Marvel Studios has begun their new marketing campaign strategy on “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (out July 6), the 20th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the follow-up to “Avengers: Infinity War”, which has definitely left fans shaken and stirred.
“Infinity” includes a reference to Paul Rudd’s Scott (aka Ant-Man) character, providing a reason for why he wasn’t involved in that story. I wrote in my review that Rudd was the real winner of “Infinity War” simply by not being in it. Ant-Man had no threat of being killed (unlike everyone else).
Throughout its opening weekend, diehard Marvel fans took to social media with (mostly) spoiler-free “Infinity War” opinions, with the ending and post-credits scene being addressed most often (other than Tony Stark’s Squidward reference).
But another popular topic of discussion was “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. How are Marvel fans going to now care about this movie based on what happens at the end of “Infinity War”?
I think that Marvel’s decision to release a second “Ant-Man” film after “Infinity War” was a smart move. “Ant-Man” is one of the lighter MCU installments, and this sequel seems like it will bring more laughs and a positive, carefree energy that will make it feel like pure escapism (especially compared to the dramatic, intense “Black Panther” and “Infinity War”).
But we know Marvel – they listen to the fans, and they know they’re really on-edge right now. On Monday, a 40-second “teaser” for a new trailer was released online, with a host of “Avengers” stars (in street clothes) asking “Where Were Ant-Man and The Wasp?”
Enticing them with a new “Where were they when it all happened?” angle won’t necessarily add anything to the movie itself, but it will give fans something to be a little curious about and keep the momentum going for a film that I’m sure Marvel and Disney want to succeed.
The first “Ant-Man”, which opened in 2015, is the 3rd lowest-grossing MCU film out of the 19 (and the lowest MCU Disney release), with just $180 million. The studios likely want to see a big gain.
I wasn’t a huge fan of “Ant-Man”, but I’m looking forward to seeing “Ant-Man and The Wasp”… if only to show Marvel fanatics that they should calm the f*** down and not take this superhero saga so seriously. (I’M KIDDING!)