Ant-Man sequel brings female characters to forefront
LOS ANGELES— The Ant-Man sequel may be about tiny superheroes, but the film is making a big statement about female empowerment by featuring Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp not only in the title, but giving her a larger stake in Marvel’s sprawling movie franchise. Ant-Man and the Wasp, the 20th film in the Marvel cinematic universe that includes Black Panther, Iron Man and Avengers: Infinity War, is the first one in the series to include a female character in a title role. The prominence of the Wasp, a character who has major roles in the Ant-Man and Avengers comic books, comes after years of fan anticipation for a female Marvel superhero to get her own film.
“You know, I’ve asked myself the same question: Are we mak- ing a mountain out of a molehill?” Lilly said during a recent interview when asked about being featured in a Marvel film’s title. She said after considering it more closely, “No, actually, this is kind of a big deal and this is about time.”
The film is the sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man, which introduced Paul Rudd as a thief enlisted by Michael Douglas’s Hank Pym to become a do-gooder. The original earned more than $180 million (all figures U.S.) in North America and $500 million at the global box office. The sequel is the third Marvel Films release this year, but it largely steers clear of the developments in the blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War. The Wasp was a comic book favourite of director Peyton Reed, who teased her appearance in future Marvel films with a cameo of her supersuit at the end of Ant-Man. He said it was important that the Wasp be a fully formed hero and not bound by stereotypes.
Lilly’s role isn’t the only prominent female character in the film. Hannah John-Kamen plays Ghost, a villain bent on sowing discord among powerful institutions, in a role that was initially written for a man.
“It’s amazing, as a female, to play such a strong character … so that people can look up to that and see that, ‘Yeah, this is a progression,’ ” said John-Kamen, who is in her biggest role yet after starring in the Canadian sci-fi series Killjoys, and having small roles in Ready Player One and Tomb Raider.
“There is so much more going on in this film that represents female energy, that represents female stories, that represents The Wasp/Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) joins Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in Ant-Man and The Wasp. female struggle and that represents female power,” Lilly said. “In this film, I’m very proud to say I recognize authentic female power in that it’s powerful to be vulnerable, it’s powerful to be elegant, it’s powerful to be graceful and nurturing and kind and forgiving and compas- sionate and generous … things that tend to be typically categorized as weaknesses.”
Marvel’s first film based solely on a female superhero will be the 1990s-set Captain Marvel, which stars Brie Larson in the title role and is slated for release next year.