While Janet Van Dyne’s ultimate fate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unknown, Evangeline Lilly – who will play Janet’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne, in Ant-Man – seems to have revealed that Janet did have a superhero career at some point.
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“I thought Edgar’s idea to blend the [Hank and Scott] stories was brilliant,” Lilly tells BuzzFeed. “You’re going to have fans up there who insist that you tell the story of Hank Pym, and fans up there who will be more on the Scott Lang side of it.…I think we are going to come close to pleasing them all. And what’s cool is that, you know, Janet Van Dyne is my mom. Hank Pym is my father. I was raised by two superheroes. I’m no schlump. I’m a pretty smart, competent, capable, kick-ass female. She’s very cool.”
A previous fan theory had suggested that Janet Van Dyne would be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the fact that Ant-Man will feature a flashback scene, showing a younger Hank Pym working with the agency. Assuming that Lilly means superhero in the literal sense – costume, codenames, the works – this new information doesn’t necessarily disprove that theory, but certainly suggests that she was more than just a run-of-the-mill agent.
Ant-Man opens in theaters July 17, 2015.
