One of Marvel’s first women superheroes is set to make a splash on the big screen with Ant-Man and the Wasp, and star Evangeline Lilly is pretty excited.
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And though growing pains and learning from mistakes are part and parcel with most superhero origin stories, fans shouldn’t expect that from the Wasp. Hope van Dyne has been training for it her entire life.
“You’ve never seen a superhero origin story with less blunders,” Lilly said to USA Today. “She knows what she’s doing and she’s been grooming herself for this moment her whole life. The satisfaction in watching her finally get to live it out is really fun.”
Fans get to see her in action in the first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp, in which she deftly neutralizes a group of thugs in a kitchen, shrinking and dodging knives and utilizing her wrist-mounted stingers.
While many actors in superhero roles have spoken about the discomfort of wearing the costumes, Lilly said she believes she has “one of the most comfortable suits” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I spent six months doing copious amounts of fittings getting it to be just perfect, so I could move and still look my best,” Lilly said.
But fans of the first movie know that Lilly’s character is not the first Wasp in the MCU; that designation belongs to her mother Janet van Dyne, who will be played by Michelle Pfeifer. In the comics, Janet was and is the original Wasp character, though the MCU decided to shift focus from Hank Pym to Scott Lang and alter the ages of the characters to accommodate the change.
Director Peyton Reed spoke about Janet’s role in the film, saying she plays an important role.
“It’s fair to say if someone were to have spent thirtysomething years in the Quantum Realm and survived, it would have an effect,” Reed told Empire Magazine. “What did she eat? All she eats is cereal called Quantum Krispies.”
But now that Lilly’s character has assumed the mantle, expect her to play a larger role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — starting with the untitled sequel to Avengers: Infinity War.
“I will appear in Avengers 4,” Lilly said on Instagram. “Not very much, so don’t get your hopes up. Not going to be a ton. But I’m in there! And I’m proud to be in there, and I’m stoked to be in there.”
Fans will get to see the hero’s big screen debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp, premiering in theaters on July 6th.
Are you excited to see the Wasp take the spotlight? Be sure to let us know in the comment section!
