Peyton Reed, the director of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, has put an end to fan speculation about a previous MCU villain.
On February 17, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will not only be the first film in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it will also feature the MCU’s next big bad, Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror.
However, while the Ant-Man trilogy is laying the groundwork for the MCU’s future trajectory, time works differently in the Quantum Realm, and the past will play a role in this film as well.
In addition to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne revisiting her Quantum Realm past, original Ant-Man villain Corey Stoll is rumored to return as the voice MODOK.
However, Stoll isn’t the only villain from previous Ant-Man films that fans are excited to see.
Ant-Man Director Denies Villain’s Rumored Return
Walton Goggins portrayed the nefarious Sonny Burch in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, a black-market technology dealer who double-crossed Hank and Hope in their pursuit of materials for the Quantum Tunnel.
When asked about the “identity of the mysterious benefactor” who hired Sonny Burch and whether answers will be provided in Quantumania, Ant-Man 3 director Peyton Reed told Legado da Marvel Though “I don’t know that we’ll answer that in this movie,” Burch was “definitely sort of working in service of someone.”
“Well, for that specific question, you might have to wait a little longer.” I adore Sonny Burch and Walton Goggins, both of whom I cast in the film. But, yes, he was definitely doing something for someone. I’m not sure we’ll answer that in this film because we have a lot of stories to tell in the Quantum Realm. But I appreciate that fans have theories about it.”
Reed went on to say, “We have our own ideas,” but this threequel is about finally being able to “go deep into the Quantum Realm:”
“We have our own ideas about what that could be, and that’s part of the fun of not knowing if we’ll get to make another film. But, you know, we didn’t know with the first one. And we most definitely were unaware of this one. But for this one, my main objective was to descend, investigate it, and travel far into the Quantum Realm in order to discover that it is this vast subatomic universe and that Janet spent 30 years there.
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While much of the marketing for Ant-Man 3 has focused on Scott and Cassie’s relationship, as well as Kang’s presence, trailers have also featured Janet Van Dyne’s too little, too late warning about the Quantum Realm.
Janet, Hank, and Hope appear to be separated from Scott and Cassie, implying that the original family unit will face the Quantum Ream’s dangers – and secrets – together.
Evangeline Lilly, who plays Hope, previously stated that there is a lot her character doesn’t know about her mother and that it’s a “dark and difficult thing to deal with.”
Reed’s additional comments backed up those claims, saying Janet “had a past down there” and wondering what “she hasn’t told her family about it?”
What was her background down there, what has she disclosed to her family about it, and what has she kept from them? That seemed to bring in family drama and things that parents and children might not tell each other, but doing it in a superhero film seemed exciting.”
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Will Thunderbolts reveal the identity of Ant-Man’s buyer?
Although it doesn’t seem like the Sonny Burch plotline will be resolved in Quantumania, it’s important to note that the director has already answered this specific question.
When asked about Burch’s buyer and whether that enigma will be revealed in the threequel back in 2020, Peyton Reed replied, “There’s always a chance.”
As a result, the director has acknowledged that this question has not been addressed for four years rather than just thinking about it.
Even so, it doesn’t necessarily follow that Marvel Studios won’t do so in the future if Reed is telling the truth and Ant-Man 3 doesn’t reveal the buyer’s identity.
The MCU appears to be at odds with the American government as a result of the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the studio’s Phase 5 slate.
Despite being a criminal and a black market trader, Sonny Burch had ties to the FBI and was captured by the end of the sequel. Maybe he and his buyer’s identity will show up in Thunderbolts or Captain America: New World Order.
The latter movie would be the most appropriate given that Hannah John-Ghost Kamen from Ant-Man 2 has already announced her return. Therefore, it wouldn’t be too difficult for Marvel Studios to include this enigmatic character in its Phase 5 story.
We will have to wait and see if that is the plan. However, the fact that Peyton Reed is aware that this Ant-Man thread is still open suggests that Marvel Studios is aware of it as well. While it might take some time, the MCU is known for tying plotlines together in unexpected ways.
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