What to watch before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man is venturing to the Quantum Realm and setting up the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Despite being the start of Phase 5 of the MCU, the latest adventures of Marvel’s (sometimes) smallest hero has surprisingly few connections to previous Marvel projects.

That being said, there are, of course, quite a few references, plot details, and little nuances you can pick up by checking out the right movies and TV episodes ahead of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s release. Here’s everything we suggest watching before you head to the theater when the movie is released on Feb. 17.

The important stuff

This list only includes the movies (and shows) that matter most to Quantumania. The first two Ant-Man movies are there, along with Avengers: Endgame, which explains how Scott Lang got where he is at the beginning of this movie, and Loki season 1, which introduced Kang to the MCU.

• Ant-Man (Disney Plus)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney Plus)
• Avengers: Endgame (Disney Plus)
• Loki season 1, episode 6 (Disney Plus)

Kang’s multiversal watch order

Image: Marvel Studios

Listen, this order isn’t necessarily about “canon,” and it certainly won’t tell you much about how Quantumania fits into the larger Marvel universe, but it is a selection of the most thematically relevant material for this particular movie, and there’s something to be said for that. Not much. But something.

This list starts with the regular stuff: Ant-Man’s first outing, then his original mission with (some of) the Avengers. Next it gets a little weirder, and introduces the Star Wars universe to the fray, then mixes some Marvel with Agatha Christie, then hops back into Marvel before really diving into the multiverse with Men in Black and Loki season 1. Then we look to the future.

Kang is a multiversal villain, and in order to deal with him properly and give him the respect he deserves, we need to create a watch order that follows suit. So here’s what to watch:

• Ant-Man (Disney Plus)
• Captain America: Civil War (Disney Plus)
• Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (Disney Plus)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney Plus)
• Murder on the Orient Express (Freevee)
• Avengers: Endgame (Disney Plus)
• Men in Black (Peacock)
• Loki season 1 (Disney Plus)
• Creed III (when it is released in theaters Feb. 27)

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