How powerful is Janet van Dyne in the MCU?

One of the upcoming films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. When the film releases, we should have our first look at Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror (if he isn’t revealed before then). Even though he was already seen at the end of Loki, he portrayed He Who Remains, not Kang. 

The film will star Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd; Hope van Dyne, played by Evangeline Lilly; and Cassie Lang, played by Kathryn Newton, who will all enter the Quantum Realm as seen in the first two Ant-Man films. Although, one other character might be providing more than her fair share of help while they traverse the Quantum Realm — and that’s Janet van Dyne, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. 

Janet spent thirty years stuck in the Quantum Realm after shrinking to a sub-atomic level during a mission with Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, who, thinking there was no way to save his wife, left her there. After Scott discovered it was possible to come back from the Quantum Realm, Hope van Dyne made it her mission to retrieve her mother, which the team did in Ant-Man and the Wasp. While Pym was the original Ant-Man, Janet was the first to suit up as The Wasp, so not only did she have Pym’s abilities, but she could fly as well.

Although Janet hasn’t been with the team for long, as she was a victim of the Snap and was dead along with half the universe, we are yet to see what effects the Quantum Realm had on her fully after her thirty-year stay. After Ant-Man and the Wasp, we know that she was capable of possession and that she could manipulate Quantum Energy, whether she used it for healing Ghost or used it to remain stable in the Quantum Realm. 

Her current powers in the MCU are different from her powers in the comics. The Wasp was created by Stan Lee, Ernest Hart, and Jack Kirby in Tales to Astonish #44 in 1963. Her powers were similar to Ant-Man’s abilities as using Pym Particles allowed her to shrink and grow in size, but she also had wings and was much more stealthy than her male counterpart. All of this is true for her MCU version, but she lacks her Quantum Realm abilities, abilities which might develop further in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

It’s unclear whether her powers will develop further or to what extent, but it would be a shame if Marvel did not do anything else with the character seeing as they slyly introduced her as one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. After all, in addition to her powers, she is also a brilliant scientist with an intellect that rivals that of her husband. 

If Kang the Conqueror’s plans have anything to do with the disruption of time – which the end of Loki essentially confirms – then a powerful being in the Quantum Realm could be one of the greatest advantages the heroes have in the fight against him. And if you have any doubts as to whether she still has the powers and abilities that The Wasp had in the flashbacks of the Ant-Man movies, there is an episode of What If…? where Hank Pym wipes out half of the Avengers. 

We’ll find out just how powerful Janet van Dyne is once Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releases on 17 February 2023.