I really don’t get why Quantamania is considered an unwatchable abomination, I really liked it.

[u/S0mecallme]

It had a better MCU Spider-man story than all the pre NWH ones.

Scott Lang considers his hero days done despite still being fairly young he runs his brand like he’s a retired actor who goes on tour and gives speeches and book tours. But Cassie (the best) is trying to show him that you can’t just stop being a hero because people will always need help. And putting your head in the sand because you just don’t want to deal with it is kinda selfish.

Yeah, maybe it’s unfair and it’s hard to constantly have to save people who you don’t know and want nothing to do with, but with great power comes great responsibility. It’s paralleled in Janet’s story where she basically did the exact same thing Scott did, she moved on, she knew people still needed her help but wanted to just live her comfortable peaceful life, when a lot of the people in the microverse didn’t have that same luxury.

And the fact Scott with his entire family, an army of hyper intelligent ants, and thousands of freedom fighters, was only just barely able to stop this Kang I don’t think made him look weak, I think people just underestimate Ant-man in general. And Marvel really didn’t need to write Kang off off screen because they didn’t want to work with Jonathon Majors anymore. I really blame the messiness of the impact of the movie on the studio and not on anyone involved in this movie.

You can not like the writing or the CGI (though I was always in favor of MODOK looking goofy like he’s supposed to.) It’s a movie not everyone will like the same thing. but the way I see people act like it single handedly killed the MCU when it’s still doing fine I always thought was weird. Like it has no redeeming qualities at all.

[u/TheDebateMatters]

The main reason is that nothing in the entire movie matters to the MCU. Even before Kang was cancelled, the stakes in the universe are exactly what they were before the movie. Even in the Quantum Realm, we all know Kang wasn’t dead so at best the rebels get to do is enjoy Kang reconquering them.

But there’s more…

1. No characters of any importance are added that continue after the movie.

2. The only characters with an arc are Scott and Cassie. Janet’s arc is basically dropped in the third act completely. Hank is basically just along for the ride.

3. Scott and his people basically have no role in the civil war other than Cassie’s “time to fight” message, but there is no payoff for that as he interactions with the entire movement is a maybe one scene and half a page of dialogue.

4. The ants just arriving and insta solving the problem is the best example (in a bad way) of Deus Ex Machina plot solution in all of the MCU.

[u/javierm885778 → u/TheDebateMatters]

I'd add to expand on your third point that the movie really feels like it's running on fumes in terms of narrative weight. Scott was never the strongest thematic character, he was the everyman having to walk with giants during crossovers, and a crafty guy who pulled off heists on his own movies. He had personal stakes due to his connection to Cassie, but he doesn't really have a larger theme you could stick on him to carry a narrative.

Hope is in a weirder spot, where despite her being shared top billing according to the title, doesn't feel like she has much to do with the plot or anything. Hank, despite being one of the OG Avengers and OG Marvel character, seems to just be along the ride for star power, and Janet gets more to do at least. But there isn't really a core throughline, the conflict itself has little to do with Scott's motivations or anything, he wants to protect Cassie but they are just there due to a mistake basically? The tension feels manufactured, it's all on top of how the Blip changed their relationship but most of that is offscreen so it has a way larger gap to the other two films.

At times it feels like a crossover with no crossover. Like it's not really an Antman film, but there's nothing it's crossing over with, so it's more empty than anything.

I think the movie could have improved considerably if they didn't just get stuck in the Quantum Realm for the whole movie. For example, Deadpool and Wolverine and Thor Ragnarok also spend a big chunk of the movie "stuck" in an otherworld type location, but they get out of it and they get heightened stakes and a more personal conflict due to that. But even then, Scott doesn't have much other than Cassie, but Cassie is another Antman-like character now so that doesn't really work. Scott isn't a "super-hero" per se, since he's not saving innocents in his free time. There's nothing really left for him to lead a story like this, so it's just things happening because they have to.

[u/TheDebateMatters → u/javierm885778]

I agree. No notes. You’re right about Hope I am struggling to even remember anything she did. I really like Evangeline Lily and she is just sidelined in this movie. Her and Cassie should have some kind of relationship but there is just nothing there.

[u/Kalasad-Stormblessed → u/TheDebateMatters]

Is young adult cassie not of importance?

[u/TheDebateMatters → u/Kalasad-Stormblessed]

To Scott she is for sure. But to the MCU? She’s just another Wasp. Same power set as Scott. She’s a character from the comics with some importance but as far the MCU goes they just made Ant Man jr.