Peyton Reed, who directed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and will be replaced by Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, provided fans a hint about her character’s future in the MCU.
In Ant-Man 3, Newton will make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Scott Lang’s grown daughter, Cassie, who played a significant role in the first two films as Scott found his way as a hero and a father. Although the Newton recast for the threequel was revealed in late 2020, the role was originally performed by child actress Abby Ryder Fortson in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, and then grown up by five years when Emma Furhman reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame.
Fans have watched Cassie mature from a young child into a mature adolescent since her MCU debut in 2015, but her actual age has never been established, especially as her on-screen and off-screen relationship with Scott has progressed.
Fans have been given a glimpse into the character’s maturation process as she becomes a superhero for the first time.
The Age of Cassie Lang Is Verified by Ant-Man 3’s Director
Directing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Peyton Reed recently discussed the film’s lead character, Cassie Lang, with the YouTube channel Nerdhunter, revealing her age in the film.
Reed reflected first on the early days of the Ant-Man franchise, when he and star Paul Rudd discussed whether or not audiences would be able to connect with a character who is “sort of a real person:”
“The question of whether or not viewers would accept Paul Rudd as a superhero was a major one when Paul and I began working on the first film, so this is incredibly satisfying. If he can shrink and command ants, will Ant-Man be a popular character? I think people can identify to Scott Lang because he isn’t a super-hero, a super-scientist, or a billionaire, and that’s why the audience has responded so positively to the character. He’s simply an everyday guy who keeps being swept up in these extraordinary situations. However, I believe that we have all matured in terms of our vision for the movies and our understanding of the characters and their relationships with one another.”
Further, Reed revealed that the following threequel will feature Cassie Lang’s 18th birthday, with a major plot point being around Scott’s desire to make up for lost time with his daughter. Even as Cassie strives to “find her voice as a hero,” she and her allies will have the opportunity to work together during their fight against Kang the Conqueror.
“Our thinking has evolved since seeing “[Avengers:] Infinity War” and “[Avengers:] Endgame,” and we now believe that…
By the time this film is released, Cassie will be 18 years old. Incredibly exciting! His primary drive comes down to the simple statement, “I want time with my daughter.” Time is the central motif throughout, and he is constantly reminded of how much of it he has lost. And now he’s meeting the movie’s villain, Kang the Conqueror, who also has some control over the passage of time. Why does that matter to them? I think it’s great that Scott treats Cassie like a kid even if she’s all grown up. At this point in her life, she is a young adult with her own views on what it means to do good in the world and how to establish her own voice as a hero; she can also be rather critical of her father.”
Reed elaborated on how the familiar themes of family have been central to all three Ant-Man films, even as Cassie matures into adulthood:
“That sounded pretty deep, like it could have been about any family. And since the ‘Ant-Man’ movies are usually focused on families, the fact that you and your parents don’t always share everything about your lives is fascinating. One of the reasons Paul and I enjoy these films so much is because they throw so many plot twists at the protagonists, testing their mettle to the very end.”
Cassie Is Evolved and Prepared for the Avengers in Ant-Man
By her appearance in previous films, we may deduce that Cassie was around 16 when they were released (so she would have been 11 in Ant-Man and the Wasp and 8 in Ant-Man), and that she is now approaching her 18th birthday in Ant-Man 3. Also consistent with this are comments made by Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who said that his film takes place around about the same time as Ant-Man 3, which is roughly two years after the events of Endgame.
But in a world where her father is an Avenger, Cassie seems to be heading down a perilous road just as she enters maturity. Movie promos shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 hinted at a pre-Quantum Realm arrest and detention for Cassie before she and her father are whisked away to the Quantum Realm with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne.
Now that the threequel’s release date is less than a few months away, fans are left wondering how Cassie will find her own niche in a world with more superheroes than ever before.
On February 17, 2023, theatres will release Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
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