In recent weeks, two major trailers have dropped that have made me look forward to 2023, Creed III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Both are looking to move their respective franchises forward, both feature Jonathan Majors as he looks to cement his status as a bona fide movie star and both look to be entertaining.
Creed III
In the first trailer for Creed III, Adonis Creed has appeared to have moved on from his boxing career and has transitioned to a quiet life as a father, husband and businessman. Given Sylvester Stallone’s high-profile retirement from the Rocky franchise, it is possible that a funeral scene for the legendary boxer will occur at some point during the film. Adonis’ idyllic life is interrupted by Damian Anderson, an old friend who went to jail for a crime he and Adonis participated in. Anderson, played by Majors, has spent almost 20 years in jail and has stayed focused and getting absolutely ripped. Majors went through a similar workout regimen co-star Michael B. Jordan went through to get in shape to play Adonis Creed and then packed on even more muscle to play Killmonger in Black Panther. Adonis invites Damian to spend time at this gym to train and prepare to launch his own boxing career all the while blackmailing Adonis with his knowledge of his past criminal acts. Damian unleashes his anger and pain upon the world and threatens to take away Creed’s legacy through sheer brutality. In a surprising note, Bianca is almost eager to let Creed resume his boxing career even with the knowledge that repeated head trauma can take on a person. Creed III also marks the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan who is poised to add to his own impressive Hollywood legacy and follow the rules of the third film in a trilogy as Creed III will open in theaters on March 3, 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
It seems like just when Marvel is gearing up for one film, they want everyone to be thinking about their next film as the hype for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has started early and it has started fast. The trailer opens with Scott Lang relishing in the life afforded to a superhero; he is recognized in the street, his face is on backpacks and other merchandise and he is attending posh galas with his girlfriend Hope played by Evangeline Lilly. This tranquility is interrupted after Scott’s daughter Cassie, played by MCU newcomer Kathryn Newton, informs him, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne and Hope that she has been experimenting with quantum technology in order to provide a communication beacon for those who may need Ant-Man’s help. This development troubles Janet who spent decades trapped in the quantum realm but the technology goes awry as the group is sucked into the quantum realm with no apparent way out. The danger is real as the group faces foes never seen before including a surprise appearance from Bill Murray who is set to play a villain from Janet’s time while she was trapped. As with most of the previous Phase 4, the multiverse is likely to factor into the plot of the film as Jonathan Majors arrives as Kang the Conqueror to offer his assistance to Ant-Man. Majors had previously played He Who Remains on the Disney+ series Loki as a variant of Kang the Conqueror and had originally created the Sacred Timeline. The trailer did not show much action or provide a lot of context for what we did see but we do see Cassie suit up to fight alongside her dad for a brief moment. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will arrive in theaters on February 17, 2023
Featured Image Credit: Variety
