2023 will bring the start of Phase 5 of the MCU with director Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, one of the franchise's most pivotal movies since the Infinity Saga ended.
Quantumania takes Paul Rudd's Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne deep into the Quantum Realm, allowing them to learn more about it after Scott used the realm to save half of humanity in Avengers: Endgame. Although there are exciting new developments such as Scott Lang's upgraded Ant-Man suit and the introduction of Cassie Lang as a hero, the team will be up against its toughest foe yet in Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.
As is the case with every MCU movie in the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga, there are still plenty of surprises that remain hidden before Ant-Man 3 debuts early next year. Whether it be a shocking story detail or an exciting cameo for someone from another part of the Marvel narrative, fans have only scratched the surface of what this massive outing will deliver.
Now, after Marvel's major presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, the film's leading actor and director have teased part of what to expect from the surprise front.
Ant-Man 3 Hiding Shocking Cameos?
Speaking with Access, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd provided some insight into what to expect from the movie's plot.
Rudd discussed what he loves most about playing Ant-Man, noting how much fun it is playing "kind of a regular guy" who struggles with his status as a superhero:
“Well, it’s fun to play a kind of a regular guy, who’s thrown into these extraordinary circumstances. And you know, a guy who seems to be somewhat conflicted about being a superhero. And so to try and play against that, and be somewhat relatable, and still do crazy things, it’s a really fun challenge and it’s fun to do every single time.”
Reed took the excitement even further by mentioning "some surprising faces" that fans may see in the Quantum Realm with plenty of fun ahead:
“Oh yes, there’s great fun in store for everyone and some surprising faces that may show up in the Quantum Realm. So yes, we’re very excited.”
In a separate interview with Stage Right Secrets, Rudd explained how fun it is for him to keep playing Scott Lang within the MCU, saying that he never gets "used to it" even having done it for so long. He also shared his excitement about meeting "new people" in this movie along with "(seeing) some old friends" as he takes in the entire experience:
“It’s always a fun thing to be able to come back and play Scott Lang again and work with within Marvel, which is such an incredible thing… I never get used to it. And meet some new people this time around, see some old friends and you know, just every time, it’s like… I never really get used to it. I just still kind of sit back and ‘marvel…’ [at] how fun these films are, how exciting it is to shoot them, and what an honor it is to be a part of it.”
Who Will Cameo in Ant-Man 3?
Ant-Man 3 will unquestionably be the biggest movie of the trilogy thanks to the introduction of Kang the Conqueror after his Variant, He Who Remains, first debuted in 2021's Loki. But that's far from the only big name set and/or rumored for inclusion in this Quantum-centric sequel.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that MODOK will play a major role in the proceedings, although his specific storyline still remains a mystery. That surprising cameo that Reed and Rudd spoke about could in fact be Corey Stoll, who is rumored to be playing MODOK in this movie after starring in the first Ant-Man as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.
Cross was last seen being sucked into the Quantum Realm at the end of the first Ant-Man movie, and he hasn't been seen or heard from since that time. Should he return as MODOK, that would certainly count for a surprising MCU cameo, especially with the way Rudd described seeing "some old friends" in his third solo movie.
Whether these comments mean more than just Corey Stoll is still a mystery, but considering Marvel's penchant for bringing surprises, there is likely plenty more to be revealed in the coming months.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will debut in theaters on February 17, 2023.
