Despite some positive early buzz from the premiere (never put too much stock in social media reactions!), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania received a (mostly) negative response from critics, and ultimately became the second MCU movie to slip down to "rotten" status on Rotten Tomatoes after 2021's Eternals.
While general audiences did initially seem to be embracing Marvel Studios' first Phase 5 film, it suffered a massive second-week drop at the domestic box office, and Creed III may end up landing a knockout blow the MCU threequel will find it difficult to recover from.
Writer Jeff Loveness has previously admitted that the reviews took him by surprise, and the movie's chilly reception is something he did take to heart. Now, we're left to wonder if the criticisms that have been aimed at Quantumania will impact his ideas for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Loveness was asked that very question during an appearance on the Phase Zero podcast.
"Yeah, I mean, I'm in the process of that right now," he said of the work-in-progress script. "So certainly it's been a wild couple of weeks to be writing the biggest movie of all time and to see yourself portrayed in this way."
"But, yeah, it's a mix of both, man," he added. "'Cause I really do like the movie. And you know, making movies is a fight and you always look at your own work and you see the flaws or you see ways to do it better, but man, writing Jonathan Majors was like the thrill of a lifetime. And getting that M.O.D.O.K stuff in there was such a joy ... It could not have been a more thrilling experience."
Loveness recently said that seeing the movie with an audience for the first time cheered him up, as he realized that a lot of people were responding more positively than the reviews would suggest.
"It's been really charming and really heart-warming to see it find its audience, and the people who get it, really get it. It's kind of fun to have a movie people have strong opinions on ... I had to get used to that, it's sort of a whack to the face, but I also feel like I've grown up a little bit. I'm alive, and it's like, I'm very excited to write the next one. It's not affecting the work right now, but we'll see if my badge has been locked out of Disney. We'll see if I can get into the building."
Not every big studio blockbuster can be a 5-star banger, so Loveness is right not to allow the negativity surrounding Ant-Man 3 influence him too much. At the same time, he might be wise not to completely brush off the criticisms and take a look at what could be improved upon.