies to date. I like weird and I was surprised by how much I liked what M.O.D.O.K. brought to the table. Bring on the weird! While I wish we had a chance to reunite with other Ant-Man favs, Jonathan Majors has made his stamp on the MCU as a force to be reckoned with. Thanos is tame compared to what lies ahead. The Kang Dynasty has begun! I’ll say one more thing before I wrap for the night, thematically Quantumania definitely ties back into the first Ant-Man movie in a meaningful way. At the end of the day, there’s nothing Scott Lang wouldn’t do for Cassie.”

Next Best Picture
Quantumania is definitely Marvel’s weirdest movie yet…but that’s a good thing! It leans hard into the sci-fi side of the MCU, taking lots of wild swings. Not everything lands, but it’s funny, inventive, and a good time. An enjoyable, bizarro ride into the quantum realm.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may be too convoluted for the casual Marvel fan

CNET
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has way too much going on — it’s tough to connect emotionally to any of it. Jonathan Majors’ Kang is a charismatic, intense baddy and visually awesome, but the threat he represents is too abstract.

Uproxx
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania… trying to imagine a Marvel novice, “one ticket please,” then getting two hours of variant and multiverse talk. Jonathan Majors is great as Kang and for a good portion of the movie Michelle Pfeiffer is the main character, which is awesome. They found the perfect actor in Majors for Kang — and we are going to get A LOT of Kang coming up — but I’m not sure about the whole, “you think Thanos was bad? Meet Kang!,” strategy. He’s fun here, but to be the big bad over multiple projects?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits cinemas on February 14, 2023.