Since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga in 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become quite divisive. What was once one of the most profitable and beloved franchises has become an underperforming and tonally inconsistent universe. Phase 4 was a rollercoaster ride of good, bad, and indefensible entries. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever concluded Phase 4 on a high note, fans, including myself, have longed for the overarching arc Marvel was known for masterfully executing.

As phase 5 commences, it’s hard to wonder if ideologies set up in phase 4 regarding the Multiverse saga would be examined from the start. That question is answered with this first entry: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a film that blasts into a galaxy far, far away. While there are plenty of bumps on the journey, it’s hard not to be fully invested in Jonathan Majors’ magnetic presence and Paul Rudd’s contagious charm.

Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania marks the third entry in the franchise, and this entry is its most somber. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Scott (Rudd) has become an author, Hope leads a successful career, and Hank and Janet are making up for lost time.

Scott’s teenage daughter, Cassie, has been quite busy studying the Quantum realm. Thanks to an invention gone wrong, Scott, Cassie, Hope, Hank, and Janet end up in the realm, where they encounter inhabitants, including a unique conqueror (Majors) longing to escape.

While Jeff Loveness’ screenplay evokes the tropes from his Rick and Morty days with the film’s introduction to all the inter-dimensional beings living in the realm, it doesn’t offer credence to Scott’s overlaying arc of time. While it’s mentioned in passing in his conversations with Kang, his desire to recoup lost time is only examined on a surface level, and often time doesn’t blend well with Scott’s comedic demeanor.

Loveness’ surface-level exploration also bears true to Kang the Conqueror. While Jonathan Majors is fear-inducing, Loveness’ script and Reed’s direction fail in setting up Kang as the next big bad something that was achieved with Thanos previously. Thanos’s presence was felt throughout the Infinity saga, whether in the film or not. The film’s narrative choices will leave cinephiles wondering how Kevin Feige and company plan to make Kang the ruler of a dynasty throughout phase 5.

For those that have been cracking jokes on the Marvel VFX, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may not be the film to fully rejuvenate faith in the MCU brass as the film leans heavily in visual effects as the film mostly takes place in the Quantum realm. While most of the effects worked for me, the presence of MODOK may disqualify those positive feelings. It’s hard to fathom that a multi-billion dollar company would green-light the final look of MODOK. It is reminiscent of George Lopez’s Mr. Electric from the Spy Kids franchise, only that franchise did not have a machine like Marvel behind it. MODOK aside, there are stunning visuals, including a multi-Ant-Man pyramid that will surely spellbind fans.

Where the film is elevated is in its performances. First, it’s always great to see Michelle Pfeiffer, and she’s pretty good in her most meaty role as Janet. It’s a confident performance that will make you wonder why DC Comics has not brought her back as Catwoman, seeing as Michael Keaton is returning as Batman.

Despite the change in actress, I found Katheryn Newton to be quite charming as Cassie, and she adds another layer of the possible Young Avengers setup in the future. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly continue to impress in their roles, while Bill Murray’s cameo was a riot.

Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors are the standouts. Rudd continues to charm audiences, and despite its weak screenplay, Rudd evokes a level of emotion unseen by the character thus far. Majors is ferocious and menacing as Kang. It’s the type of performance that gives hope to the future of the MCU despite its rocky phase 5 start. Majors continues to prove he’s one of the best working actors today.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it doesn’t fully take the MCU out of its most recent slump. But, on the other, the film sprinkles different narrative choices that will make phase 5, at the very least, intriguing.