5 movies and TV shows to watch before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

To paraphrase the immortal words of Nick Fury – Boot, Ant.

Kicking off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is putting things in high gear, by pitting the smallest Avenger against one of Marvel Comics’ biggest villains! The new movie, and the third Ant-Man film, will see the debut of the franchise’s next big bad, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), and will have high stakes and consequences for the multiverse. 

Yes, the multiverse! As seen earlier in the first season of Loki on Disney+ and last year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Quantumania dives deep into the alternate universes and realities that exist in the Quantum Realm. Yes, the realm that Ant-Man suggested delving into, which ultimately led to Thanos’ defeat and saving the universe just might be Scott Lang’s undoing. 

Wait, Quantum Realm? Alternate reality? You didn’t know, or maybe you don’t remember? That’s okay! Whether you’re in need of a refresher or a quick crash course to catch you up to speed before the highly anticipated movie opens on 16 February, here are 5 movies and TV shows you have to watch before catching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

P.S. All these shows are available on Disney+ and they have to be watched in this exact order. 

1. Ant-Man (2015)

Back to humble beginnings! Before saving the world and being confused as Spider-Man by coffee shop owner Rueben, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) was actually a convict. Oh, and divorced. Basically, his whole life wasn’t going the way he planned but it’s all okay because he’s out, can be a good dad to his beloved daughter Cassie… and then steal something for original Ant-Man Hank Pym (Michael Douglas).

Being a thief after just being released from prison isn’t something we personally would do, but it is this movie that started it all for Lang! Ant-Man debuts the hero to viewers and gives us a first glimpse of his powers. It’s also full of humour and introduces viewers to Pym Particles, an important element that gets brought up a lot in the Marvel films that come after it. 

2. Captain America: Civil War (2016) 

Remember when Captain America and Iron Man began fighting, and divided the Avengers?

In Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man un-officially joins the Avengers and fights alongside Captain America against Iron Man and his posse. It’s in this movie that we get to see Ant-Man in action against more capable opponents (sorry Darren Cross, but you’re no Iron Man) and the might of his strength and size. Quite literally for the size part because the iconic airport battle scene is where Giant-Man made his first appearance too! 

3. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Speaking of first appearances, Ant-Man and the Wasp is where Hope (Evangeline Lilly) makes her debut as the Wasp. The movie starts off with Lang under house arrest due to the breaching of the Sokovia Accords and sees Lang, Hope and Hank reunite as a team to save Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm. This movie gives viewers an idea of what the Quantum Realm is like and just how difficult and dangerous it is to access it. Let alone find someone who you think has been dead for almost 30 years.

More importantly, the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp shows Lang stuck in the Quantum Realm after Hank, Janet and Hope blipped… which leads us to…

ALSO READ: All you need to know about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

4. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

This is where we learn that the Quantum Realm plays a significant part in the multiverse, and in defeating Thanos. Lang makes his exit from the Quantum Realm to realise the five hours he spent inside the realm were equivalent to five years on the outside world.

Thus began his brilliant plan to travel through time within the Quantum Realm to retrieve the Infinity Stones and undo Thanos’ Blip. The Avengers were successful in getting back everyone who was blipped away, but created a new reality and timeline. Though, we don’t get more answers about these alternate timelines until Loki. 

5. Loki (2021)

Ant-Man doesn’t make an appearance here. As the title suggests, this is Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) time to shine but the series sheds light and gives an explanation as to how the multiverse works. This is the first time the sacred timeline and travelling across the multiverse is explored in the MCU so it’s an essential lesson to undertake if you’re going to enjoy Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and other movies and tv shows within Phase 5. 

Loki also introduces the idea of variants and most importantly, He Who Remains – a variant of Kang the Conqueror. In Loki, He Who Remains does hint at Kang and his plans, and the finale revealed a huge statue of the conqueror himself. Now, we already know that Kang is in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania but Loki will have you extra pumped and excited to meet the villain up close.

And there you have it! 5 movies and tv shows to catch before watching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania when it releases on Feb 16! You can watch all these movies and tv shows on Disney+.

This article was first published in Geek Culture.