The First MCU Phase 5 Blockbuster: Will It Explode Again with Disney’s New Release Strategy?

Amidst rumors that Disney is not moving forward with several Marvel sequels, there is still one that they should make despite a recent failure.

Marvel has had a few recent box office disappointments, but the first bomb of the MCU’s Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, still deserves a sequel. Disney and Marvel have been analyzing and rethinking their strategy. Marvel is currently experiencing less success at the box office than normal, along with a lack of interest in its Disney+ shows. Disney wants the MCU to slow down, but the studio also needs to reconsider which projects to greenlight. This includes several sequels to franchises within the MCU, and rumors are sprouting about which heroes Disney is losing faith in.

Two of these heroes include Ant-Man and Captain Marvel. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania recently hit a low point for the Ant-Man franchise, and The Marvels is the biggest flop in the MCU’s history. While it’s understandable that Disney wants to focus on MCU heroes with guaranteed profitability like Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Ant-Man should be given another shot, despite its recent box office failure.

Ant-Man 4 Can Be Made On A Smaller Budget

This franchise can shrink the budget and grow profits

The joy of the Ant-Man films is that they are nice palate cleansers in the MCU. Both Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp came out after Avengers films and offered humorous action comedies that lightened the mood of the end-of-the-world stakes. They are smaller-scale films and have smaller budgets than other Marvel films. The first two films were made for around $130 million, and while they weren’t box office behemoths, they easily made back their budgets, with Ant-Man making $519.2 million worldwide and Ant-Man and the Wasp making $622.7 million.

Quantumania didn’t follow in the footsteps of its franchise, as Marvel increased the budget for this film to $275 million. Unfortunately, that gamble didn’t pay off, as the film made $476.1 million at the box office and is one of the few MCU films that likely didn’t break even given marketing costs. While this result was disappointing, the franchise was ascending before hitting this sudden dip. An Ant-Man 4 could still make money if Disney decides to make it on a smaller budget and returns to the franchise’s lighter and less epic tone.

Scott Has A Perfect Replacement Set Up

Paul Rudd has played Ant-Man/Scott Lang for almost a decade now. Rudd first played the character in 2015’s Ant-Man and has appeared in four other films, including Captain American: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. However, the actor is 54, meaning Scott Lang could be on his way out of the MCU. Fortunately, there are a few options Marvel has if it wants to move forward with other heroes.

Evangeline Lilly still has a prominent role in the MCU and could be someone who could have an even bigger spotlight if Lang hangs up the suit. She’s a competent hero who could also be a role model for another possible replacement, Cassie Lang. Kathryn Newton debuted as Cassie in Quantumania and was a fast learner, who’s also a brilliant scientist. In the comics, Cassie has a few superhero identities, including Stature, Stinger, and Ant-Girl, so Marvel has many routes of where it can take this character.

Several Ant-Man Side Characters Still Deserve Closure

One of the worst aspects of Quantumania is that it ditched several Ant-Man characters who made the franchise great. This included Michael Pena’s Luis and David Dastmalchian’s Kurt. Luis, especially, stole every film with his rapid dialogue and hilarious recounting of events where everyone adapted Luis’ speaking style. Both of these characters deserve closure for their stories, especially since they were crucial members of the Ant-Man team in the first two films.

Meanwhile, Ant-Man’s story is still not done, nor is Wasp’s or Cassie Lang’s. It would also be interesting to see how Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne’s relationship develops further now that they’re back from the Quantum Realm and all of their secrets are out. Another character who deserves closure is Ghost, but she will return in Marvel’s Thunderbolts. The Ant-Man franchise may not be the golden goose of the MCU, but the first two films offered pleasant, entertaining superhero adventures that the MCU should explore further.