The Marvel movies and shows to watch before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

News
By published

The five movies and shows to watch before Ant-Man 3

Ant-Man 3 movies and shows
(Image credit: Marvel/Disney)

What Marvel movies and shows do you need to watch before Ant-Man 3? Well, with 30 MCU movies already out, as well as a whole bunch of TV shows and specials, it can be a bit confusing working out what links to what... Thankfully, this isn't an Avengers movie, so you won't need to watch or re-watch the whole MCU before seeing the latest Ant-Man flick. As we are heading into Marvel Phase 5, however, there are a few big shows and films that would be useful to get you in the right headspace for the Quantum Realm.

Read on for our spoiler-free guide to the best movies and shows you should watch before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. We'll break down where you can stream them too, as well as offer up our expert opinion as to why they shouldn't be skipped.

Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Article continues below

This might seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the third film in the Ant-Man franchise. Therefore, you'll probably want to have watched the first two movies – Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp – before this one to make sure you're up to speed on Paul Rudd's diminutive hero. 

Several of the main characters in Ant-Man 3 were also introduced in these movies, including Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne, Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne, and Michael Douglas's Dr. Hank Pym. You'll also get a better idea of the comedic tone of the Ant-Man movies if you've already seen these versions, as well as a better understanding of the history between these characters. 

Loki

Loki Season 1 image

(Image credit: Disney)

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania introduces Kang the Conqueror to the MCU, as Marvel Phase 5 and Phase 6's new big villain. However, this won't be the first time we've seen Kang actor Jonathan Majors in the Marvel timeline. We first saw him play a variant of the character, called He Who Remains, back in Loki season 1.

Without getting too far into spoiler territory here if you're yet to catch up, the character plays a pivotal role in the Loki season 1 ending. So you'll want to make sure you've seen that finale before heading to cinemas for Ant-Man 3. 

Although, one small caveat – these are different characters, as Majors has been keen to point out. Speaking to Total Film in our latest issue (with John Wick 3 on the cover), he shared: "I'm so radical about my language around it because I say, He Who Remains is He Who Remains. I don't even call him Kang. He may or may not be a Kang variant. I leave my mind open to think that Kang the Conqueror may be a He Who Remains variant. It has to be that lucid for me to keep it going. But, no, there are no similarities between the two roles."

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame

(Image credit: Disney)

Where to watch: Disney Plus

If you're trying to get your head around the MCU's Quantum Realm before heading into Ant-Man 3, it's a good idea to watch Avengers: Endgame. A lot of that movie's storyline revolves around using Pym Particles to access the Multiverse, so it's pretty essential viewing to get your head around this before Quantumania – or at least try to.

This is also the last major movie that Rudd's Scott Lang appeared in and is where we learned about his experience of the Blip, and how it impacted his relationship with his daughter Cassie Lang (played by Kathryn Newton in Ant-Man 3). We know from the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailers that these are big storylines in the new movie, so make sure you're up to date on these dynamics before heading to the theater.

Captain America: Civil War

Falcon Winter Soldier

(Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)

Where to watch: Disney Plus

For some context on Ant-Man's role in the Avengers, you'll probably also want to see Captain America: Civil War. In the 2016 MCU movie, we first see how Scott was recruited into the team by Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to help Captain America (Chris Evans) take down Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).

Another fun tidbit about the link between these movies comes from Ant-Man 3 producer Stephen Broussard. He implied that Quantumania could have the same huge consequences as Civil War. In the official press release, he shared: "Captain America: Civil War was another film where you saw heroes divided and in camps and battle lines being drawn – it really felt like the future of the MCU was going to be defined by the action of that film. We really liked the idea of making this Ant-Man film as important and integral to the MCU going forward." 

Want more on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? Then check out: 

Fay Watson
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.