WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Marvel's Ant-Man and The Wasp, in theaters now.
Despite its low stakes, there's a lot going on in director Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp. Whether it's a tie to Avengers: Infinity War or a promise made in 2015's Ant-Man and made good on here, the movie has plenty to offer fans looking for a bit more below the surface. And what if one of those little details was a sneak peek at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- one with the Young Avengers?
It's no secret that Scott Lang's daughter, Cassie, is a big part of why he does what he does. She pushes Scott to live and do better, whether it's in his personal life or as a size-changing superhero. Cassie (played by Abby Ryder Fortson) remains at the center of the plot, whether it's because an evil CEO wants to use her to get hold of some Pym Particles or because she's covering for father so he doesn't go to prison (again).
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Cassie's great, so it only makes sense that the MCU would follow her comic book trajectory and turn her into the size-changing Young Avengers member Stature. And there's a small hint at that potential in Ant-Man and The Wasp.
It happens in the middle of the film, when Scott returns to his home and narrowly dodges being caught breaking the terms of his house arrest. He's sits on the floor with Cassie, and the two talk about Scott's return to the uniform. She basically gives him a pep talk and then says, "Maybe you need a partner watching your back?"
The obvious answer to this is, of course, Janet van Dyne, The Wasp, and Scott says as much. But Cassie then looks a bit dejected, telling her dad that she really meant herself. For the average viewer, this is a fun, adorable moment between father and daughter. But for more eagle-eyed comic book fans, it's a potential glance of what's to come.
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Marvel Studios obviously has plans to break its universe wide open following the release next year of Avengers 4, but it might feel weird to roll out the standard Avengers fanfare a few years down the line, especially if some core members aren't there (looking at you, Iron Man and Captain America). But there's an easy fix for that, and it could bring a ton of fan-favorite characters to the big screen.
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Let the next five years of the MCU focus on our big-player solo heroes and their subsequent solo films. Characters like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Black Widow will get some time to shine away from the crossover events, while the Young Avengers take the spotlight. We're thinking a cross between the coming-of-age stuff from Spider-Man: Homecoming and the "strangers become family" theme of Guardians of the Galaxy. But there's still a lot of groundwork before we get there.
The Young Avengers have had a number of team members over the years, with Cassie Lang, known as Stature, being a part of at least one of the incarnations. Other usual suspects include Wiccan, Scarlet Witch's sort-of son, Hulkling (a half-Skrull shapeshifter) and Kate Bishop (the best Hawkeye). The team most recently made waves in the 2013 comic book run from Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen.
With speculation that an older Cassie Lang has been cast in Avengers 4, could we see Stature show up sooner rather than later? Maybe. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently acknowledged he's open to introducing the Young Avengers, and even conceded that Ant-Man and The Wasp could be the first steps toward that.
"We’ve always been fans of Power Pack and figuring that out," he said. "And yes. So … where and when we would see the evolution of that? I don’t know. And certainly – taking our cue from the comics as we always do – that’s why we wanted Cassie, a very young Cassie in this movie, to be inspired by her father. Just planting seeds.”
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It would be quite an undertaking to introduce so many characters in one go. Sure, Scarlet Witch is already in play, so maybe it wouldn't be a stretch to introduce Wiccan. With time travel a possibility in Avengers 4 and the Skrulls set to make their debut in Captain Marvel, maybe Iron Lad and Hulkling are only a skip away. Characters like Kate Bishop or Marvel Boy or even Kid Loki could easily fit into the current MCU.
We're not saying it will be soon, but with hints already setting the stage for a future of young heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we wouldn't be surprised to see Stature suit up in the next few years, pending a time skip. At the end of the day, it's just fun speculation, and if any film proves fun is integral to the MCU, it's Ant-Man and the Wasp.
In theaters now, director Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and The Wasp stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen, Randall Park and Walton Goggins.