Paul Rudd is Ant-Man in Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man and the Wasp." (Photo : Twitter/@ThePlaylist)
As previously confirmed, Evangeline Lilly is suiting up as The Wasp in "Ant-Man and the Wasp," and it was recently reported that the superhero will appear "fully formed" in the sequel.
The Wasp's reintroduction as Hope Van Dyne that was shown in the "Ant-Man" post-credits scene sets up the foundation for what's to come in "Ant-Man and the Wasp." In the previous movie, it was explained that Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) once took over the Ant-Man mantle while his wife donned the Wasp suit. Hank lost his wife during a mission and has never been found since. With Hank turning over the Ant-Man suit to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), so too will the Wasp suit be given to Hope.
How Hope will transition into the Wasp is one of the biggest questions in the "Ant-Man" sequel. In an interview with Collider, director Peyton Reed revealed that Hope's pairing with Scott in the first movie will play a part in Hope's development in the sequel.
"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," Reed explained, adding that the sequel is just as much Hope Van Dyne's story as it is Scott Lang's.
Hope Van Dyne's transition into a full-pledged superhero comes in perfect timing for Marvel as there is a higher demand for female superheroes to have more participation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lilly is also expected to appear as The Wasp in the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War."
Meanwhile, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" filming is set to begin soon. According to Collider, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" have been set for a 2018 release date together with "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War."
Filming for "Infinity War" is currently underway, and "Ant-Man 2" filming is expected to begin in June. The sequel is bringing back its original cast members including Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Pena.
