Next year is a huge one for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The decade-long culmination of what started with 2008's Iron Man finally begins when Avengers: Infinity War marches its way into theaters. Before that, February sees the release of Black Panther and our introduction to the technology and the mystery of Wakanda. Also in the shuffle is Ant-Man and The Wasp. The sequel to 2015's Ant-Man adds a hero to the title and the lineup as Evangeline Lilly's The Wasp suits up to take part in battles big and small. She will bring something new to the table too with a fighting style that is all her own, according to director Peyton Reed. He recently revealed,
This is really her coming out party as a hero. Her power set is fantastic. She and Scott both shrink, but there the flying, and the fighting style of The Wasp is different from Ant-Man's.
Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne was already a highlight of Ant-Man, so it seems fitting that she will be such a big and heroic part of the sequel. Hope van Dyne had clearly had training in Ant-Man and her skills far surpassed those of Scott Lang. So despite his record-setting development as a competent martial artist, Hope inevitably didn't teach him everything and will have more than a few new moves to show off in Ant-Man and The Wasp when she finally gets to enter the fray. With two heroes who can both shrink, it is important that this film differentiates between them on both an aesthetic level and via their skill sets.
The Wasp is ideally bringing more to the table than just being another Ant-Man. As Peyton Reed told Empire, the flying will differentiate The Wasp from Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, who has to rely on the kindness of insects for airborne combat. Given that she taught him everything he knows, she's probably still more adept at martial arts than he is. Her physical skills could be more balletic and quicker than how Scott Lang fights. The Wasp is also more intimately familiar with the various functions of the Pym technology. After Ant-Man we saw Scott Lang test out a new power at the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War when he grew to fifty feet tall. We know that he will have a new suit in this film and perhaps some new skills, too.
It will be interesting to see what powers The Wasp displays in this film. In the comics, in addition to the obvious flight and size manipulation powers, The Wasp can sting via electrical blasts she can shoots out of her hands. The Wasps unique skills and power set will also make for a more compelling team dynamic with both her and Scott tackling different aspects of a mission best suited to their abilities. The color of the suit and the wings will also visually differentiate The Wasp from Ant-Man when in a chaotic and quick-cutting set piece.
You can see The Wasp's fighting style and her power set when Ant-Man and The Wasp hits theaters on July 6, 2018. For all of the biggest movies hitting in 2018, check out our release schedule.
