Kang the Conquerer has arrived — and so have the first critical reactions to Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off its Phase 5 with the new movie, which serves as a direct sequel to 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, starring Paul Rudd as central character Scott Lang / Ant-Man.
The film also introduces Jonathan Majors as the villain Kang, whom Marvel has touted as the MCU's "next big cross-movie villain."
After the movie's premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, critics took to social media to offer their first impressions of the movie, with many offering praise for 33-year-old Majors' performance and some even comparing the third Ant-Man movie to Star Wars.
Rotten Tomatoes critic Tessa Smith wrote on Twitter late Monday that the movie is "like Marvel meets Star Wars -- & I am here for it!"
"Kang is absolutely terrifying," the critic wrote. "MODOK brings all the ridiculous humor. Janet & Kang are perfect! Heartwarming father-daughter story! 2 IMPORTANT end credits!"
Variety editor Jazz Tangcay tweeted that Majors' character is "such a bad ass."
"Had an absolute blast watching #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania," Tangcay wrote. "Creative, irresistibly energetic and filled with some great action sequences. Welcome Jonathan Majors -such a bad ass. The effects are superb."
Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes critic Erik Davis tweeted that the movie is "like a psychedelic rollercoaster full of frightening & hilarious oddities, plus one VERY menacing Kang."
"Big STAR WARS vibes meet the MCU at its freakiest & most inventive," he wrote on Twitter. "MODOK is a riot, but Jonathan Majors conquers. Loved the ride!"
Critics Choice Association member Jamie Broadnax also tweeted that the Ant-Man sequel "gives some heavy Star Wars vibes" and complimented a "fantastic performance from Jonathan Majors who is incredible as the big bad villain. Make sure to stay for 2 post credit scenes!"
Collider's Meredith Loftus wrote that Quantumania "tells a tight story that balances humor with heart and manages to be one of the weirdest MCU movies to date."
"I like weird and I was surprised by how much I liked what M.O.D.O.K. brought to the table. Bring on the weird!" Loftus tweeted, adding in a thread that Infinity Saga villain Thanos "is tame compared to what lies ahead" with Kang as a multi-movie villain.
"Thematically #Quantumania definitely ties back into the first Ant-Man movie in a meaningful way," the critic noted, hinting at main character Scott Lang's relationship with his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton).
Uproxx's Mike Ryan implied that the movie may prove challenging for audiences not already interested in the MCU to wade through "two hours of variant and multiverse talk," though he praised multiple actors' performances.
"Jonathan Majors is great as Kang and for a good portion of the movie Michelle Pfeiffer is the main character, which is awesome," Ryan tweeted. "They found the perfect actor in Majors for Kang — and we are going to get A LOT of Kang coming up — but I'm not sure about the whole, 'you think Thanos was bad? Meet Kang!,' strategy. He's fun here, but to be the big bad over multiple projects?"
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in theaters Feb. 17 .
