Ever since Marvel Studios came out with “Avengers: Endgame,” fans have been hearing more and more about the multiverse everyday. From “Loki” to the newest Marvel movie and the beginning of Phase Five, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Marvel has dived head first into the multiverse.

The movie follows Scott “Ant-Man” Lang (Paul Rudd) and his family as they are sucked into the Quantum Realm (a parallel dimension that exists on a subatomic scale) and separated. Lang and his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) are trying to find their way back to the others when they are captured by Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) and forced to bring a magical orb that will allow Kang to wreak havoc on the multiverse. Meanwhile, Hope “the Wasp” Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her parents seek out her mom’s old friends in order to find Lang and Cassie while running from Kang.

While Marvel has long held onto its own identity with their alien designs and societal structures, this movie made me think I was watching a Star Wars film until the big fight scene at the very end. From the moment the characters are separated, the whole movie felt like it was in a galaxy far, far away. “The Wasp” and her parents go straight to a bar, where they meet up with Lord Krylar (Bill Murray) who has practically the same character design as Lando Calrissian. Later, when they try to escape after being betrayed by Krylar, they run around shooting everything and end the excitement by stealing a ship. Meanwhile, the others are taken to a village of refugees, that is oddly reminiscent of the Rebel Alliance, who are trying to fight back against Kang’s tyrannical rule. 

Another part of the movie that made it just not feel like an “Ant-Man” film was the absence of Luis (Michael Peña), Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (T.I.). These three characters have been the comic relief for the past two movies in the “Ant-Man” franchise and are the backbone of the films. Since they were cut from Quantumania, the movie didn’t feel the same. 

While Luis, Kurt and Dave were all absent, Dastmalchian was still in the film. His new character “Veb” brought the movie to life. This new gelatinous alien gave a much-needed upbeat feel to the otherwise dark film. Another returning actor from the previous films is Corey Stoll, who reprised his role as Darren “MODOK” Cross. This added a whole new element to the movie as it tied back to the first “Ant-Man” film when Cross was exiled to the Quantum Realm, and it brought closure to his character arc.

Even though “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” had many disappointments, the film made up for it with its amazing cinematography and acting. Quantumania deserved much more than its 48% on RottenTomatoes, especially when compared to other recent Marvel movies like, “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.”

With the ending of the film leaving many wondering what will happen next in the Multiverse, fans can be looking forward to the next season of “Loki” (June 9) and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (May 5).

Contact Adeline Gruen at [email protected]