Setting the Scene for Phase 5 of the MCU with None Other Than Antman

AMANDA EACHO AMANDA.EACHO.22@CNU.EDU

Antman and the Wasp: Quantamania is a great movie for fans of chaos, and comedy. The newest Marvel film was released in theaters last Friday, February 17th and it has many mixed reviews. It’s obvious that this film was used mainly to set up future movies so by the end of the movie there were still questions that weren’t answered. However, it wasn’t much different from the first two Antman movies. The previous Antman movies are known for being more on the comedic side and this one was no exception.

As Scott Lang and his family travel through the Quantum Realm trying to find their way back to Earth, they come across a lot of unexpected things. The Quantum Realm is very similar to a Star Wars planet with the new language and unique creatures. Even the buildings and the villain’s guards are similar to the Republic and Storm Troopers. The visuals were amazing, however some of the special effects were subpar compared to Marvel’s other works.

Despite the fans’ discourse on how good the movie was, one thing they can agree on is the outstanding performance given by Jonathan Majors, who plays the film’s main villain Kang the Conqueror. The character of Kang made his debut in the Loki show and they expanded the character in Quantamania. Ma- jor’s performance really had the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the movie. He’s being set up to play a big role in the future of the MCU, as shown by the two end credit scenes, and by the fact that he has an upcoming Avengers film named after him.

Even before the movie came out, many fans were disappointed with the decision to change the actress for one of the more prominent roles, Cassie Lang. The casting for teenage Cassie was changed from Emma Fuhrmann to Kathryn Newton after Endgame. Many fans were upset about this change because of how good the chemistry was between Fuhrmann and Paul Rudd, her on-screen father. However, Newton and Rudd gave off perfect father-daughter chemistry throughout the movie. Some say Newton’s acting wasn’t the best in some parts but all-in-all she did well portraying Scott Lang’s daughter. Despite that cast change, Paul Rudd, Evangaline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michael Douglas resumed their roles as Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Janet Van Dyne, and Hank Pym.

While this movie may not have been Marvel’s best, it still perfectly sets up the future of the MCU. It adds more background to the concept of the multiverse which has been a main feature of many of the

JARRETT CONNELLY JARRETT.CONNELLY.20@CNU.EDU

Grady Hendrix is known for many things as an author. He’s able to weave dark humor, terrifying horror, and complicated characters into the most unique settings for his books. He’s done a haunted IKEA, a book club fighting a deranged vampire, a support group for final girls, and other crazy good ideas. In his newest book, How to Sell A Haunted House, Hendrix takes the reader on another insane and scary trip, this time through a home filled with haunted puppets .

The book follows a single mother named Louise, who’s parents have died in a car accident. Louise returns to her family home in Charleston filled with grief. While the only thing she was planning on worrying about was her deadbeat brother Mark, the grieving process suddenly turns into a nightmare. Because Mark and Louise’s childhood home, filled with her mother’s large puppet collection, doesn’t want to be sold and it puts the siblings on a horrific roller coaster ride.

The book is split into five parts, named after the five stages of grief (Denial, Anxiety, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance).The story builds into a narrative of confronting grief as well as being an entertaining horror read. Hendrix does a great job of making the story engaging and building the story into something you can’t take your eyes off of. It doesn’t drag its feet or rush, it’s a complete story that keeps you turning the pages. It’s a wonderful stew of emotional, scary, campy, and excitement.

The characters are given enough detail to care about. The story is mostly from Louise’s point of view, so she’s given the most characterization of all. Even though she’s our main character, she has her strikingly obvious flaws that make the reader reasonably frustrated.

Louise’s character Mark has the best arc of the story, going from a complete jerk to someone who helps save the day. The central antagonist of the story is this puppet named Pupkin. Pupkin is a nightmare combination of Annabelle, Brahms from The

Boy, and a puppet from Puppet Master. Pupkin’s sing-song way of speaking mixed with macabre violence makes him a terrifying foe. In one of the most common recurrences in Hendrix’s work, the supporting characters and their ignorance, in this case Louise’s ex Ian and her aunt Honey, serve as a significant blockade to the madness being stopped.

How To Sell a Haunted House is another fantastic addition to Hendrix’s bibliography. This modern day horror master proves that any concept, as much as you see it on film, is just as, if not more fun when put to page. The characters, story, and scares are all well written and make this a must read.