When Will ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Land on Disney+; Which Movies, Shows Should You Stream to Prepare?
Marvel’s Phase 5 begins on Friday, Feb. 17 when “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” hits theaters across the globe. The highly anticipated film will serve as the introduction of Kang the Conqueror, who will be the next major villain that pulls the disparate heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe together.
In the film, superhero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and The Wasp. With Hope’s parents — Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) — and Lang’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), the family finds itself exploring the mysterious Quantum Realm. Jonathan Majors returns to the MCU in his second stint as a version of Kang, after introducing the character in the variant form of “He Who Remains” in the first season of “Loki.”
Confused yet? So are reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. The new “Ant-Man” film has only garnered a 50% approval rating from critics so far, although Majors’ performance as Kang has been singled out for praise almost universally.
Watch the Trailer for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’:
If you’re not ready to risk a night out at the movies on such an unevenly rated film, you’re probably wondering when “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” will be available to stream on Disney+. There’s been no official announcement from Disney, but we can use past Marvel releases to point us in the right direction.
Many MCU movies have come to streaming around 70 days after their theatrical debut. “The Eternals,” released in Nov. 2021, got a 68-day stint in theaters, and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” got 70 days exactly. “Thor: Love and Thunder” got a 62-day theatrical stay before coming to streaming about a week earlier than expected thanks to Disney+ Day in September 2022.
The biggest exceptions have been “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which arrived on streaming 47 days after its initial release, and the studio’s most recent release “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which saw a theatrical window of 82 days by the time it went to streaming on Feb. 1. Like the newest “Thor” entry arriving early, there were extenuating circumstances for both.
“Multiverse of Madness” likely arrived on Disney+ early as to avoid competing directly with “Love and Thunder” which arrived in cinemas just two months after the “Doctor Strange” sequel. As for the “Black Panther” follow-up, it arrived on the streaming service on the first day of Black History Month, a move that was obviously certainly intentional on Disney’s part.
Given all this info, our best guess for “Ant-Man” to be sent to streaming is between 70 and 80 days from its release. That would send it to streaming in the last week of April or first week of May, just in case you’re driven inside because your outdoor picnic was ruined by real ants. So look for the Rudd-led superhero flick to arrive on Disney+ on or around May 1.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
If you’re a little behind in your MCU lore and need to catch up before seeing the new film, we’ve got you covered. Check below for a list of movies and shows you’ll need to see before “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” so you’re not walking into Marvel’s Phase 5 blind.
‘Ant-Man’
If you want to know what’s going on in the third “Ant-Man” movie, you’ll need to start at the beginning. “Ant-Man” (2015) introduces Scott Lang as a down-on-his-luck genius, recently released from prison after attempting to use his intellect to steal from the rich and give to the poor. When he meets eccentric inventor Hank Pym, his life begins to change in ways he never imagined.
Ant-Man
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
‘Captain America: Civil War’
Also dubbed “Avengers 2.5” by some MCU fans, this movie shows how Ant-Man is introduced to the rest of Marvel’s most famous heroes. Lang is recruited by Captain America to help him stop the enforcement of the Sokovia Accords, which would introduce governmental restrictions on the Avengers. This is a lynchpin movie for the MCU, explaining why its hero team becomes separated and is less prepared to face new threats.
Captain America: Civil War
Following the events of “Age of Ultron,” the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.
This movie is notable for the MCU introductions of T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
Related: How to Stream the MCU Online
‘Avengers: Infinity War’
The greatest threat to the known universe enters the picture in this film when Thanos begins his search for the Infinity Stones. Despite the best efforts of the reunited Avengers, he succeeds in uniting all of the stones and is able to wipe out half of all life in the universe as a result. Ant-Man does not actually appear in this film, but it is crucial watching to understand the ending of the Infinity Gauntlet saga, in which Scott Lang does play a major part.
Avengers: Infinity War
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’
Thanks to Lang’s involvement with Captain America and the Sokovia Accord dispute, he is placed under house arrest. Meanwhile, Hank Pym and his daughter Hope believe they’ve found a way to open a portal to the Quantum Realm, where Hank’s wife Janet has been trapped for decades. The gang is able to rescue Janet, but when Scott returns to the Quantum Realm to harvest energy, the other three are snapped out of existence by the Infinity Gauntlet-wielding Thanos.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
‘Avengers: Endgame’
The thrilling conclusion to the Infinity Gauntlet saga shows how Scott Lang was able to escape the Quantum Realm after five years, and his reunion with his daughter Cassie, who plays a major role in the next film. Lang’s technical know-how proves crucial in stopping Thanos and restoring the people he erased from existence, including Hank Pym and his family.
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
‘Loki’ Season 1
Similar to “Avengers: Infinity War,” this TV series does not include Ant-Man. But it does introduce the concept of the multiverse, which is critical to understanding everything that will take place in Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU. It also introduces Jonathan Majors as Kang, although the show’s version is not the terrifying conqueror that audiences will see in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
Loki
After stealing the Tesseract during the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority, a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline. They give Loki a choice: face being erased from existence due to being a “time variant” or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat.