After an exhaustive wait, the MCU finally gave official confirmation of the Young Avengers with a teasing scene tucked into the end of The Marvels. 4c294t

The youthful team is a go, meaning the hordes of Young Avengers fans are years, at most, away from an official Young Avengers offering. We don’t know if it will come in film or television form just yet, nor do we know whether it will exclusively follow the team, or if they will instead enjoy a background role in a separate release. There are a lot of question marks currently surrounding almost every aspect of the project, from what form it will take to who will make up the new team. A few people are all but guaranteed, but questions surround several others are throwing the entire lineup into doubt.

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The MCU has introduced almost every original member of the Young Avengers in some capacity, so it seems likely a familiar lineup will debut with the MCU Young Avengers project. The MCU future of at least one member of the OG team recently came into question, however, leading some fans to believe we’ll be seeing a major shake-up. Add the addition of Kamala Khan — a member of the Champions, rather than the Young Avengers, in Marvel comics — and we’re certain to see a fairly different team make the transition from comics to live-action.

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Kate is a guaranteed member of the Young Avengers, based on that enticing The Marvels scene. In the final moments of the MCU release, Kamala Khan — using tech “borrowed” from S.A.B.E.R. — tracks down Kate and invites her to a new team of youthful superheroes.

In Marvel comics, Kate eventually serves as one of the primary leaders of the Young Avengers. Considering Kate’s canon age in the MCU — which places her as a young adult, rather than a teen — she’s likely to once again secure this position, as likely the oldest member of the group. Taking on the title of Hawkeye, Kate boasts no actual superpowers, but has plenty of skill when it comes to marksmanship.

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Then there’s Kamala herself, who is likewise a candidate for leader. Kamala is a fair bit younger than Kate, of course, but she’s the one pursuing the team’s actual formation. That puts her in a position to lead, which could at least see her share the duty with Kate. As Ms. Marvel, Kamala possesses two of the universe’s most powerful objects — bangles that grant her mind-bending powers.

Regardless of who becomes leader, these two are the only concretely confirmed of the Young Avengers. Interestingly, they never share a team in Marvel comics, because Kamala is actually the leader of a separate youthful group. She, along with Spider-Man and Nova, formed a separate group (The Champions) after departing the Avengers. They’re technically separate from the Young Avengers, but it seems the MCU might have its sights set on combining the two for the big screen.

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Cassie Lang’s inclusion in the MCU’s Young Avengers is nearly as assured as Kate and Kamala’s. She even got a mention in that brief The Marvels scene, and — despite audience reactions to the film itself — her full debut in Quantumania makes her a clear contender for the group.

Cassie is an original member of the Marvel comics version of the Young Avengers, and she’ll make a great addition to the team in the MCU. Cassie has a brilliant scientific mind, a good heart, and her father’s determination, so she’ll doubtless level up whatever project the Young Avengers eventually debut in. As Stature — her superhero name — she’s got the same general power set as her dad, but tends to enjoy being larger-than-life more than being ant-sized.

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Then there’s America Chavez, another recent MCU addition with clear ties to the Young Avengers. She’s not an original member, but Chavez quickly became a standout in Young Avengers comics, and she’s likely to do the same in the MCU. The franchise is quickly becoming overwhelmed by eager new recruits, and — considering the recent quality of its releases — that can only be a good thing.

Perhaps these new additions to the team will help to elevate the franchise back to its former heights. It will certainly be interesting to see such an ecclectic team come together, particularly considering how powerful some of them are. America proved herself to be among the strongest of the MCU’s young heroes in Multiverse of Madness, and she’s still learning to control her multiversal powers. The future truly is limitless.

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Another incoming hero with near-limitless potential is Billy Maximoff, the overpowered child of the Scarlet Witch, one of the MCU’s most formidable heroes (and villains). How, exactly, he’ll the young heroes of Earth-616 is still a mystery, of course, considering that he and his twin don’t exist in this universe, but the bigwigs at Marvel Studios will no doubt cook up an explanation.

Billy takes on the moniker of Wiccan (after initially going by Young Thor or the Asguardian) once he becomes a full-fledged hero, and his power set is pretty expansive. He can do almost anything he sets his mind to, so long as he can find the right combination of words to make it work.

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She’s not an OG Young Avenger, but Riri boasts the unique privilege of association with both the Young Avengers and Champions over her tenure in comics. Her links to both teams makes for a nice bridge between them, and likewise makes her a stellar fit for the incoming Young Avengers project.

Riri goes by Ironheart when decked out in her impressive Iron Man-esque armor, which grants her near invulnerabilty. She’t no Thor, of course — particularly not outside of her armor — but the hardy getup is enough to elevate her to the heights of even her superpowered peers. Rumors indicate that Ironheart is among the shoe-ins for the MCU’s team, which is great news for the character’s many fans.

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Their MCU origin story is — so far — pretty different from their debut in comics, but the Maximoff twins are still top contenders for the franchise’s Young Avengers team. If his brother is involved with the team, its inevitable that Tommy will eventually as well, but exactly what that will look like is still a mystery.

Regardless, Tommy — or Speed, as he’s known in his green and silver getup — is all but assured to be a Young Avenger eventually. Thanks to his… unique origins, Tommy’s power-set is almost identical to that of his uncle, Pietro Maximoff. He can move his molecules fast enough to phase through matter, run up to 761 miles per hour, and boasts the typical superhuman strength, durability, and agility that comes baked into most superheroes. He’s a force to be reckoned with.

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On top of those listed above, a number of additional team eventually the Young Avengers. Some of these characters were part of the original comics lineup, but aren’t guaranteed a position on the MCU’s team, and others are placed so conveniently in recent MCU releases to be anything but Young Avengers plugs. That is, unless the MCU decides to completely ignore the work it already put in and simply write them out of the story.

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He’s not part of the MCU just yet, and some theories see him excluded from the team completely, but the Young Avengers would be incomplete without Teddy. Also known as Hulkling, Teddy is a shapeshifter of staggering skill, along with the classic lineup of super speed, strength, durability, agility, etc. He’s not technically related to the Hulk — and the entrance of the Hulk’s actual child, Skaar, is stoking speculation that he’ll replace Teddy — but he earned his name from the shape he most often takes when fighting crime. I won’t spoil his background here, in case he does earn a spot in the MCU, but no doubt the actual reason behind his unique appearance will come out eventually.

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The kid that will eventually take on the moniker of Patriot earned his MCU debut with Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but there’s reason to doubt Elijah Richardson’s future as Eli Bradley. He’s reportedly not involved with 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, despite his clear connections to the history of Captain America, and that alone is enough to cast doubt over his MCU future. Richardson did a wonderful job bringing the resentful young Bradley to life, however, and Young Avengers fans would be robbed if we lost the opportunity to watch this character grow, gain powers, and become a leader, just like his grandfather.

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Kid Loki, like Eli, has already enjoyed his MCU debut. He was first introduced in Loki season 1 and, while he’s not part of the original Young Avengers lineup, his eventual entrance onto the team is exceedingly likely. Played in the MCU by Jack Veal, the character is an enduring member of the team in comics, and a popular one at that. Unsurprisingly, as a hero Kid Loki boasts generally the same powerset as his adult counterpart, offering up a range of powerful magical abilities on top of the classic superhero level ups.

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Iron Lad is a confusing, but potentially vital, element of the Young Avengers. Its reasonable to think that he is less necessary to the team, now that Kamala has taken on the task of forming it, but Iron Lad offers up some seriously interesting potentials Marvel would be foolish to waste. That’s largely due to the character’s true identity, which makes him one of the most dangerous men in the Marvel universe — and one with a massive future in the MCU. An older, alternate version of Iron Lad — or 20 — have already seen their MCU debut, and introducing Iron Lad with the Young Avengers could present some thrilling potentials. The character, as a member of the Young Avengers, largely leans on advanced tech similar to that worn by Iron Man — thus the name.

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Last but certainly not least we have Love, the daughter of Gorr the God Killer and surrogate daughter of Thor. Played by Chris Hemsworth’s real-life daughter, India Rose Hemsworth, the character was a minor inclusion in Thor: Love and Thunder, but she’s got boundless potential as we look ahead at the future of the franchise. She appears to boast powers similar to an Asgardian — the classic super strength, speed, and agility, on top of cosmic energy manipulation — and she can even shoot beams of optic energy out of her eyes, Superman-style.

People, its finally happening.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Marvels.

For years, fans of the Young Avengers have been clamoring for any sign — beyond the gradual introduction of its — that the team was set to enter the MCU. We thought we’d get it in Hawkeye. Then, we thought maybe it would come about with Ms. Marvel or Quantumania. Each of these releases did contain at least one member of the Young Avengers lineup — as did several others — but none of them laid down any concrete hints that the team would ever be formed.

Until now. The final moments of The Marvels finally gave us what we’ve been waiting for, with the clear introduction of the Young Avengers. Or maybe the Champions, but that’s beside the point. No matter what its called, a team of youthful superheroes is poised to enter the MCU, and we couldn’t be more excited to greet them. The way their formation began is definitely a touch different from the version in Marvel comics, and it leads to an ever-necessary question: Who is usually the leader of the Young Avengers, and will they remain in charge in the MCU’s take on the team?

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Marvel fans have seen almost every original member of the Young Avengers introduced over the last several years. The only one missing, as of now, is Teddy, and he might end up replaced by Skaar anyway. As it stands, the Young Avengers clearly make the most sense as the MCU’s official superjunior team.

That being said, its far from Marvel’s only youthful team. There are plenty to pick from, over decades of Marvel history — some of which already have spin-offs of their own — but the only other real contender for the MCU is the Champions, a team that just so happens to be led by one Kamala Khan.

The Young Avengers, however — a team that original consists of Kate Bishop, Eli Bradley, Tommy and Billy Maximoff, Cassie Lang, Teddy Altman, and Iron Lad — simply makes the most sense for the MCU. The franchise has been dropping breadcrumbs for years now, and those finally seem to be paying off.

In comics canon, the original leader of the Young Avengers is Iron Lad, a Kang variant who travels back in time in hopes of changing his blood-soaked future. If the MCU were to maintain this storyline, it could present some very interesting potentials for those future Kang storylines, particularly where Jonathan Majors is concerned.

Even if the MCU goes in another direction, however, it has plenty of options. Following Iron Lad’s departure, leadership of the Young Avengers es on to Kate and Eli. They bicker over their leadership positions initially, but eventually the two make a perfect team. Other of the squad have taken on leadership positions over the years, but back when it started Kate and Eli helped guide the team into proper superheroes.

Who will lead the Young Avengers in the MCU? 2ug68

The MCU and Marvel comics are not the same thing, which often leads to pretty massive gaps between the original comics and their resulting live-action counterparts. Kamala boasts a different power-set, certain characters have different backgrounds, which ultimately means that we can’t expect a carbon copy of the comics we know and love. Hopefully the MCU will use them as inspiration to make something else we love.

Which throws the eventual leadership of the Young Avengers into question. As do the final moments of The Marvels, which saw Kamala Khan approach Kate Bishop about forming their own superhero team. This is already a massive departure from the comics, which saw Iron Lad form the team, and seems to place Kamala in a leadership role. Given her youth, however, particularly compared to Kate’s, I’d still argue that Kate will become the eventual leader of the Young Avengers.

That all hinges on what happens next, however. We still don’t know who the other of the team will be, but it feels safe to assume that at least Kamala, Kate, America Chavez, the Maximoff twins, Cassie Lang, and Eli Bradley will eventually . There are some hurdles to sur before the Maximoff twins can up, and let’s not even dig into the whole Loki situation, but their eventual acceptance onto the team feels assured. How everything will come to is still a mystery, as is pretty much everything else. Will the team make their debut in a Disney Plus series? In a film? As a side-note in another major MCU release? We still have no idea, but with official confirmation, theories are running rampant.

When it comes to conveying how dire a situation is in a cinematic setting, nothing raises the stakes like the main character biting the dust. Thus, it is not a biggie that Marvel has been doing the same with reckless abandon since Avengers: Infinity War. But the fact that many of the characters bid farewell way too soon always hits harder whenever I that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania exists.

I think I will be speaking for the entire Marvel fan club when I say that we would be much happier if at least 90% of the characters we lost were still alive and kicking. But there is a difference between wishful yearning and knowing when the MCU did us dirty by snatching away beloved characters just so it can hide its inability to spin a better story under the garb of death.

Those nursing a fresh beef with the studio already know the first two names…

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Nick Fury with his tough-guy act and willingness to manipulate anyone and everyone for his plans never made him my top-favorite MCU character (though Samuel Jackson manages to make him loveable). It was Cobie Smulder’s return as Maria Hill and her promise that the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent’s story will be explored in “depth” in Secret Invasion which made me watch the disappointing series in the first place. 

But Smulders probably confused “death” with “depth” as Maria was murdered in cold blood, but most importantly, her being gunned down served no purpose whatsoever to further the storyline or give the show’s mercurial protagonist any motivation. An exceptional actress playing a beloved character, who fans had been hoping to know more about for years, just killed like *snap*.

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Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos suffered the same fate — unnecessarily killed off because a poorly stitched series like Secret Invasion thinks killing characters is the only way to make a thriller. The man was just starting to establish his footing in the MCU — and doing it better than Jackson, mind you — and would have a better place in it after Captain Marvel makes her comeback in The Marvels. 

But nooo, he was sacrificed for the sake of flaunting the ruthlessness of a one-time villain and a so-called protagonist who is striking me as more of an evil villain than Thanos ever was — at least the Titan mourned Gamora after killing her, unlike Fury who barely missed Maria and Talos as he was hyper-focused on his image. Hell, he even eagerly sent his dead friend’s daughter to single-handedly face-off against Gravik who had no qualms about killing people.

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Okay, now Wenwu might be listed as Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings’ villain, but he never truly qualified for the title; driven by love and loss, Wenwu was desperate to fix it all. And he did make amends in time, and would have gone on to be a great father, had Marvel not decided that for Shang Chi to have the hero’s arc, Wenwu has to get his soul sucked out by the Dweller-in-Darkness.

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Almost every iteration of Peter Parker so far has fully embraced “with great powers come great responsibility” only after they lost someone they truly loved. I know that, but did Aunt May really have to die? MCU’s Peter already lost Tony Stark, and he was still processing that grief. What was the lesson here? He would have still dispatched the villains in pretty much the same way — perhaps with Tobey Maguire’s Spidey not getting stabbed in the process — and agreed to let the world forget him in order to save everyone.

In fact, it would have added more gravitas to Peter’s sacrifice had Aunt May remained alive — the woman who raised him to not recognize him at all, yet to feel a tugging familarity? Don’t tell me that doesn’t twist your heart more than MJ and Ned not knowing him.

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Ah, yes. The God of Mischief is technically alive — at least his variants are. But the real deal, the one who has been giving Thor a run for his money since his first appearance, is no longer with us. I mean, the one we have now is amazing, but he has yet to reach the point where we can call him a true hero. The OG Loki became one — although with a more grey-shaded edge — a long time ago. He was the enemy you don’t want and the ally you need by your side. 

I know, I said 5, but really, did Lylla, Teefs, and Floor have to die? A Rocket who was less of a moron and more of a kind-hearted soul would still have resulted in the High Evolutionary’s demise.

Well, Marvel, seriously, if the bloodlust was that coveted by your scattered brain, Quantumania was sitting right there. Never before have I found more solid reasons to kill characters (yes, plural).

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I know, he dies at the end of Quantumania. What I am saying is he should have died sooner, perhaps before he gave the entire fandom collective nightmares for the rest of their lives the minute they laid eyes on his horrifying CGI-ed face, or the definitely-not-adorable peek at his buttocks. Most importantly, dying earlier in the film would have saved him (and us) from Scott’s cringey monologue at the end. 

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My focused dislike for Lang has often been pointed out as baseless by his ardent fans. But after Quantumania, I would extend the offer to his loyalists to come and my side. After his mindless jokes that fell flat, and a storyline that proved that even with his suit on he is still the most useless Avengers ever, I was not-so-silently hoping for him to make the noble sacrifice of dying while killing Kang and becoming the reason Hope — or anyone else — gets a chance at a solid storyline. 

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If truth be told, the switch in her whole persona for Quantumania’s sake is just not digestible. Cassie is a political activist — though to lend her that rebellious edge needed to challenge Kang, she is also, suddenly, a scientist — so she can make the machine that sends them to the Quantum Realm. Also, she has issues with Daddy dearest — just to induce that tinge of tension between her and Scott, so when he strives to save her, it hits harder. 

Kathryn Newton’s one-tone bland expressions didn’t exactly do the show any favors. And anyway, Marvel is all gung-ho about killing side characters to give their hero all the motivation. Well, Cassie was right there, sir, kill away.

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It was because of her naivety and eagerness to help a complete stranger that unleashed Kang on the Quantum Realm (and the MCU). Considering that the actions she took which led to him gaining partial powers happened way in the past, her kicking the bucket would have been, in a way, retribution for those who suffered his tyranny in his absence. 

I love me some Michelle Pfeiffer, but if Marvel is going to forget that it gave her superpowers (at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp) in favor of making her commit foolish mistakes and tell tales of how she was doing the Devil’s dance with Krylar (of all people) while Hank was pining for her for 30 years, then, by all means, off with her head. Pfeiffer deserves so much better.

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Well, the underwhelming Kang died (courtesy of some ants and the least powerful superhero). As I am yet to miss the man, I don’t see any reason to keep his doppelgangers around. In my mind palace, I already annihilated them all for being so darn corny.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set the stage neatly for the arrival of one of Marvel Comics’ most popular teams — the Young Avengers. With Cassie Lang as the latest member to be properly introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are now looking to the future to try to suss out when exactly she will get to meet all her fellow teen heroes.

One MCU enthusiast is theorizing that it might be much sooner than expected, with Lang possibly making an appearance in Armor Wars, and connecting with another young and gifted Marvel kid – Riri Williams aka Ironheart. The also points out that Armor Wars is where the West Coast Avengers are rumored to be formed, leading into Vision Quest, which will also likely feature two other founders of the Young Avengers, Tommy, and Billy Maximoff.

Although the post doesn’t exactly specify what role Cassie would play in either of those projects, the order of events does make a lot of sense. In the comics, White Vision is a main plot point in the formation of the Young Avengers, which, in turn, have a direct tie-in with the current big bad of the MCU, Kang The Conqueror via the character of Iron Lad.

A couple of commentators aren’t particularly excited by the prospect of seeing Cassie in the MCU again, seeing as they weren’t big fans of Kathryn Newton’s performance in Quantumania.

Like it or not, Newton is the MCU’s Cassie Lang, and as things stand, everything points towards the Young Avengers being the future of the franchise, much like the comics. Besides Cassie, Tommy, and Billy, we’ve also been introduced to Kate Bishop, Eli Bradley aka Patriot, Miss America, and even Kid Loki. It would definitely be strange if that was all for naught.

If this cybernaut really is right, then we might get to see more of Cassie Lang and the Young Avengers when Armor Wars and Vision Quest roll around. Neither project has a confirmed release date yet, but they’re both expected to premiere in 2024.

Any day now, the Young Avengers are going to assemble in the MCU. Well, at least, we hope so. Honestly, we’ve been expecting an announcement about some kind of team-up project for the adolescent superhero group for the past three years at least, but Marvel has yet to be forthcoming. In the absence of official news, then, it remains up to the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to name their dream crossovers. Enter Black Panther: Wakanda Forever breakout Dominique Thorne, aka Ironheart herself.

Ahead of her very own Disney Plus series arriving later this year, Thorne revealed to The Direct which of her fellow Young Avengers she would most love to work with in the franchise. In a very timely answer, the Riri Williams actress decided to go for Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter who is nowadays played by Kathryn Newton, starting with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Thorne imagines the pair could bond over their intersecting backstories:

“Ooh, this is a good one. Let’s see. I would say maybe Cassie Lang, I’d say. I think the two of them, they’re definitely similar age group, all of that. But Cassie also experienced… We all, obviously, know the loss that Riri has experienced. Or if we don’t, we’ll come to know… It’s how she came to be. And so, Cassie though, in a way that I’m not sure we really have seen yet. But she also experienced loss in a different form with the Blip and all that that meant.”

So, there’s a big hint about what we’ve got to learn about Riri in Ironheart. Meanwhile, Thorne went on to say that the differences between Riri and Cassie, in of their backgrounds and personal histories, could lead to some interesting comparisons and contrasts between the future Stature and Ironheart:

“And to see the glimpses of her sort of taking up her own mantle and going on her own journey, as alluded to from all the [Quantumania] trailers, I think it would be pretty interesting to see how these two young girls from very different backgrounds, very different lifestyles, but of a similar age, and maybe a shared human emotion of loss, to see how they interact and what they do if they were to get together in this very super world of ours.”

At this point, there are certainly enough next-gen heroes in place for Marvel to go ahead with making the Young Avengers MCU canon. Presumably, the studio is just waiting on the perfect place for team leader Iron Lad to appear before pulling the pin on this one — although, frankly, they just missed the ball on that with Quantumania. By the looks of it, then, we might have to wait for Young Avengers to become a thing after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty gets here in 2025. In the meantime, maybe a Cassie-Riri union could take shape in Ironheart, once that streams sometime this fall.

Warning: Spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to follow.

With its opening weekend having come and gone, it doesn’t look like the bleak sentiment surrounding Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be improving any time soon. Indeed, barring an inch-perfect performance from Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror (who, frankly, needed all the gravitas Majors could muster given how the character met his defeat), it seems that Scott Lang’s third outing has all the parts it needs to cement itself as one of the worst-reviewed MCU projects in history.

But who was the biggest loser of Quantumania? Kang and his apparently poor matchup against technocratic insects? M.O.D.O.K., the floating, talking personification of dramatic dissonance? Audiences, if we’re being ruthlessly honest?

No, if there was any character that Quantumania did a disservice to more than anyone, it was Cassie Lang.

Cassie, for the most part, is a character that the MCU has treated with reckless abandon from the get-go, as prophesized by the bizarre decision to recast Emma Fuhrmann, who first portrayed a grown-up Cassie in Avengers: Endgame, even after she delivered a masterclass of a reunion scene with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang.

Of course, that isn’t to say that Kathryn Newton, who will be helming the role of Cassie from here on out, is to blame for Quantumania dropping the ball on her. Given the script that she seemed forced to work with coupled with her status as an MCU newcomer, no one can reasonably blame her for getting trapped the way she did.

So why was Cassie the biggest loser of Quantumania? Well, one just has to turn to the film’s ending to begin answering that question.

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Marvel missed a glittering, gorgeous opportunity to launch Cassie into one of the most fascinating character arcs we could have ever seen, and threw it away for the sake of a safe, Hollywood-friendly ending, in which Scott, on the brink of being beaten beyond recovery by Kang, is rescued by Hope van Dyne, and the two of them knock Kang into the power core, seemingly sending him to his death. With the day saved and everyone happy and healthy, Scott and the rest of the Ant-Man family return to their world for a fake birthday surprise for Cassie.

On the surface, and barring the fact that it quickly turned Kang into a laughingstock, perhaps there’s nothing wrong with this ending. But, if one were to tap into their imagination just a little bit, it doesn’t take long to arrive at how the film should have ended, and how opting out of such an ending for the sake of the one we got in the film made for a major missed opportunity for Cassie’s character.

Recently, a thread on r/MCUTheories led to a discussion on how Quantumania‘s ending could have been improved, which, of course, involved the now-popular opinion that the film should have ended with Scott getting trapped in the Quantum Realm, rather than the happy ending we wound up getting.

Again, putting aside the fact that it could have helped establish Kang as a far more serious threat while adding onto Scott’s arc much more significantly, this alternate ending would have jumpstarted Cassie’s character arc in an enormous way.

Throughout the film, Cassie and Scott share contrasting points of view on the subject of justice, with Scott shying away from any more danger for the sake of preserving life with his family, and Cassie believing that they still have a responsibility to help those in need.

Cassie, of course, is right. Scott is an Avenger, and doesn’t have much business substituting crime-fighting with book gs. So, had Scott made the ultimate sacrifice by trapping himself in the Quantum Realm in order to prevent Kang from escaping, that would have been one big step in the right direction for Scott.

But it would have been ten big steps in an exciting new direction for Cassie. After she spent a good portion of Quantumania egging her father on about doing the right thing, how would she have responded if he finally did do the right thing at the cost of his, and, by extension, Cassie’s livelihood, family life, and capacity for emotional trauma?

Perhaps, for instance, she would start to realize that true justice isn’t quite the idealistic endeavor she originally thought it was, having now learned how much sacrifice tends to be involved with it, which in turn could result in her retroactively cutting Scott some slack. Such a development could have sent her on a fascinating trajectory for her growth as both a person and a Young Avenger, where she could have sought to reconcile this new inner conflict regarding the act of justice.

But alas, what could have been the site of a world-class moment of character development was instead nothing more than a lackluster CGI exhibit for Cassie, Kang, and, worst-case scenario, the ethos of the Multiverse Saga as a whole. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for a Phase Five phoenix moment, but this woeful mishandling of Cassie was no doubt one of the sourest surprises of all of Quantumania‘s misdeeds.

Apparently, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn’t already on the receiving end of enough backlash, what with all the wildly underwhelming reviews and almost record-breakingly bad Rotten Tomatoes score, as fans have decided to add some more to its plate. In the wake of the latest MCU threequel’s release, Marvel critics with long memories have reminded us all of Marvel’s most controversial recast, which is still leaving people angry all these years later.

Quantumania inherits the idea that Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie aged up to adolescence while Ant-Man was stuck in the Quantum Realm from Avengers: Endgame, however, it hasn’t inherited that film’s older Cassie actress. Emma Fuhrmann took over from Abbie Ryder Fortson for Endgame, appearing in a hugely emotional cameo opposite Paul Rudd. And yet, she was replaced by Kathryn Newton for this latest entry in the saga. This unexplained recast, plus the way it was handled, is still rubbing fans up the wrong way.

As the tweet above states, Fuhrmann itted at the time of Newton’s casting — which was first announced back in December 2020 — that she was “sad” to find out she wouldn’t be returning to her role when the news broke online but, with irable grace, she thanked Marvel for the opportunity to play Cassie just the once at the same time.

Many of the reactions to this new viral tweet think Fuhrmann’s Endgame performance was so good she deserved another shot.

Others believe that, given Quantumania‘s reception, Fuhrmann may have dodged a bullet.

Some, meanwhile, don’t think any kind of crime was committed here…

Although, as the OP pointed out, whatever your stance on Furhmann’s recast, no offense is intended to Newton who is an equally gifted actress and in no way to blame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is playing in theaters everywhere now.

Ant-Man’s Cassie Lang has come a long way since fans were introduced to the character many years ago.

Director Peyton Reed of the film’s third installment, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, made it a pivotal point to showcase how much Cassie, the daughter of Scott Lang (Ant-Man) and his ex-wife Maggie, has evolved in the franchise. During a recent interview with Screen Rant, Reed opened up about the changes Cassie went through as a teen and a new superhero during Scott’s five-year absence after he got stuck in the quantum realm following the Blip. 

Reed told the publication on Feb. 11 that because Cassie didn’t have Scott in her life for so long, she developed her own thoughts and ideas surrounding the world’s “injustices” and chose the ones she wanted to solve. The 58-year-old said,

“Cassie Lang, as we’ve seen in all the Ant-Man movies, is Scott Lang’s number one priority in life. He wants to be a good dad. In this movie, she’s 18 as a result of what happened in Endgame. Scott’s kind of still relating to her as a little girl, but she’s a young woman now. And as a young woman, she has her own ideas of what it’s like to be a hero, or what injustices in the world might need dealing with; her methods might be different than her dad’s.”

Later, Reed disclosed what made Cassie different from other Marvel superheroes. The filmmaker claimed it was because the teenager was entering a field that her family was a part of, and she also had guidance from numerous people. He stated,

“She’s also at an age where she’s critical of her dad, but I think what sets her apart is that it’s a family business. She’s got Scott and Hope as a template, and she’s got Janet and Hank as a template. And she happens to be embedded with a handful of genius, Quantum scientists and a couple who synthesized the original Pym particle. But she’s just trying to figure it out, man. She’s just trying to figure out how to be a good citizen of the world and what that means.”

The buzz surrounding Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania began after its trailer was released last year.

The film follows Scott and Cassie Lang, Hope Van Dyne (Wasp), and her parents, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, as they travel through the Quantum Realm. The group was accidentally placed in the Quantum realm after Cassie’s attempt to help others by using two-way radio backfires. It stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors, among others.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will premiere in theaters on Feb. 17.

Quite often, Marvel fans have to suspend disbelief in order to go on with enjoying a film; to wit, the super serum soldier in Captain America, the fact that Black Widow can fight with her hair all up in her face, the entire character of Thor — but one thing that viewers may also just have to get on board with is that so many characters appear to be super geniuses. That also appears to be the case for Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

We know from the first trailer that Cassie has been tinkering around with some Quantum technology, but a newly-released clip shows that she hasn’t merely been tinkering; she has designed, as Hank Pym puts it, “a sub-atomic Hubble telescope in a basement.” Sound familiar? That’s because in the first Iron Man film we have Obadiah Stane shouting “Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a bunch of scraps!”

It feels that in order to be a superhero you cannot simply be strong, courageous, or altruistic, and Cassie is now ing a cohort of MCU brainiacs that includes Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Shuri, Rocket, Iron Heart, Hank Pym, Spider-Man, and even, to a degree, Ant-Man (it was his smarts that got him locked up in jail in the first place).

Here is the clip which shows off just how impressive Cassie’s skills are.

Though we know from the trailer that sometimes there are things that you really shouldn’t be meddling in, no matter how smart you are. Her invention gets them all sucked into the Quantum realm where Kang the Conqueror awaits, but will her smarts be able to assist them in getting out?

We can see more of Cassie and the rest of the Ant-Man crew in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will land in theatres on February 17.

We’re a month and change away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s foray into Phase Five, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to bring back everyone’s favorite pint-sized Avenger while introducing Multiverse Saga big bad Kang the Conqueror in the biggest way possible.

As more trailers continue to grace us with micro-reveals, such as the MCU debut of M.O.D.O.K., so too do a myriad of questions surround them. One such query centers on Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang, who is seen walking out of a prison cell in the film’s latest trailer, and while it’s perhaps fitting that she took after her father, the more curious side of r/marvelstudios can’t help but wonder just how Cassie wound up behind bars in the first place.

One got the thread off on the right track almost immediately.

Some are convinced that Quantumania will officially be tying the MCU together with the Breaking Bad universe, putting Infinity War‘s crossover capacity to shame.

On the more realistic/helpful side, some posited that Cassie is especially taking after her father not only by landing herself in prison, but by doing so in the same way he did.

As for who she stole from, the thread still seems to be working on that.

It’s even entirely possible that she enlisted her Quantum technology in her poorly-fated heist.

Whatever she went to the slammer for, it’ll surely seem like a breeze when compared to the mayhem of the Quantum Realm, especially considering that half of the internet is all but certain that Cassie will have witnessed the demise of her father by the end of Quantumania‘s runtime. If that’s not a roundabout way to teach kids to not do crime, we don’t know what is.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releases to theaters on Feb. 17.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be a marked change from the first installments in Paul Rudd’s own Marvel trilogy, with everything from the threequel’s setting to its scope being much different from what’s come before. Sure enough, many familiar faces from the first two films aren’t expected to feature, including even Michael Pena’s fan-favorite Luis.

Meanwhile, one returning actor is playing a new character this time around, in the form of former Kurt star David Dastmalchian, while another character is being replaced by a new performer. Namely, Kathryn Newton is taking over as Scott’s now teenaged daughter Cassie. In both 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, Cassie was portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson… Not to mention Emma Furhmann briefly in Avengers: Endgame, but Marvel seems eager for us to forget about that.

Cassie is now Newton’s role through and through, then, but the heavy use of flashbacks to Fortson’s young Cassie in the most recent Quantumania trailer has convinced fans that Fortson will feature in the new movie in some capacity. And it’s likely that Kang will have something to do with it.

The trailer clarifies that Kang hoodwinks Scott into making a devil’s bargain with him with the promise that he can change reality so that he never missed all those years with Cassie.

As Redditor u/ian_macintyre pitched, “Calling it right now – we’re gonna see Cassie Lang played by Kathryn Newton in the present, AND Abby Ryder Fortson in the years that Scott missed, which Kang will tempt Scott with by offering to “give him back that time”. And it’s gonna break everyone’s hearts to see Scott have to give up what he wants most.”

U/TheStarSquad followed this up by suggesting that Fortson will appear in an “an alternate timeline” in which Scott was never trapped in the Quantum Realm for five years. Apparently we have the “critically underrated picture” Shrek Forever After to thank for this concept.

While Newton will no doubt be great as Cassie, Rudd and Fortson’s on-screen father/daughter bond was the beating heart of the first Ant-Man films so it would certainly mean a lot to have them share the screen again in Quantumania. We’ll find out if this theory is bang on the money come Feb. 17.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the first major MCU release of 2023, and looks set to conclude the pint-sized trilogy in style. This will also be the first film of Marvel Studios’ Phase Five, with Jonathan Major’s villainous Kang the Conqueror set to wreak havoc across the whole universe for the next year or two.

Along for the ride are familiar Ant-Man faces Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfieffer, though the youngest member of the team will be a fresh one. Cassie Lang, who was a young girl in the first two Ant-Man movies and played by Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame, will now be played by Big Little Lies and Detective Pikachu‘s Kathryn Newton.

The trailers show Cassie getting to grips with Pym technology and donning her own superhero suit for her trip into the Quantum Realm. Fans will know that Cassie takes on the monikers of Stature, Stinger, Ant-Girl, and Giant-Girl at various points in Marvel comics, but promotional art for Quantumania seems to indicate her MCU superhero name will be… “Cassie”. Bo-ring!

If you’re becoming a full-on superhero it’s almost mandatory to pick a cool name, so we hope this is a temporary marketing thing and Cassie will indeed become Stinger by the time the credits roll.

With most Marvel heroes ing the torch to the newer generation, we expect Newton to become a recurring presence in the MCU, perhaps teaming up for a Young Avengers movie alongside Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, and Riri Williams. Let’s hope she’s Stinger by then.

We’ll know for sure very soon, as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on Feb 17, 2023