‘Ant-Man,’ which opened in theaters on July 17, is Marvel’s 12th addition to its cinematic universe. The film introduces a new hero to the MCU, and plants seeds for things to come in next year’s ‘Captain America: Civil War.’
We’ve seen the new film starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, and are counting down our 10 favorite moments from ‘Ant-Man.’
BEWARE: MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!
S.H.I.E.L.D. Circa the 1980s
In the opening scene of the film, we see a 1980s-era Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) entering the under-construction S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to meet with sixtysomething-year-old versions of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Howard Stark (John Slattery). The CGI used in order for Douglas to look 30 years younger is excellent and makes him appear to be as young as he was in ‘Wall Street.’
Cross Disposes His Waste
Businessman Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) is desperate to get his Yellowjacket suit to work, and tests it on an unsuspecting employee. When the experiment to shrink the human results in a miniature mess, Cross flushes the unwanted goo down the toilet.
Scott Lang’s First Shrink
Cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) thinks he’s pulling off a big heist when he breaks into Hank Pym’s house. However, all he finds is the Ant-Man suit, which he mistakes for a motorcycle outfit. Later, in a bathroom, Scott puts on the suit and to his surprise, shrinks for the first time inside the bathtub. Eventually, Lang experiences some pretty big trouble in his new tiny size when his friend turns on the water faucet.
Training Montage: Becoming Ant-Man
Every good origin film needs a montage training sequence and ‘Ant-Man’ is no exception. After Scott Lang agrees to help Pym and his daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), take down Darren Cross, he needs to learn how to control the power of the suit. The father-and-daughter team tries to teach Scott how to jump through a keyhole. It’s in these scenes where the audience learns just how cool Ant-Man’s powers really are, despite popular opinion that shrinking and controlling ants is lame. It’s really not!
Meet Ant-ony
One of the powers that Lang learns to control is his ability to command insects such as fire and carpenter ants. The insect that he chooses as his main mode of transportation, Scott quickly and affectionately names Ant-ony. Not only is it a funny moment in the film, but Ant-ony also goes on to be one of the most beloved characters in the movie.
Ant-Man vs. an Avenger
This is definitely the biggest surprise of the movie and we don’t want to give too much away. While on a mission for Pym, Lang mixes it up with one of the newest members of the Avengers. Rudd recently talked about how this scene made it into the movie. “We were just playing around and thought, What if he actually fought an Avenger? It seemed like that would be a fun way to incorporate the (Marvel) universe into this film.”
The Wasp in Action
Comic book fans know that Hank Pym’s one true love was Janet van Dyne, aka the Wasp. In the film, Janet is Hank’s deceased wife and the mother of Hope. Janet was the Wasp and fought covertly in the Cold War of the ‘80s alongside her husband, until she was lost forever in the Quantum Realm. That scene is actually depicted in a flashback in the film, with full shots of Janet in action as the Wasp. However, we never see her without her mask on, leaving room for the character to return in future films played by a well-known actress.
Thomas the Train Fight
This is the climatic fight scene of the movie, which was also the centerpiece of the film’s trailers. Ant-Man and Yellowjacket fight on top of a moving train, however, they have shrunk down in size and are fighting atop of Scott’s daughter’s Thomas the Tank Engine toy set. This scene is pretty awesome and cuts between perspectives, so we feel the danger on the miniature train and then realize that it is just a toy.
Scott Travels Through the Quantum Realm
Janet was lost forever in the Quantum Realm when she shrunk too small, and Pym worries that Scott will be lost as well when he shrinks to microscopic size in order stop Cross’ nefarious plan. The way the filmmakers depicted the Quantum Realm in the movie is incredibly innovative, and we look forward to seeing it explored more in future MCU films.
Marvel’s End-Credits Scenes
Marvel is famous for its end-credits scenes, and unlike ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ ‘Ant-Man’ really delivers in that department. Again, we don’t want to give too much away, but the first of the two scenes features Douglas and Lilly, and sets up the future of the Wasp. The second scene includes the aforementioned member of the Avengers, along with two of his MCU costars. The scene sets up events for ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ and Ant-Man’s future role in the MCU.
