Ant-Man and the Wasp gave the MCU an exciting new villain in Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, who actually wound up surviving the adventure thanks to help from Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne. Now, she's surprisingly set to make her MCU comeback after what will be a six-year hiatus, joining a team of Marvel anti-heroes and villains in 2024's Thunderbolts, the final film in Phase 5.
Ghost will be one of a number of actors from across the MCU's extended timeline to join forces with one another, including veterans like Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes and newcomers like Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
Although the Ant-Man team is off to face mega-villain Kang the Conqueror in next year's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Ghost's return comes as a shock to many, especially with the unique dilemma she faced throughout her 2018 sequel. It's especially interesting for John-Kamen herself, as she described the awkwardness that will come with her next MCU appearance in 2024.
Ghost Star on Strange MCU Return
Speaking with ComicBook.com at the D23 Fan Expo, Thunderbolts star Hannah John-Kamen discussed her return as Ava Starr/Ghost in the MCU. This will be her second appearance after playing the main villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
When asked what to expect from the team dynamic, John-Kamen teased Ghost's awkward interactions given how she "doesn't like to be touched" after spending so many years in isolation due to her condition from her previous movie. This will be the first time she's interacted with anyone other than Laurence Fishburne's Bill Foster, making for an interesting appearance for the character:
"Well, she doesn't like to be touched... So that's going to be interesting. She's quite socially, well, she's not social. She was, she grew up in the van. So she's never actually had human contact with anyone. So this is gonna be interesting for Ghost to connect."
Kamen also reflected on the fans' reaction to her reveal in Thunderbolts with Stage Right Secrets, which got her "excited to continue with the storytelling of Ghost" as she makes her long-awaited comeback to the MCU:
"It was amazing. I mean, it’s all for the fans, you know? And just having that love and support from them, it gets me really excited to continue with the storytelling of Ghost and the new team and the new squad."
Ant-Man Veteran Coming Back with Phase 4 Regulars
Out of the seven main cast members for Thunderbolts announced at the D23 Fan Expo, Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost is the only one who will go through all of Phase 4 without making an appearance of any kind. She's also one of four members that have only one MCU credit to date, with the only true veterans being Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and Valentina Allegra di Fontaine.
This will also give fans a chance to see a new version of Ghost after she at least had her phasing problems partially solved before escaping the facility where she tried to get to Janet Van Dyne. How this experience changes her will be something to pay close attention to, especially with the chance for her to redeem herself alongside a unique team of super-powered individuals.
Thunderbolts will also be her first time interacting with anybody outside of Bill Foster, as she finds herself alongside three members of the Black Widow program, the former Winter Soldier, and another powerful fighter in the U.S. Agent. She'll have to learn how to work with others through these new partnerships, but with Bucky Barnes likely trying to keep the team stable and on the same page, her transition will hopefully be a little easier.
Thunderbolts will debut in theaters on July 26, 2024.
