Phase Five has not been kind to Ant-Man and the Wasp. Marvel’s smallest superheroes were among the breakout stars of the Infinity Saga, spawning the highly popular Ant-Man (2015) and its 2018 sequel, but sadly the multidimensional disaster that was 2023’s Quantumania appeared to kill the franchise stone dead. And maybe it killed its characters’ MCU careers too.
It can’t be a total coincidence that Deadpool & Wolverine, the first Marvel movie to release in 2024, and therefore the first one to be made with the failure of the MCU’s 2023 in mind, features the giant lifeless skull of Scott Lang. If we’re being asked to laugh at Paul Rudd’s head getting turned into a villain HQ this doesn’t exactly bode well for Ant-Man’s continued status as a leading Avenger. Even if, canon-wise, this dead Ant-Man is clearly a variant and not the Earth-616 version.
Nonetheless, the Ant-Man family’s chances of survival have just been seriously decreased by one of their number deciding to walk away from Hollywood.
Evangeline Lilly leaving acting behind could squish Ant-Man’s legacy for good
Hope Van Dyne herself Evangeline Lilly has officially announced that she is stepping away from Hollywood and is retiring from acting with immediate effect.
Considering that she was just in a major blockbuster a year ago — not to mention being a familiar face on our screens for decades, thanks to Lost and The Hobbit trilogy — this has left her fans in shock. Maybe it shouldn’t have, though, as Lilly has pointed out that she originally declared she was going to retire in 10 years when Lost ended in 2010, so she’s actually stuck around longer than expected.
Lilly also confirmed that she has no outstanding “contractual obligations” with Marvel, so it seems we can well and truly draw a line in Wasp’s time with the MCU. This doesn’t necessarily preclude Rudd from returning solo as Scott, but given that Ant-Man and the Wasp have become a package deal it doesn’t fill us with confidence. Especially after his symbolic death in Deadpool 3, the cancellation of Ant-Man 4, and the lack of rumors of a role in Avengers 5.
That leaves Ant-Man’s legacy resting squarely on the shoulders of Scott’s daughter, Cassie Lang, who was name-dropped in The Marvels as a future member of the Young Avengers. Kathryn Newton is absolutely having a moment right now, so Marvel would be wise to do more with her, but the disappointment of The Marvels unfortunately suggests any projects built around Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel will be put on the back burner for now.
So, within just over a year since Quantumania heavily hinted at the full family’s return, we’re now at the point where the Ant-Man franchise might have been fully squished under Kevin Feige’s boot. Kang included. Marvel’s really putting the saga in Multiverse Saga, huh?
