If there’s a challenge faced by all contemporary purveyors of superhero cinema, where expectations run amok, it’s adjusting the knobs that balance light and dark, the goofy and the grim, comedic character interplay and interplanetary stakes.

Those knob settings are, of course, a matter of taste, and certainly a bone of contention between fans of somber grit and those who like a bit — or a lot — of witty banter between mega-punches.

With his third Ant-man adventure, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness (a “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Rick and Morty” vet making his big-screen debut) handle the balance of tones impressively. It’s a film that gives Paul Rudd multiple opportunities to display his comic charm, even turning a shameless bit of product placement into an effective running gag. At the same time, it sets the stage for a genuinely chilling villain,...