My thoughts on Ant-Man: The Movie, and the Wasp

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is continuing to grow every year. Guardians of the Galaxy has been released to critical and fan acclaim (and a sequel has been announced), the Avengers will return to the big screen with Age of Ultron, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier has hinted at the existence of Doctor Strange (Wonder how they'll handle him, considering the more sci-fi milieu the MCU has).

It has also continued to grow thanks to television. Agents of SHIELD is returning for another season, and Netflix has announced series based on Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and even Agent Sharon Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger is getting her own series. Pretty cool time to be a Marvel fan.

Now, I'm probably going to sound rambling and unfocused for the rest of this blog entry, so my apologies. I'm more used to talking about my thoughts instead of writing them down.

One Marvel character that will be appearing on the big screen is Ant-Man. Henry Pym is hitting the big screen, albeit altered.

When it was announced Michael Douglas was going to portray Hank Pym, I have to be honest. My feelings were mixed on the subject. On one hand, I like Michael Douglas. He's an incredible actor, who has appeared in many great films, and having him in the cast of a Marvel movie is a boon. It's really cool seeing that these movies are getting some great actors and actresses in them. On the other hand, the man is pushing 70, which means we won't get to see Hank Pym kick some butt alongside the other Avengers in the third movie, which is really sad as Hank Pym was one of the original founding Avengers in the comics.

The film will instead focus on Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man. I can see why the film will focus on his origin instead of Henry Pym's. Scott Lang's origin, in a way has more drama than Pym's. Lang stole Pym's Ant-Man costume and technology to try and save the life of his ill daughter Cassie. Pym's origin story is really a misadventure after fooling around his lab. Still, I think Hank Pym's origin could've made a great adventure movie, maybe with a tinge of horror in it. Think about it, ants are small, but to a man smaller than them, ants are big scary monsters.

A Hank Pym film could've gone like this: Henry Pym was an idealistic scientist working in a civilian capacity for SHIELD, and in that time, he discovers the Pym Particle, a subatomic particle that allows an object to change size, without ill effects. However, HYDRA is after the Pym Particle, seeing its potential as a weapon. While protecting his discovery from HYDRA, Pym catches the eye of a beautiful thrill-seeking fashionista named Janet Van Dyne. During the adventure, Pym, thanks to his hobby of entomology, empowers Janet as the Wasp, and they kick HYDRA butt, and save the day. I'll admit, that was just from the top of my head. I'll have to think more on this.

The film has been having a troubled production, with Edgar Wright departing the director's chair and cast  and crew changes. But one big controversy has been coming from this whole thing.

The film does not have Janet Van Dyne.

No Wasp.

Yep. That's right. The first female Avenger, another founder, is not in the movie.

According to Michael Douglas, Hank Pym's wife will already have been dead by the time of the film. However, I can't help but think something. Hank Pym was a widower when he met Jan in the comics. It's true. His first wife in the comics was a Hungarian woman named Maria Trovaya.

A short-lived character, she was. In fact, in the comics, the reason Hank was attracted to Jan was because she resembled Maria. And Michael Douglas did not say the name Jan. He might have been referring to Maria.

But if it DOES turn out to be Jan, then that's sad. That's really sad. I mean, what do they have against the Wasp? I think I can figure out what.

When it comes to Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, there is one moment that comes to mind for many fans, one moment that would define the two, well Hank in particular, for the next three decades. At the time this panel was first shown to the world, Hank Pym was struggling with a massive inferiority complex, leading to a breakdown and...

Yup. In 1981, Hank Pym underwent his big downfall. After this, further storylines would have Hank kicked out of the Avengers, end up falsely imprisoned for treason, and forced to work alongside an incarnation of the Masters of Evil led by the villainous Egghead. Since then, though, Hank has fought very hard to rebuild his life since those dark days. Interestingly enough, Jim Shooter himself has written about this storyline, and stated this panel occurred because of artist Bob Hall's mistake. So I can understand why they wanted to emphasize Scott Lang over Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne in this movie. I don't have to like them removing Jan, and I don't, but I can understand their fears. Still do not see why they had to remove Jan, though. Why not just say they had some issues, they divorced, and she's living happily in New Jersey or something like that?

Anyway, what do I think of Janet Van Dyne? Well, to be honest, I never thought much of the character for a long time. I didn't hate the character, but I wasn't the president of her fan club either. She did make me chuckle on occasion, but to me, she was just another character. However, one thing did make me really grow to love her: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

The cartoon was short-lived, but I had to admit, I grew to love Jan thanks to the show. Her character design made her look incredibly cute, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey's voice work was fantastic. Her Jan was funny, flighty, flirty, and she was not the least bit annoying. I miss that show.

Anyway, the film will have at least one woman in the cast: Evangeline Lilly, who will be portraying Hank Pym's daughter Hope Van Dyne. I have found that funny a little bit, because there is a Hope Pym in the comics. She is a character from Marvel's short-lived MC2 line (a line that focused on the "next generation" of Marvel Super Heroes, aka their sons and daughters and legacies), and she was a villain (known as "Red Queen") who hated the Avengers in her reality because she felt they were an insult to her parents' memory.



Looks of her mother, madness of her father. The Red Queen, everybody!

I have to admit, I love the Red Queen's suit. It's reminiscent of her mother's first Avengers suit, with a darker edge to it, appropriate considering her more crazed and hate-filled nature. Anyway, there was another rumor concerning the Wasp in this film, and that is the Wasp is going to be Hope. In essence, Hank's daughter is the Wasp in the MCU (and Hope is just Jan by another name). I would've preferred Jan, but if this is the best we're gonna get, I'll take it. If she has the attitude and fun personality of EMH Jan, I'll be fine with it. Although I can't help but wonder, if Hope is meant to be Wasp, why change her name?

Something tells me the troubles with Ant-Man will be far from over...