'Ant-Man and The Wasp' Tracking to Top Original Film

Ant-Man and The Wasp is tracking to top Ant-Man's opening weekend at the box office with a $75 million debut.

In 2015, Ant-Man followed Avengers: Age of Ultron on Marvel Studios' release schedule, standing alone and earning $57 million in its first three days of release. The sequel, which follows Marvel Studios' biggest opening ever in Avengers: Infinity War, is expected to easily top the original film's opening weekend numbers. Ant-Man went on to garner a worldwide total of $519.3 million.

The film returns its original cast of Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, David Dastmalchian, Judy Greer, T.I., and Michael Pena. Added to the cast are Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Hannah John-Kamen. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed returns for Ant-Man and The Wasp.

"Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father," Ant-Man and The Wasp's official synopsis reads. "Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy."

For the rest of the world, Ant-Man and The Wasp will open a month after the United States release in an effort to dodge the World Cup's worldwide attraction. "They always do that," Wasp actress Lilly said. "Then what happens is people just pirate the movie and they see it in the worst way possible, like some shitty version online, instead of going to a theater. They go in the end, but I don't like that staggering. I'm really going to get to the bottom of this for you. I'm as pissed off about it as you are."

Ant-Man and the Wasp is hitting theaters between the releases of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, giving it a special place in Marvel's release schedule. It has a unique opportunity to connect Avengers: Infinity War, itself, Captain Marvel, and Avengers 4 together.

Avengers: Infinity War is now playing in theaters. Ant-Man and The Wasp hits theaters on July 6. 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.

[H/T THR]