Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in October 2022, I looked at the teaser for the upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. I was excited for this film, but then again, I am a pretty big MCU fan. Recently, a new trailer has come out for it. Let's take a look!

"And it's a beautiful morning in San Francisco!" 

Kang: "I mean, you're a thief who managed to become one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It's quite a story."

Scott likes to go all-out when taking Hope out on dates.

Like father, like daughter.

I think this is the crux of Scott's emotional journey in this film. His emotional struggle over his not being able to be with his daughter over the five-year gap between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Yeah, Kang is totally manipulating Scott here. 

You know, it's a real shame that Marvel legally can't use the Micronauts, because this film would have been a perfect opportunity to introduce them. 

Goddang, Chronopolis still looks so cool!

From Avengers Annual #21 (1992). Text: Mark Gruenwald. Art by Herb Trimpe (pencils), Charles Barnett (Inks), and Gina Going (Colors).

She ain't wrong, Scott. 

Yeah, Doctor Strange ain't the only one who can bring the trippiness!

The beginning of a new Dynasty. Heh.

MODOK! 

You know, it kind of makes sense that Darren Cross ended up MODOK here, considering what happened to him in the first Ant-Man movie...

Yeah, Scotty's getting wrecked.

As I said in my last blog entry talking about this movie, I am looking forward to it. I think Jonathan Majors will steal the show as Kang the Conqueror. And also as I said before, I think it's great that Ant-Man for the final film in his trilogy is getting to have a big-time adventure, heh heh. I am curious as to how this will play into the larger Multiverse Saga of the MCU, though.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Teaser, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! The MCU has seen its fair share of new heroes take up the spotlight, most recently the Sensational She-Hulk bringing the laughs and Werewolf by Night opening up the more...monstrous side of the universe.

However, there are still plenty of older heroes getting play. One of them is Scott Lang, aka the Astonishing Ant-Man. Debuting in 2015's Ant-Man, Scott (portrayed by Paul Rudd) would have further adventures in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. And like Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man before him, he's getting his own trilogy of movies. This film, the MCU's 31st movie, will kick off the MCU's Phase Five. Let's look at the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!

And we're startin' with a cool tune from Elton John. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...

Ha ha, from being fired from Baskin-Robbins to being their Employee of the Century. Vindication is a wonderful thing.

Scott Lang enjoying the celebrity life. Good for him.

Oh, nice nod to No Way Home there.

I've long believed that the Quantum Realm is the MCU version of the Microverse. I know it's not likely, but a nod to the Micronauts would be nice.

Yeah, I can imagine Miss Van Dyne is in no rush to return to the Quantum Realm.

Oopsie.

Whoa. Now those are visuals!

Heh. That dude has a flashlight for a head.

Janet, did you punch a VIP there in a drunken rage?

OH MAH GAWD. THAT'S CHRONOPOLIS! CHRONOPOLIS!

From Avengers Annual #21 (1992). Text: Mark Gruenwald. Art by Herb Trimpe (pencils), Charles Barnett (Inks), and Gina Going (Colors).

I love the big ol' Pyramid in the center. A nice nod to Rama-Tut, perhaps?

Kang looks AWESOME. He looks like he stepped right out of the comics!

I get the idea that Kang wants to recruit Scott for a heist. Would make a nice connection to the first film. It was a heist that made Scott Lang into the Ant-Man, and a heist could be his final adventure.

I am honestly hyped for this movie! I think the Ant-Man movies are underrated. I love that the third film is seemingly much bigger in scope. After two films on a smaller scale and being a supporting character in Endgame, it's cool to see the Ant-Family get their own big epic adventure. And it will be cool to see Jonathan Majors' portrayal of Kang. He has played another version of him in Loki, so it'll be cool to see him tackle the Conqueror.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster!

Avengers #223 (September 1982)

A superhero's life is always in upheaval. It always seems like that no matter what a superhero does, they always have to end up taking down bad guys. It doesn't matter if the superhero is a veteran at the game, or a neophyte. It always seems that a superhero never can take a break. The case is especially true for one Clinton "Clint" Barton, aka the Avengers' resident Avenging Archer Hawkeye. As a member of Earth's Mightiest, it can be imagined that he can be considered 'always on duty' in some way. And sometimes, that even involves working with a newbie to the world of costumed heroing.

In this case, that newbie was one Scott Lang, aka the second Ant-Man. First appearing in Avengers #181 (March 1979), he was an ex-con and electronics expert. To save the life of his daughter Cassie, Lang was forced to take up thievery once again, stealing the Ant-Man suit from the previous user, Henry Pym. When Pym learned of the circumstances, he allowed Scott to keep the suit. In the years since, Scott has served as a member of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and in recent years, even been a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Lang has appeared in various animated series, but his biggest spotlight has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Portrayed by Paul Rudd, Lang has appeared in 2015's Ant-Man, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. At this point, he has teamed up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Thing, but this will be his first time battling evil with Hawkeye. So, how did it go? Did they get along smoothly, or did they end up brawling with each other as much as a common foe? Let's find out in my look at Avengers #223!

The cover is awesome. An Ed Hannigan and Klaus Janson piece, it has become rather iconic, showing Ant-Man lying on one of Hawkeye's arrows as he's about to fire it. The stark white background keeps the eye's attention on the two heroes. The saying on the cover is cliché, but accurate. Somebody gonna get it! This cover actually has been homaged in other media. Nods are paid to it in the video game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and in the big airport battle scene in Captain America: Civil War.

"Of Robin Hoods and Roustabouts"
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciler: Greg LaRocque
Inkers: Brett Breeding, Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Michael Carlin
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a certain archer returning home.

"Comin' home! Comin' home! Tell the world he's comin' home!"

Look at that smirk. Ol' Clint Barton is up to some trouble. Well, not really. You see, since he left the circus, the old owner retired and turned it over to his daughter Marcella Carson. She had sent him a flyer, seemingly inviting him for a show, but it was really a call for some help. Clint heads towards her trailer, but the burly guards sends him out on his butt.

"All I wanted was directions to the bathroom!"

Clint is ready for a fistfight, but one of the men whips out an oddly futuristic-looking gun, convincing the archer that a tactical retreat is the best option. This whole thing gets the former carny suspicious. Luckily, he packed his Hawkeye duds in his bag. However, he's going to have some backup. Elsewhere at the circus, one Scott Lang, aka the then-new Ant-Man, is buying some cotton candy for his daughter (And future superheroine herself) Cassie. He notices Hawkeye race by in costume, and decides to give him a hand. But one problem: He has Cassie with him. Hey, there's a solution!

She always did want to go on that rollercoaster... Scott gives the attendant a bit of money and tells him to let her ride the rollercoaster as long as it lasts. Scott Lang, Father of the Year. Hawkeye makes his way to the office, and finds that it's deserted. But he's able to track Marcella and the goons down relatively quickly. He's able to rescue the circus owner and get her to seeming safety in another tent. It's at this time that he's finally noticed that Marcella's grown up since they last crossed paths.

Marcella isn't Hawkeye's type. He likes women that can beat him up.

She explains that some crazy superhuman has taken over her circus, and she was lucky she was able to slip a call for help to Hawkeye thanks to his being on the circus's mailing list. Scott Lang has a bit of trouble suiting up. He kept his suit in his pocket in shrunken form. But back to the tent! Who was that nut who took over Marcella Carson's circus?

"Anyone who calls me Skeletor gets a sword in the face!"

Yup, future MCU villain (of Black Widow's upcoming solo movie) Taskmaster! Hawkeye remembers reading about him in the Avengers files. You see, the Taskmaster considers himself a teacher. He helps train the goons supervillains use in their schemes. He ran a bunch of these "academies" all over the country. So, why use Marcella's circus? He's expanding his business. Circuses travel around, so he wants to see if he can use one to disguise a mobile supervillain goon academy. And the type of people he looks for tend to hang around carnies, so it works out.

Hawkeye doesn't take too kindly to this, and tries to give the super-trainer some Arrow to the Head. But Taskmaster blocks it with his shield. You see, Taskmaster has this thing called "photographic reflexes". If he sees someone doing a physical feat, he can imitate it perfectly. For example, if he sees a gymnast do a routine on a pommel horse, he can then do a perfect duplication of the routine. It's allowed him to imitate the various fighting techniques of heroes like Captain America, Daredevil, and even Iron Fist. He can't duplicate superpowers, though. For example, he can imitate Wolverine's fighting style, but he can't imitate the man's claws, super senses, or healing factor.

He uses this ability to make short work of Hawkeye, and forces him to drop the bow by taking Marcella hostage. However, this was watched by some ants, who report this back to Scott. Taskmaster arranges the classic supervillain death trap for Hawkeye.

It's the early 80s, death traps were still cool.

Hawkeye is trapped in an electrified cage with a hungry lion. If he tries to escape, the cage will shock him enough to send the World's Mightiest Archer to dreamland. Either way, Clint Barton is lion food...or not. Thanks to his ability to shrink, Ant-Man is able to get through the bars harmlessly, and tosses the lion into them. Don't worry folks, no lions were harmed in the making of this comic. Leo there is just sleeping.

Hawkeye's luck is also improving as Ant-Man had encountered Taskmaster before. He was there when Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers #195 (May 1980), and they battled in Marvel Team-Up #103 (March 1981). Said villain is threatening Marcella, but Hawkeye and Ant-Man are able to get to her before he can do anything. He tries to flee using a magnesium flare to cover his tracks, but Hawkeye stops it with a well-placed arrow.

The supergoon teacher orders his goon students to swarm the two heroes. But this heroic tag-team turns out to gel really well.

"BAH GAWD ALMIGHTY, KING! THOSE AVENGERS ON THE RAMPAGE!"

Even Marcella gets in on the action, clobbering one of the goons with a wooden club. Hawkeye and Ant-Man chase after the Taskmaster, but the man has an insurance policy.

Yup. There's a dummy in that cannon. Once it hits the net, the explosives in it will be triggered, blowing the tent (and everyone in it), sky-high. Hawkeye orders Ant-Man to take care of that while he pursues Taskmaster. However, Ant-Man points out that it may take both of them to stop that dummy. Hawkeye reluctantly agrees. The Avenging Archer uses a bolo arrow to restrain the man at the cannon, but the man's fall ends up hitting the switch, activating the cannon...and firing it.

There's one chance left. Ant-Man shrinks down and climbs on one of Hawkeye's arrows. The archer fires it at the cannon.

As the dummy falls, Ant-Man desperately crawls towards the explosive's detonator. The dummy falls back in the tent...








...and does not explode. Hawkeye fears his new insect-theme got comrade got squashed, but he's okay. He managed to jump on a winged ant before the impact, thanks to his watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" 27 times. Yeah, Scott is a bit of a film buff. Unfortunately, the Taskmaster managed to get away. Ah, well. We'll see him again. As Hawkeye brings in the rest of the Avengers to clear up, Ant-Man realizes something.

He left Cassie on the roller coaster! He rushes back to see her, but she's just tired. She's okay, and wants to ride it again tomorrow! The story ends with Scott Lang being amused by this. Kids, am I right?

This was a very fun story! I really enjoyed the interaction between Clint and Scott Lang. I'm kind of surprised that this wasn't used as a foundation for an eventual friendship between them. I also always did like the concept of Taskmaster. It's a great way to explain how supervillains often can get goons to do tasks for them. I'm surprised that Taskmaster is the only such character in this superhero universe. Well, only one that we know of, anyway. I know that it may be odd for a book called "Avengers" to focus on only one member here, but it's nice to show that each of the members are people with lives outside the costumes.

This issue was also great because it was a nice glimpse into Clint's past and pre-Hawkeye days. It's neat to see characters' pasts, what molded them and made them into what they are. Greg LaRocque also turns in some good artwork for this.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Ant-Man: Scott Lang. It collects his early appearances. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! Join me next time, as we join the Fantastic Four on an viewing of "things" to come....

Movie Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The Merry Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! The Astonishing Ant-Man shrinks his way back into action in the MCU's 20th movie! And this time, he is not alone as he is joined by The Wonderous Wasp! So, did Ant-Man and the Wasp prove to be a worthy sequel to the first Ant-Man movie, or should it be banished to the Quantum Realm and forgotten? Let's find out!

Scott Lang, the ex-con turned shrinking superhero, Ant-Man has been in a bit in a bit of pickle since the events of Captain America: Civil War. Now confined to house arrest, he's called back into action to help stop the threat of the mysterious Ghost, who is after a device that Hank and Hope Pym have developed to rescue Janet Van Dyne from the Quantum Realm.

One of the film's biggest strong points in my opinion is, well...the humor. MCU fans really needed some cheering up after the emotional wrecking ball that was Avengers: Infinity War, and this film filled that bill perfectly. Character interactions are hilarious, and I was laughing at certain points in the movie. And there was a cameo that I loved seeing. It wasn't the Stan Lee cameo, but I did enjoy that one too.

Evangeline Lilly is clearly having a blast as the Wasp, and her fight scenes are awesome to watch. One of the things I liked about this movie and its predecessor is that there seemed to be a bit of an optimistic tone to it, and the ending lets that optimism shine through. Paul Rudd also turns in a great performance as Scott Lang. Michael Douglas's Henry Pym was fun to watch, as we got to see him be a grumpy old man. Lawrence Fishburne turns in a very sympathetic performance, and so does Hannah John-Kamen. Michael Pena is the underrated MVP, as Luis is as fun as ever. Tip "T.I." Harris and David Dastmalchian don't get a lot of screen time, but they make the most of it. Randall Park plays Jimmy Woo, and his take on him is very fun.

A personal issue I had with the film was its take on the Ghost. You see, in the comics, the Ghost was a mysterious anti-corporation supervillain who specialized in corporate sabotage. But considering the story, the alterations made sense. So, I was able to get over it. This take on the Ghost is surprisingly sympathetic, and she continues the trend the MCU has been doing of addressing the desire for more interesting and complex villains. In fact, I could argue that Ghost is not the most outright "evil" character in the movie.

The film does have quite a bit of subplots, but I think it managed to juggle them rather well. It didn't feel awkward to me at all.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is not a major film in the franchise, but I still recommend watching it. If Infinity War put you through the emotional wringer, this film will perk you right up.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer #2, My Thoughts.

A few months ago, the first trailer to the sequel of the film Ant-Man, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 20th film, Ant-Man and the Wasp, was released. I gave my thoughts on that trailer here. Now, there's a second trailer out! Let's take a look!

The trailer begins with little Cassie Lang asking her dad Scott how long he has been the MCU's second Ant-Man. Not very long, as the last film shows. He claims he stumbled into it, but really, Hank Pym wanted to recruit him.

Ha ha, he's using a truck like a skateboard.

Aww, Cassie wants to be a superhero, too. Don't you worry, Cass. In the comics, you get to be one.

Scott feels like he's a bit of a screw-up. Considering the events of Civil War, one can't blame him. Although he did fine in his own film, stopping Yellowjacket and all that. I think he's a bit hard on himself. Cassie suggests he get a partner to fight bad guys with. Someone to watch his back. Good thing Hope Van Dyne is there, then.

I love that bit with Hope beating up those bad guys in the car. Really helps sell the idea that Hope has been training herself her whole life to fight crime. Heck, I can imagine she secretly was training herself in using the Pym Particles in combat as well. Really shows here.

Luis and the gang went legit! Good for them! Hank's been exploring the Quantum Realm, huh? Makes sense. Considering the last film, I bet he's got renewed hope that Janet is still out there.

And we have the Ghost. Ghost looks awesome.

...Hope has not been helping train Scott, has she?

The Ghost is so high right now...

Taken down by a giant saltshaker. That man is so going to get laughed at in prison.

Hey, Cassie's giant ant has taken up the drums! Maybe she'll start a giant insect band.

Hey, Lawrence Fishburne! Everything is better with Lawrence Fishburne!

HI, FOLKS! I'M SCOTTZILLA! IMMA THROW YER BOAT!

Not surprised there would be a "size comparing" joke at some point.

Well, I'm excited. I'm guessing this film will give an idea where Ant-Man was during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, as this film will be set between that one and Captain America: Civil War. People have wondered where Ant-Man went off to. I think this film will provide a fun answer. I definitely will be watching this. I loved the first Ant-Man, so I think the sequel will be awesome, too.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe is rolling on and on! Black Panther is out, we got a teaser for the MCU's 20th film. Yup, Ant-Man and the Wasp mark the MCU's 20th movie. Amazing, ain't it? Anyway, let's take a look at the trailer!

The teaser begins with a view of the big city. And Ant-Man asking Wasp one question: If Cap had asked her to help him during the events of Civil War, would she have helped? She only says that now we'll never know, but she believes Scott Lang would never have gotten caught if she was there. You sure about that, Hope? Pride goeth before the fall.

You can get why Hope is a bit bitter towards Scott. Thanks to Scott's being on Team Cap during Civil War, both she and Hank Pym are on the run.

Ha ha ha, Pym Particles are awesome. He turned a building into a suitcase! That's so cool.

Hey, Lawrence Fishburne! I heard he's playing Bill Foster. I wonder if he'll suit up at some point.

OH, THAT BIT WITH THE SHRINKING VAN WAS SO COOL!

I can imagine giant Scott basically asking if anyone has any orange slices.

I like how the Ghost looks. I just wish the suit had more bright white on it. Like in the original comics.

Hope kicking some butt as the Wasp. Which makes sense. Hope Pym trained her whole life to be a superhero, and it may appear she has a natural talent for him, yet Scott is still rather new to it.

I'm guessing that Hank gave Hope wings and the blasters as a nod to the wasp's stingers and they can fly. But ants can have wings, too. Queen ants and male drone ants can be winged. Antony was a drone. But then again, maybe Hank felt Hope can handle blasters, whereas Scott may accidentally blow a hole in someone.

HOLY COW, GIANT HELLO KITTY FEZ DISPENSER COMING AT YA!

This film sounds like it'll be a lot of fun! I loved the first Ant-Man movie, and honestly, I think it's a rather underrated film. Give it a watch, it's great! I can't wait to see this! Between this, Black Panther, and the upcoming Infinity War, 2018 looks to be a great year to be a Marvel fan!

Ant-Man Review

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to watch the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ant-Man.

To be honest, I wasn't quite as excited to see this movie as I was to see the other films in the MCU, mainly because I felt the film was going to treat Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne as an afterthought in favor of Scott Lang. I have nothing against Lang, but I thought it would've been nice to see Hank become the Ant-Man in the MCU, alongside Jan as the Wasp, and they get to eventually fight Thanos. I had been hearing a lot of people saying the film was good though, so I decided to go see it with my dad.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film. It was a fun little romp, and as sad as I was that we would most like not get to see Hank and Janet kicking Thanos's butt in the future alongside the Avengers, I actually found myself not thinking about that during this film.

The film focuses on Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, a brilliant ex-con and divorcee who wants to go straight and make things right with his daughter, Cassie. He is recruited by Michael Douglas's Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, to don the suit to aid him in preventing Pym's former protégé, Corey Stoll's Darren Cross, from weaponizing his invention, the Pym Particle. The particles allow a person to shrink to the size of an ant, while maintain their normal strength.

The film has a lot of wonderful moments of humor, especially from Michael Pena's motormouthed Luis, who is the funniest character in the film. And the final battle is definitely one of the most unusual final battle in a MCU, or really, any film. It's a hilarious final battle.

The film didn't feel much like a standard MCU film, which was a breath of fresh air. It was a heist film with superpowers, and it was a well-executed story, showing that the MCU can tell a story in a variety of genres, and I hope we continue to see such variety in the MCU. Am I the only one hoping the Black Panther movie is a technothriller like Rising Sun and Captain Marvel will be a space opera?

I don't have many complaints about this film, though. One is Darren Cross. He seems a bit much like Obadiah Stane from the first Iron Man film to me, but I didn't think about that watching the film. I have heard the critique that MCU villains tend to be a bit flat, and I can see why. Personally, I think the problem is they don't get the development that the heroes do because except for Loki (and likely Red Skull), many of the villains die in the film they first appeared in. We don't really get to see villains grow and become more rounded over time like we see the heroes do. I would've loved to have seen Cross again, so he could get more development and growth.

I also wished we got to actually have Janet Van Dyne in the film. To me, Marvel really missed out on a opportunity to do what the site TV Tropes calls Fun with Casting and have Kathleen Turner play her. I would have loved to see them back on screen together again. Even more fun would've been having them pay homage to Romancing the Stone or Jewel of the Nile in the dialogue:

Jan: Hank, are you going to tell Scott the Colombia story again?
Hank: Why wouldn't I? We got married after that little adventure!

Yeah. I really grew to like Jan after watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and her not being included made me sad. Ah well, at least we will get a Wasp in the MCU.

All in all, I'd recommend seeing this movie. It's a fun way to kill a couple of hours, and it does bring a lot of down-to-Earth charm to the often grand-scale MCU. I cannot wait for a sequel.

Ant-Man teaser, My Thoughts

I have been wanting to put out my thoughts on the Ant-Man teaser for the longest time, but since this site tends to go bonkers when I try to put up videos or images on this site for some reason. That problem seems to be past now, so I can finally give my thoughts on the film.

I have to admit, at first, my feelings about the film were mixed. I have talked a bit about my thoughts on the film here and here. As for the teaser itself, well...to be honest, I have trouble talking about teasers in detail, mainly because well, I tend to be very generic in thought.

I'm not really sure what to say more about this film, to be honest. I'm not sure what else to say after what I wrote in two previous blog entries. I'm just hoping this film will be good. I have enjoyed all the Marvel films so far, yes, including the Iron Man sequels, so I'm hoping this'll be good, too.

I still am sad we won't get to see Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne fighting Ultron alongside the Avengers in the sequel. It would've been a shoe-in to have them involved in the sequel, considering that Hank Pym accidentally created Ultron in the comics. Ah, well.

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...