Time to SHINE
‘Quantumania’ star Kathryn Newton emboldened to take risks by veteran cast, discovered her true powers as an actor
WThe third installment in the “Ant-Man” franchise, “Quantumania” is the first in which actor Kathryn Newton assumes the role of Ant-Man/Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie, formerly played by Abby Ryder Fortson in the first two stand-alone “Ant-Man” films and Emma Fuhrmann in “Avengers: Endgame.” Now 17, Cassie is an outspoken advocate and quantum mechanics whiz who is beginning to follow in her father’s footsteps in more ways than one.
But the way Newton talks about her character calls to mind a certain other superhero, Spider-Man. “She’s using her power for good,” said Newton of Cassie, whom she also describes as a “neighborhood hero.” “What she doesn’t realize (though) is that with great power comes great responsibility.”
The film fleshes out the sprawling multiverse’s latest Big Bad,
Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors), a time-traveling entity with immeasurable power (and innumerable variants).
Working alongside Majors was like a crash course in acting, Newton said. “He’s an incredible actor. He brought out so much in me that I didn’t even know was possible.”
Rounding out the cast are Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, the elder Ant-Man, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, who have both assumed the mantle of the Wasp. Most of the film takes place in the microscopic dimension known as the quantum realm, which means Newton spent a lot of time acting opposite thin air. “Everything’s happening really fast, and you feel ridiculous in the scenes,” she said. “You feel really out of your body acting with nothing (there).”
This interview with Newton has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Was it hard being a newcomer to a preestablished cast? A:
I was a little nervous because it’s my first Marvel movie, and the cast are all legends, but I didn’t need to be because as soon as I walked on set, I felt like it was exactly where I belonged. Everyone wants you to shine, everyone wants you to do a great job. So I really felt empowered to try things, to take risks and make a fool of myself if I had to because they were there to catch me. They trusted me, and I trusted them.
Q: What was it like training and learning fight choreography? A:
My training was about being in shape, so I could have stamina on set. I wanted to be able to do my own stunts and run around all day and really give it 100%. It also meant learning how to fall and not get hurt, learning how to take a fake punch and make it look real. But it was really important that Cassie felt like a normal kid put in a situation where she thinks she can be a hero but realizes she has no idea what she’s doing. It was really important to make sure she didn’t look cool at all.
Q: What was it like the first time you tried on your suit?
A: The first time I tried on my suit was after six months of them working on
Turn to Newton, ith “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the 15-year-old Marvel Cinematic Universe ushers in its fifth phase and 31st film.