by Hope van Dyne‘s performance in the latest film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has drawn criticism, which the actor who plays the hero has tried to defend.
It is evident to those who have been following Marvel Studios’ most recent release that the film has not received favourable reviews. In fact, the movie once had the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating of any MCU picture, and it appears that the lukewarm reception from the public may damage the sequel’s chances of succeeding at the box office.
Many have begun to question why there was so little Wasp in a movie with her name in its title, which is just one of the numerous issues critics appear to have with the movie. Both outperform Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang or even Paul Rudd‘s screen time by a significant margin.
Evangeline Lilly Talks On the Importance of Tiny Quantumania
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star discussed the recently criticised position of Hope van Dyne in the film—more especially, the little size of it—in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
To provide some pertinent background, in 2021 Lilly told the publication that “Hope [is] an enigma for [her]” and that generally speaking, she has had trouble understanding the Wasp:
“Hope is an odd enigma for me. The truth is that I find it harder to know and understand Hope than any other character I’ve ever played before.”
Has that altered now that the newest Ant-Man film is out there in the world?
“Yes and no“, Lilly acknowledged, but she has discovered “one term… that’s become [her] anchor” in comprehending the character:
“Yes and no. I do think this movie was the closest I came to feeling like, ‘Oh, I think I get it.’ I have one word now that’s become my anchor to help me when I feel a bit lost with her and I just don’t know where to put myself. And [that word] is the bullet.”
Lilly went on to say that she had “realised” that Hope Van Dyne was efficient and sharp.
“What I’ve realized is that there is an efficiency and a sharpness to her. She cuts right through things and she’s always going to drive right to the heart of whatever is going on. She’s always effective in everything that she tries to do, and so that one word just helps anchor me. She’s changed so much over the three films that I’ve often found myself a bit lost and uncertain that I’m really clear on who she is.”
The actress continued by saying that although her character in Quantumania “starts the film in a really good place,” she “doesn’t change a lot.”
“But she doesn’t change a lot in this film. She starts the film in such a grounded place, and she starts the film in a really good place that she’s been trying to get to for a long time, having healed her relationship with her father, reunited with her mother, fallen in love with Scott and now is stepmoming Cassie.”
In the end, Lilly said that other than mending “a little wound in her relationship with her mom,” “there wasn’t somewhere [her character] need to go to or go:”
“And all of that is on top of saving the world with the Avengers and starting her own company and trying to save the actual world from its everyday problems. So she’s in a really good place. There wasn’t somewhere she needed to get to or go other than just to repair a little wound in her relationship with her mom. So this one had a less dramatic arc for her, which gave me a chance to catch my breath and get to know her a little bit.”
Critics have noted that Quantumania is missing the titular Wasp.
Evangeline Lilly “still feels lost in this series,” according to Collider.
“Michael Douglass’ Hank Pym doesn’t have much to do this time around,” according to IGN‘s assessment, but “there’s even less for [Hope van Dyne]:”
“Unfortunately, Michael Douglass’ Hank Pym doesn’t have much to do this time around, and there’s even less for Evangeline Lilly’s Hope – which feels strange for a character who’s mentioned in the title.”
Hope is “lost amid all [of the other] characters [in the movie],” according to The Wrap.
“Admittedly lost among all these characters is Hope; despite the Wasp’s inclusion in the title, Lilly’s superhero comes off as a bit of an afterthought once all is said and done.”
Why Is Hope So Limited?
It is truly unfortunate that Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man has had such significant development and engagement with the larger MCU over the years, whereas Wasp has always seemed to be an afterthought.
It’s difficult to help but wonder whether the few opportunities she had at Quantumania were related to her earlier contentious social media posts. Despite this, the movie’s director believes that Marvel Studios did nothing in response to her views.
Some believed that Hope never had enough to do in either of these movies, whether it was the first Ant-Man or a major crossover event like Avengers: Endgame, even before this third movie.
She is still alive and well by the end of her most recent blockbuster, so hopefully her subsequent appearances will be more fruitful. Either that, or she’ll continue to vanish into the background while Cassie Lang assumes the role of the size-altering doll.
In theatres all throughout the world, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently showing.
