With so many other huge franchises in the MCU, the Ant-Man films can sometimes be overlooked. Even though they aren't as popular, these movies have been a fun and important part of the shared universe for years and the third film is rumored to bring that story to an end.
Ant-Man 3 has been confirmed and the principal players are all returning for another adventure. While there is a lot to love about the first two films, there seems to be so much more potential for the franchise that could allow it to reach the next level while hanging on to those things that made it so entertaining to begin with.
Improve: Scott And Hope
In the first Ant-Man film, Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne don't exactly get along. She is a very professional and serious person who sees Scott as a bit of a screwup who doesn't deserve to wear the Ant-Man suit. Despite this, they seem to fall for each other by the end of the story.
The problem with this relationship is that it's just not believable. It doesn't feel like these two people would end up together even after their relationship is explored more in Ant-Man & The Wasp. The third film needs to find a way to make this a romance that audiences are invested in.
Keep The Same: B-List Hero
While the MCU keeps trying to convince everyone that Hawkeye is actually cool, the Ant-Man films have wisely embraced the fact that their hero isn't an A-lister. Not everyone can be Thor or Captain America, and it's refreshing to see a hero who isn't all-powerful.
Even compared to The Wasp, Ant-Man is a lesser hero. While the third film may feel the need to make him a more accomplished hero, hopefully, they'll continue to have fun with his struggles to get taken seriously.
Improve: Give Hank Pym More To Do
Fans of the comic will know that Hank Pym was the original Ant-Man. This is true of the films as well although Hank has long since retired from crime-fighting. Though he is clearly the brains of the organization, Hank has not been given nearly enough to do in the movie up until this point.
With Michael Douglas in the role, it would be nice to see Hank do more than just deliver science exposition. With his wife Janet back now, hopefully, he'll get a bigger story.
Keep The Same: Luis
Even with the superheroes in the story, Luis has been the standout of these movies by far. Played to perfection by Michael Peña, Luis is Scott's friendly ex-con friend who has a tendency to go on long-winded explanations.
The movies clearly see how much fun the character is and have done a great job of keeping him as part of the story without overusing him. That balance should be kept the same in the third movie as an Ant-Man movie wouldn't be the same without Luis.
Improve: Better Villain
The MCU has been criticized in the past for having forgettable villains and that certainly applies to the villain from the first Ant-Man movie. Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket was a typical villain with similar powers to the hero and uninteresting motivations.
Ant-Man & The Wasp had a more interesting villain with Ghost, but she still falls short of being one of the memorable MCU bad guys. The third film has the chance to deliver a great villain who adds something interesting to the story while being a genuine threat.
Keep The Same: Inventive Action
It's still painful to think of the kind of fun Ant-Man movie Edgar Wright might have delivered, but Peyton Reed managed to surprise many with his fun action sequences in these movies. There is so much inventive stuff done with the shrinking and growing elements that set it apart from other superhero films.
The third film can not only continue the entertaining action, but it also has the opportunity to take it even further. It will be fun to see what new ideas they can thrill audiences with.
Improve: Partners
Ant-Man and The Wasp are the MCU's only partner team of crime-fighters. To make it even more interesting, they are romantic partners as well. Yet very little has been done with this aspect which has so much potential.
The third film should really embrace the idea of a superhero couple and all the humor that can go along with that. Maybe the third film can find the two thinking about marriage while trying to save the day once again.
Keep The Same: The Comedy
The MCU films have always done a great job of infusing humor into their movies. However, Ant-Man was probably the first of their films that could have been considered a full-blown comedy.
Given how silly Ant-Man is as a character, it's wide that the films have maintained that light approach. With the third film, they might feel the need to try something newer and bolder, but to step away from the comedy would be a mistake. If anything, they should embrace it more.
Improve: Embrace The Weirdness
Along with being a funny and light adventure, Ant-Man also opened some strange new doors within the MCU. The Quantum Realm has obviously become a very important part of the universe and there is a lot of weird science-fiction aspects that go along with it.
Oddly enough, the movies haven't really taken advantage of the sci-fi craziness. The third film is their chance to really go all out there. They could bring in bizarre Marvel characters like M.O.D.O.K. and tell bold stories that other MCU films can't get away with.
Keep The Same: Smaller Stories
Appropriately for the hero of the films, the Ant-Man adventures have been among the smaller scale stories in the MCU. While it is fun to see the big universe saving epics, it is refreshing to see a more intimate story where the stakes are personal.
There is no need for the third film to try for something larger. These characters do not need massive adventures like the rest of the Marvel heroes. A smaller-scale story doesn't make them any less entertaining.
