After netting a massive $519 million at the box office, it came as no surprise when Marvel decided to greenlight an Ant-Man sequel. Specifics on Ant-Man And The Wasp remain under wraps right now though, as the script is currently being bashed out by returning scribe Adam McKay. The title itself offers up a pretty big hint, however. The Wasp’s inclusion is a major distinction between this movie and its predecessor, and that’s exactly what director Peyton Reed intended.
Talking to Modern Myth Media, he excitedly discussed plans for the sequel, making mention of The Wasp’s role in Ant-Man’s second venture:
“It’s something we’re excited about. For me as a comic nerd, I always thought of Ant-Man and Wasp as a team and that’s a lot of what the second movie is really about is how they work together, what their personal and professional relationships are like. To show her finally fully formed in this movie is really exciting. We really get to introduce this character into that universe. I mean we’ve introduced the character, but we haven’t seen her with her full power set and everything, so to me she’s not a supporting character in this movie. It’s every bit as much her movie as it is Scott Lang’s.”
The Wasp – or more importantly, her outfit – debuted during Ant-Man‘s post-credits scene. Evangeline Lilly’s character, Hope Van Dyne, is shown the get-up by her father, and right as the scene cuts to black she smiles. Months later the sequel was announced, giving… ahem, hope, to moviegoers eager to see a female superhero sharing marquee space with a leading man.
Likewise, Reed’s comments are an encouraging sign of what’s to come in the sequel, with focus balanced equally between the two leads. Not that we’ve had minded another straight-up Ant-Man movie, but Ant-Man and The Wasp looks like it’s going to be busting down more doors for Marvel.