The first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp is now out, and like so many first Marvel Cinematic Universe teasers, this trailer raises as many questions as it provides answers.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a pivotal film for the MCU, arriving in the space between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. With that timeline in mind, Marvel fans are curious for any clues as to how this storyline for Ant-Man and the Wasp will impact the events of Avengers 4, in particular.
When Does the Film Take Place?
Ant-Man and the Waspย may be coming out a few months afterย Avengers: Infinity War, but it actually takes placeย before the events ofย that film.
Ant-Man and the Waspย takes place in the period afterย Captain America: Civil Warย and beforeย Avengers: Infinity Warย — the sameย period in which the events ofย Spider-Man: Homecomingย andย Black Panther also take place. While Evangeline Lily’s Wasp won’t appear inย Infinity War, she will be inย Avengers 4.ย
Where Have Hope and Hank Been?
This trailer makes it clear that Scott Lang’s decision to fight in the MCUย Civil War had major fallout consequences for Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hopeย van Dyne (Evangeline Lily).ย
So where have Hope and Hank been since Scott was arrested for aiding Captain America? On the run, while trying to complete some crucial research. As we heard months ago, Hank and Hope are working out of a mobile research facility (that shrinking building in the trailer), trying to find a way to possibly save Janetย van Dyne from The Quantum Realm. While they wanted Scott’s help with that goal, the events ofย Civil Warย disrupted those plans…
Who Is Laurence Fishburne Playing?
The trailer gives us a fleeting glimpse at Laurence Fishburne in the film, which may have surprised a lot of casual viewers. So who is Fishburneย playing in the MCU? None other than Dr. Bill Foster!ย
Marvel fans recognize the name: Foster wasย a biochemist who became theย second Giant-Man and fourth Goliath after ingesting a formula of Pym Particles. In the MCU, he’s an old friend / research assistant of Hank Pym; his connection to Pym’s superhero past, and own superhero status, have yet to be revealed.ย
Who Is the Villain?
There’s only one brief shot of an ominous-looking villain in the trailerย — but who is it? Marvel Comics fans quickly recognizedย this latest MCU adaptation: Ghost, the villain who first appeared as an ’80s Iron Man villain, but got something of a resurgence in the ’00s, as a part of the “Dark Reign” era of the Thunderbolts.ย
Ghost has a mysterious identity and origin, hinted to be a former IT worker who was somehow screwed over by corporate greed and instead became an anti-corporate saboteur and hacker, with a suit that grants the abilities of invisibility, intangibility, and other advanced stealth tech. In the comics, Ghost is a guy, but the MCUย version is a girl, played byย Game of Thronesย actress Hannah John-Kamen.
How Does Janet van Dyne Fit Into the Story?
This first trailer doesn’t provide a look at Michelle Pfeifferย as Janet van Dyne, but she certainly factors into the story in major way.ย
Ant-Man and the Waspย will delve more into Hank Pym’s career as Ant-Man in the 1980s, and how he lost Janet (the original Wasp) to the Quantum Realm. In the present, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne are trying to search for Janet, having beenย given hope (no pun intended) by Scott’s return from the Quantum Realm in the first film. The question that could have major impact onย Avengers 4ย is: what will Janet’s return reveal about the Quantum Realm?ย
What is that Cellular World?
A big action sequence that’s teased during the trailer (in broken-up segments) is “Team Ant-Man” boarding some kind of ship or vessel that is miniaturized to cellular sizeย and launched some kind of cellular terrain.ย
The question at hand is: where is this cellular space, and what is Team Ant-Man trying to accomplish? This seems to be a major set piece of the film, so the mission must be a crucial one.ย
Are There Any Infinity War Connections?
Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are always looking for connections and teasers that one film may have for upcoming movies and storylines in the shared universe – so are there any to spot, here?ย
Sinceย Ant-Man and the Waspย takes placeย before the events ofย Avengers: Infinity War, there are not really any connections to be made – at least not from this first teaser. As previously stated, the real connection will beย what Ant-Man and Wasp’s exploration of the Quantum Realm reveals about the sub-atomic universe – and its potential to defeat Thanosย inย Avengers 4.ย
****
Were there any MCUย secrets or Easter eggs that you spotted in theย Ant-Man and the Waspย trailer? Let us know @ComicBookNOW!
Black Pantherย opens in theaters on February 16th. Other upcomingย Marvel Cinematic Universeย movies includeย Avengers: Infinity Warย on May 4th,ย Ant-Man and the Waspย on July 6th,ย Captain Marvelย on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel toย Spider-Man: Homecomingย on July 5, 2019, andย Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3ย in 2020.
[Embed id=53249]Ant-Man and the Wasp (ComicMovie: ant-man-and-the-wasp)[/Embed]
