The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off another round of super-villain-bashing fun with the upcoming release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
The film is the first in MCU’s Phase 5 group of films, dubbed the “Secret Wars,” with several new releases planned between 2024 and 2025.
Reviews are already rolling in ahead of the premiere on Feb. 17 and fans are salivating over new cast member Jonathan Majors.
The “Lovecraft Country” star, 33, is playing the villain Kang the Conqueror and critics are loving his role in the superhero flick.
Variety’s editor Jazz Tangcay called him “bad-ass” on Twitter, adding that she “had an absolute blast” watching the Ant-Man sequel.
Uproxx writer Mike Ryan chimed in, saying, “Jonathan Majors is great as Kang and for a good portion of the movie, Michelle Pfeiffer is the main character, which is awesome.”
“They found the perfect actor in Majors for Kang — and we are going to get A LOT of Kang coming up,” he continued.
Majors’ character is set to have a larger role in the MCU in forthcoming projects such as “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
The movie follows Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/ Ant Man, and his friends Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), her parents Hank Pym (Michale Douglas), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Lang’s daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) as they explore the Quantum Realm and battle Kang.
CNET journalist Sean Keane wrote: “#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania has way too much going on — it’s tough to connect emotionally to any of it. Jonathan Majors’ Kang is a charismatic, intense baddy and visually awesome, but the threat he represents is too abstract.”
“‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ is by far Marvel’s weirdest, zaniest movie to date. Jonathan Majors stands out strongly. Kang elevates the whole film,” “Phase Zero” podcast host Brandon Davis tweeted.
He continued, “Majors and Paul Rudd are intense together. Loads of CGI, crazy new characters, and an exciting trajectory for the MCU saga.”
Buzzfeed writer Nora Dominick stated on Twitter how Majors is a “force in #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania. He’s compelling, chilling, and already giving a top notch performance.”
She went on, “I love the complexity he brings to Kang with literally a single look. MCU really won with this casting.”
“Collider” editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub admitted that the film is a “strong start to Phase 5” and Majors is “excellent” as Kang.
Majors will also be seen in in “Creed 3′ — the third installment of the Michael B. Jordan “Rocky” spinoff series.
The boxing movie will head to theaters come March 3 and the “Devotion” star gained five pounds of muscle to play the role of Donny Creed’s old friend Damian Anderson.