Ant-Man 3's ‘Darker’ Plot Teased By Michelle Pfeiffer

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Ant-Man 3 logo, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to push the Quantum Realm into the forefront of the MCU while also being poised to forever change the story due to the arrival of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.

Ant-Man 3 director Peyton Reed offered high praise for Majors' performance, comparing Majors to "a young Marlon Brando" that brings an "energy and...presence" that raises the movie to new levels of excellence.

The exact plot details of Ant-Man 3 are still shrouded in secrecy, but footage from San Diego Comic-Con revealed how dangerous Kang is as a villain, even hinting that he murdered some members of the Avengers before. This will pit the movie's leading heroes into a difficult battle as Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Evangeline Lilly return as the Pym/Van Dyne family alongside Paul Rudd's Scott Lang.

Now, this dark hint has been supported by the latest quote from one of the movie's lead stars. 

Ant-Man 3 is 'Darker,' Says Marvel Star 

Ant-Man 3, Michelle Pfeiffer
Marvel

In the official Multiverse Saga sizzle reel from D23 Expo, via @MarvelFlix, Janet Van Dyne actress Michelle Pfeiffer teased that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania gets "a little darker" while also describing it as "epic:"  

“It gets, at times, a little darker than we have gone. And it is epic.”

Pfeiffer's Ant-Man 3 tease is in line with previous comments of director Peyton Reed when he shared that the threequel will take “a hard left turn” in comparison to previous films in the Ant-Man franchise:

“Well, I think we were thrilled to get to do a third Ant-Man movie and do a trilogy. And we knew if we were gonna do that we wanted to do some things differently. We really wanted to take a hard left turn and make a movie that was even more epic, but still progress the story of these family dynamics.”

Moreover, after Marvel Studios' massive panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Reed also teased that there are things that will happen in the movie that is "going to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe permanently," admitting that it's fun that "Scott Lang is at the center of that change:"

“No, it was… the energy was great. And yeah, kicking off Phase 5 is really exciting for us, because, we’re the Ant-Man movies. It’s our third movie. It’s this trilogy now. But things happen in this movie that are going to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe permanently. And it’s fun for us that Scott Lang is at the center of that change.”

Will Ant-Man 3 Kill off Janet & Hank?

The "darker" aspect of Quantumania has been a consistent part of teases for the threequel, leaving many to believe that the movie will kill off important members of team Ant-Man. 

Given that this is the third movie of the Ant-Man franchise, it's possible that this could serve as the final bow for characters, such as Michael Douglas' Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne. 

Killing off two important allies of Scott Lang further cements the idea that the threequel is on the darker spectrum while also establishing Kang the Conqueror as a villain who doesn't mess around. 

Another way for Ant-Man 3 to reveal its darker side is to uncover Kang's past victories in other timelines, showcasing how he killed Earth's Mightiest Heroes in order to establish his might. This could serve as a preview of how dangerous Kang is, and could tease what might happen in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

All in all, Ant-Man 3 is set to change the MCU in a big way and it starts with Kang's imminent debut.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to premiere in theaters on February 17, 2023.

Release Date
February 17, 2023
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.