Marvel Reveals Kathryn Newton's Hawkeye Screen Test From Years Before Ant-Man 3

Marvel Cinematic Universe star Kathryn Newton got her breakout role as Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but Newton also auditioned for another MCU role: Kate Bishop in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. Now, in Marvel Studios' Assembled: The Making of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania on Disney+, a look behind the scenes of the film also reveals a look at Kathryn Newton's audition to play Kate Bishop in Hawkeye! 

As you can see above, the screen test for Kathryn Newton to play Kate Bishop was from 2019. It's surreal to see the images of her on set with actor Jeremy Renner (who plays Clint Barton/Hawkeye), running through what we now know to be iconic moments of Renner bonding with the version of Kate that was ultimately played by Hailee Steinfeld. Steinfeld was arguably one of the most fan-favored castings in MCU Phase Four, as her wit and charm were an obvious fit for Bishop. That's not at all to take away from Kathryn Newton, who was no slouch in carrying films and entertaining audiences since starring in Paranormal Activity 4 in 2012, as a teenage actress. Since then she's appeared in any number of acclaimed TV (Mad Men, Halt and Catch Fire, Supernatural, Big Little Lies) and film (Freaky, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Lady Bird) projects. She's one of the more proven young actresses who could help build out a Young Avengers franchise for the MCU, without question. 

However, where Hailee Steinfeld mostly received overwhelming support and love playing Kate Bishop, Newton has had to take on the unusual complication of being the third Cassie Lang actress in the MCU. Abby Ryder Fortson played the child version of Cassie in the first Ant-Man; Emma Fuhrmann played the older Cassie (after a five-year time-jump) that Scott Lang returns to in Avengers: Endgame. A considerable number of MCU fans took it upon themselves to object to the fact that Fuhrmann didn't get to play out Cassie Lang's larger arc as the hero "Stature" in the franchise – which inevitably meant that Newton caught some backlash for simply landing the gig. Still, it seems Newton has overcome any opposition and secured herself a spot in MCU going forward – all the way to Young Avengers. 

Why Kathryn Newton Was Cast As Cassie Lang

"I wanted someone in that role who could really hang with Paul Rudd and sort of not be left in the dust," director Peyton Reed explained in a commentary track for the film. "She's gotta be sharp, and quick, and funny. And also, [Newton] is an athlete. She's a world-class golfer. She has the physicality for the role. And just someone who can seem like Scott Lang's daughter. You know, what does she pick up from him? What does she go against? She's got the heart of Scott. She's also got a bit of that sense of humor, a bit of that messy quality."

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is streaming on Disney+.