Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne are both living up to legacies that others created. The first Ant-Man film showed Scott carrying on Hank Pym’s legacy as the original Ant-Man. Ant-Man and the Wasp will see Hope take up the superhero legacy of her mother Janet, the original Wasp.
Ant-Man and the Wasp’s critical buzz has people excited. Critics and audience members claim that Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne steals the show. Hope’s elevation from spectator to superhero in the new film signals the rise of the Wasp, or the resurrection of the Wasp, a character with a vast and rich history in Marvel comics.
Let’s break down Janet van Dyne’s history and how her legacy could impact the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large.
Who Is Janet van Dyne/The Wasp in the Comics?
In Marvel comics, Janet is one of the founding members of the Avengers. First appearing in Tales to Astonish #44 in June 1963, Janet was the daughter of Vernon van Dyne. After her father’s death, Janet turns to her father’s colleague Dr. Henry ‘Hank’ Pym for help in avenging his murder. Janet undergoes a biochemical procedure that allows her to shrink and helps her grow wings, and together, they avenge her father’s murder. Despite Janet reminding Hank of his first wife and Hank being unsure about their relationship, the pair become partners.
After the confrontation with Loki that brought the Avengers together, Janet and Hank both suggest they form a team of superheroes. Janet chooses the name and joins multiple battles, putting herself in the thick of various battles with villains. Using her ability to communicate with insects, her flight, super strength, and powerful “wasp sting” that allowed her to shoot electrical blasts, she became an unstoppable force and an essential member of the team.
Janet has also been a part of multiple other Marvel comics teams including the original Lady Liberators, the West Coast Avengers, and the Mighty Avengers. She shares that in common with her on-screen counterpart who fought beside Hank while working for S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the MCU, Janet worked with Hank at S.H.I.E.L.D. During a mission to stop a Russian ICBM, she shrank between the atoms of the bomb and ended up lost in the Quantum Realm. When Scott returned from the Quantum Realm, Hank was left to wonder if Janet van Dyne would be able to return as well, something that will be the focus of Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Hope Takes on Janet’s Wings for Ant-Man and the Wasp
Janet’s disappearance will clearly be a motivating factor for Hank’s actions in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Scott Lang’s return from the Quantum Realm should motivate Hank to consider if his wife had managed to survive being trapped in the Quantum Realm despite the extended period she’d been trapped in another dimension.
The Quantum Realm is supposed to play an important role in next year’s Avengers 4. Evangeline Lilly has hinted that the Quantum Realm will also be a major player in the future of the MCU going forward. In a recent interview with NDTV, the actress said:
“We are hitting that [Lost] Season 4 space where everything’s about to shift, and you’re about to lose the solid ground underneath you. And [Ant-Man and the Wasp], of course, will play a part in that. If we do succeed in Ant-Man and the Wasp, then that does open a whole entire new multi-verse to enter into and play around in.”
Janet’s rescue will motivate further explorations of the Quantum realm. Beyond that, Janet will also be a part of Hope’s legacy as a superhero. Like Scott, Hope inherited her title from her mother. The presence of Janet will be an even bigger influence on Hope than Hank Pym was on Scott Lang. Hank, desperate to keep his daughter from the same fate as her mother, refused to let Hope participate in any heroic work and take up her mother’s work.
No matter what happens to Janet, the resolution of her feelings about her mother could affect her relationship with her father, her relationship with her desire to be a superhero, and with her heroic legacy. Janet’s presence will also provide catharsis and healing to a girl who has longed to live up to her mother’s memory.
Time will tell if she has that opportunity.
How Janet Could Impact the MCU
Janet van Dyne will be important to the MCU for a multitude of reasons. Much like Peggy Carter, co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., Janet will add more dimension to S.H.I.E.L.D’s past history. Marvel’s choice of characters like Peggy Carter and now Janet van Dyne are proving that they’ve been influencing the MCU since the beginning. While fans waited for female representation in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, Marvel has set up S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and many other organizations with founding mothers as opposed to founding fathers.
Having Janet play a larger role in the MCU going forward will provide even more backstory for various characters and organizations. In the comics, Janet was a founding member of the Avengers. Having her take her place in the larger foundation and history of the MCU will open up an entire new part of the beloved franchise, from the idea of other “legacy” heroes to unearthing new heroes and villains who can move into future phases of the MCU itself.
Janet could also have a darker role to play in the MCU at large. All signs seem to hint that Janet will escape the Quantum Realm, and according to Evangeline Lilly, she’ll play a role in Avengers 4 as well. Lilly has even hinted at her own role in Avengers 4. Taking to Instagram, Lilly hinted that things might not be going well for her. In a live Q&A on Instagram, Lilly revealed:
“I will appear in Avengers 4… not very much, so don’t get your hopes up. Not going to be a ton. But I’m in there! And I’m proud to be in there. And I’m stoked to be in there.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to conclude that Janet and Hope’s reunion might be short-lived. Ant-Man and the Wasp will be a prequel to Avengers: Infinity War and Lilly seems to hint that Janet might be returning to duty and her daughter’s fate might remain a mystery.
One way or another, the introduction of Janet van Dyne promises to add more history to the MCU at large, add more to the founding mothers of the MCU, explain the Quantum Realm, and also provide a valuable ally to the MCU at large.
Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters July 6, 2018.
