The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review embargo lifted yesterday and poured a lot of cold water on hopeful MCU fans. It’s currently sitting at just 54% on the Tomatometer, making it the worst-reviewed Marvel Studios movie since 2021’s Eternals (which ended up at 47%). Quantumania could well sink below that point once it goes on wide release, and fans are miserably wondering what went wrong.
The movie doesn’t go on full release until Friday, but some are already picking over the bones and wondering whether the MCU is on a downward trajectory.
Responses are mixed, especially as there’s no clear agreement whether Phase 4 really did dip in quality. After all, we loved Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and over on Disney Plus WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law were all great.
That said, the last three MCU cinematic releases have been anticlimactic. Thor: Love and Thunder is widely considered a misstep and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was formless and dull, and right now Quantumania isn’t looking great. But is this really because of Disney Plus or just general Marvel fatigue?
Marvel Studios can’t be at Endgame levels of popularity forever:
Are Kevin Feige and co spreading themselves too thinly?
But maybe it’s too early to count out Marvel Studios just yet.
It’s worth remembering that many people have predicted we’ve reached peak superhero before, and all have been proven incorrect. Even if the MCU is in a rocky patch, we expect the infusion of mutants in coming phases will give things a shot in the arm.
For now at least, Quantumania looks to have gotten Phase 5 off to a very bumpy start.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on Feb. 17.