set the stage before Avengers 4 in 2019.

The first Ant-Man was a modest success for Marvel a few years ago. Coming out on the heels of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the heist comedy earned $180.2 million total domestically, $57.2 million of which was earned during its opening weekend. In the early going, it looks like the sequel's haul is going to be considerably more impressive.

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According to THR, current estimates have Ant-Man and the Wasp pegged for about $75 million in its U.S. opening weekend. That figure would still rank in the bottom half of the MCU's debuts, but it's still a huge jump for this particular sub-franchise and demonstrates more viewers are now on-board with Marvel's smallest heroes. In addition to a well-received solo film a few years ago, Ant-Man also appeared in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, which earned $408 million domestically.

Giant Man in Ant Man and the Wasp

This is also an indicator of the MCU's sterling commercial prowess. After a decade of storytelling, the franchise is as strong as it's ever been, their Disney brethren Pixar. By now, people know what to expect when they see the Marvel logo, meaning they're more likely to go see the latest MCU installment in theaters. With their last few efforts, Marvel has shown a willingness to be a little creative with their movies, which only helps word-of-mouth and box office performance.

Ant-Man and the Wasp seems perfectly placed on the MCU slate, following the heavy dramatics of Black Panther and Infinity War. A breezy crime flick sounds like the ideal palate cleanser as viewers recover from Infinity War's shocking ending and gear up for the conclusion of Phase 3. Scott Lang is never going to be Marvel's most popular hero, but he doesn't have to be. Compared to most superhero titles, the first Ant-Man was moderately budgeted ($130 million), so Marvel should have the followup positioned to be a profitable endeavor as well.

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Source: THR