Why Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Blew Everyone Away At The Box Office

Well, Marvel Studios has done it again. In spite of some fierce critical backlash, the studio's splashy opening of Phase 5 has officially blown up the box office and set records in the process. While it hasn't beaten any of the crazy records that Earth-shattering films like "Avengers: Endgame" set, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has officially joined the ranks of MCU films that blew everyone away at the box office in its opening weekend.

As far as specifics are concerned, the third installment of the "Ant-Man" series kicked off its opening day with $46 million stateside. By the end of the weekend, the film had raked in $120 million. To top it off, the film grossed nearly $130 million across the world, too, putting its opening week total just shy of the quarter of a billion mark.

For comparison, the opening weekend for "Ant-Man and the Wasp," domestically speaking, was around $75 million, although in that case, the international reception was stronger. Still, there's no doubt that the third film in the "Ant-Man" franchise has performed admirably in its initial theatrical run, and the threequel has set a franchise record for the biggest opening weekend of the trio in the process. The question is, why did it do so well right out of the gate? Let's explore some of the potential reasons, shall we?

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has been a lightning rod of debate from the moment it was released. In fact, even before that point, red-carpet showings and pre-screeners already had the critics buzzing — and not in the nice kind of way you'd want with a bug-friendly movie. In fact, as of this writing, the movie's Rotten Tomato score sits at a miserable 48%, just one percentage point above "Eternals." The big difference? The audience score is at 84% for audiences, compared to 77% with "Eternals."

This subtly reveals a couple of important things. First off, even if the critics are suddenly espousing a stricter set of superhero movie standards, audiences clearly aren't done with the MCU. While the critics have their place in the industry, let's be honest — it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that, between the two, the House of Mouse would rather have audiences (and their much bigger pockets) happy with the content that they put out.

In the wake of the pandemic, theaters have started to take on more of a ceremonial role in cinema. The giant screens and random movie lineups aren't enough to lure people away from their ever-improving home theaters. Instead, the big screen is becoming a place where everyone and their mother flocks to see the big stuff — and that's exactly the kind of stuff that the MCU specializes in.

In fact, from the moment the first "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" trailer dropped, it was clear that the movie was going to be one loaded with spectacular visuals. The bulk of the story takes place in the Quantum Realm, with CGI shots, scenery, and characters everywhere you turn.

The lure was likely enough to get many to commit to presale tickets in the hopes of getting the best seats in the house and ordering their popcorn for in-theater delivery once they arrived. This newfangled 21st-century ability to order tickets weeks in advance at the push of a button on a smartphone has taken the concept of appointment viewing to a whole new level. Sure, it's possible to return presale tickets in some cases. Still, the momentum of ordering ahead locked many casual and diehard MCU fans alike into an opening weekend date with Kang, Lang, and company — regardless of how early viewers graded the film.

When you step back from the minutiae of market data and rating debates, there's another clear reason "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" did so well at the box office. It's a delightfully fun IP, even within a universe crowded with interesting characters and franchises. In fact, there are a couple of elements that have helped the "Ant-Man" franchise remain particularly palatable, even three movies in.

First off, there's the humor element. Even if "Quantumania" doesn't have as many opportunities for jokes, comedic relief still has its place in the story. From observing an absurdly satisfied Scott Lang go about his daily life to Darren Cross' MODOK stroking Lang's face in his final moments to almost everything Veb did, the movie provides plenty of opportunities for a laugh.

Then there's the self-contained nature of Ant-Man's adventures. Now, if you're thinking, "Self-contained? This movie had Kang in it, for crying out loud!" we hear you, and you're right. Still, how many cross-overs and team-ups took place in the film? By our count, precisely zero. Yes, Kang and his variants are multi-dimensional villains that we've already seen elsewhere and will continue to see for quite some time. However, in "Quantumania," he's just another villain that Lang, Hope, and their family and friends have to take down on their own. 

The charming ability of the franchise to keep things within its own four walls makes it easier to keep track of everything — an essential element that keeps casual viewers coming back for more.

While Kang is a huge long-term deal in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," he isn't the only setup in the film. Scott Lang, who has lacked story momentum since "Avengers: Endgame," got a much-needed shove forward, too. We saw his life post-Thanos as one of the few OG Avengers who is just living it up. He's focused on his family, staying out of trouble with the law, and making up for lost time with his daughter. Oh, and don't forget that little tidbit where we last saw him second-guessing if he just ruined everything with how he handled the Kang issue, too. There's more in store for Scott, by our count.

Hope is still in no man's land, even though she's a title character, which — how does that work, exactly? At the least, we know that she's still alive and ready to rumble — as are her parents, Janet and Hank.

What about Scott's daughter? Cassie Lang is clearly in superhero training mode by the end of the movie. Where that story leads remains to be seen, but we know it's going somewhere.

So, while "Quantumania" provides a nice break from complex cross-overs, it certainly does its part in setting up the future. This was clearly communicated in the marketing, too, which pushed many viewers to flock to theaters as soon as possible to check things out themselves before they heard any long-term spoilers from the rumor mill.

The MCU is a gargantuan project that has been going on for fifteen years, one that spreads across countless franchises while spanning both movies and television. It included over 30 films and the better part of a dozen Disney+ series when "Quantumania" was released. The craziest thing about this historic run of entertainment success, though? It feels in many ways as if it's just getting started.

Now, we're not saying that the MCU is immune. It's just as susceptible to audience fatigue as the next cinematic universe. Yet, the resoundingly positive audience scores send the message that the larger body of fans and viewers aren't ready to quit on Kevin Feige's creation just yet. On the contrary, they're buckling in for whatever comes next. At the moment, that's Phase 5.

Phase 4 was an interesting experience, to say the least. It started with pandemic delays and saw the shift to Disney+ shows. It put certain heroes' stories to bed and kickstarted others. While there was plenty of entertaining stuff along the way, the MCU was clearly resetting after the world-breaking events of the Avengers' knock-down, drag-out war with Thanos. Now the stage has been reset, and Phase 5 appears ready to start moving things forward again, starting with the Kang-infused Quantum Realm adventures of "Quantumania." The much-needed momentum is welcome, and audiences seem to be basking in it.