The Ant-Man franchise is set to see its third installment next year with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. After numerous teases from the cast over the last year , it was no surprise to see the threequel announced during Disney's Investor Day showcase.
However, one of the biggest surprises that came with the reveal — alongside the casting of Johnathon Majors as Kang the Conqueror — was the recasting of Scott Lang's daughter, Cassie .
Following the five-year time jump caused by the Thanos' snap, Cassie aged several years while her father was snapped away, with Emma Fuhrmann taking up the role of the now teenager in Avengers: Endgame . Due to unknown reasons, however, Feige announced during the presentation that Fuhrmann would be replaced with Blockers ' actress Kathryn Newton.
With Marvel clearly setting up the Young Avengers for the future , it's likely Fuhrmann was recast in order to lock in an actress for a longer period as Cassie inevitably takes on the heroic persona of Stature. Newton herself is a rising star in Hollywood after having starred in a whole lineup of major properties in recent years. Yet, she is now diving into her biggest project yet by taking up a major role in the MCU.
A WELL-TIMED PHONE CALL FOR KATHRYN NEWTON
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight , Kathryn Newton commented on the story behind her new role in the MCU. Prior to receiving the call from Marvel, Newton was starring as the lead of her own show, The Society, on Netflix, until the show was suddenly canceled due to the uncertainty of the pandemic:
“But in the middle of quarantine, we were supposed to go film [season 2], and the show got canceled. It got canceled! My future was shot. I had no idea what I was going to do. And then a week later, I got a call from Marvel.”
Newton is a "huge fan" of Marvel movies, and it seems like it's something she's wanted to be involved with for a long time:
“I've always wanted to be in a Marvel movie, my whole life. But it was just because I was a huge fan. Every time one of them came out, I would go with my dad. It was what we did together, and we loved them. It was our experience, just me and my dad going to the movies. But I couldn't have told you who I wanted to be. Or even if I ever would.”
In the classic Marvel fashion, Newton is naturally sworn to secrecy on her new role. It seems like we'll be waiting a while before we hear anything more regarding Cassie's future in the MCU, but its clear Newton is extremely excited to be joining the universe:
“All I can say is that I'm excited to be a part of the Marvel Universe. It's a dream come true, and I'm going to do my best to be the best superhero of all time.”
CASSIE LANG'S FUTURE IN THE MCU
The Ant-Man franchise has been a divisive one ever since it began. Some fans were fond of the comedic root for the franchise as it offered a break from some darker MCU installments; this was apparent to begin with as Paul Rudd joined the franchise in the lead role.
However, many fans believe the franchise has felt too small — ironically enough — as it focuses on smaller, more self-contained stories with fewer universe changing consequences.
It's odd to see the character of Cassie recast so quickly after Fuhrmann made her debut in Avengers: Endgame . Replacing Fuhrmann with Newton does make some sense. As the character heads into a drastically bigger role, the studio is sure to want the stardom to go with it. However, fans can't help but be excited by Newton's enthusiasm for the role as the young actress wants to be "the best superhero of all time" in an age when superheroes are so prolific in pop culture.
Interestingly, The Society was canceled by Netflix on August 21, 2020, meaning Newton was cast in her role sometime in late August or September just a few months before being officially announced for it.
It's unknown what kind of role the Young Avengers will play in the future of the MCU, and whether Cassie Lang will take up the role of Stature to go with that, but it's clear the teases towards the team have been scattered across the whole Marvel universe.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania currently has no set release date, but is expected to debut in theaters by 2023.
