There are few Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchises that don’t have a trilogy. Spider-Man nearly didn’t get one, and we all know why, but thankfully that was avoided. One Marvel title that hasn’t gotten three standalone films yet is the one that is often overlooked: Ant-Man.

That all changed this past weekend as Peyton Reed, who directed Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017), signed on to direct the third installment of the film franchise for Marvel Studios. More on the report below.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report on Reed’s return to Marvel Studios to direct Ant-Man 3 or Ant-Man and the Wasp 2. Of course, with the way that Marvel has been tilting their films, it’s not likely they will go with something numerical. That is reversed for something like Iron Man or Guardians of the Galaxy.

It’s not exactly clear what the film will be about, so your guess is as good as ours. Ant-Man 3 could possibly explore how the titular character is dealing with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. After all, Scott Lang was one of the few who survived being blipped after begin stuck in the quantum realm for the better part of five years – which felt like five minutes for him. But there is a possibility that it could be dealing with something else.

Sources tell THR that Marvel Studios is eyeing an end of 2020 or beginning of 2021 release date. Which is a bit unusual for the franchise as the previous Ant-Man films have had a July release. Sources also tell THR that Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will shoot before Ant-Man 3.

So there is no telling how either of those films will tie into Ant-Man 3, or how the character will have to deal with events of those films. Additionally, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding exponentially with shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, WandaVision, What If”¦?, Moonknight, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Hawkeye. And let’s not forget how Marvel Studios would like to reboot Blade, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. So Ant-Man and/or The Wasp could appear in any number of titles either, in a supportive role or a cameo.

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are both expected to return to reprise their roles as Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, respectfully. It will be the fifth time that Rudd has played the character, with Lilly playing the role for the fourth time.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as more developments come in.

[Source: THR]