Janet Van Dyne, also known as the long-running Marvel Super Hero The Wasp, started off as the sidekick to Ant-Man (her eventual husband, Hank Pym) and was a founder of ‘The Avengers’, even coming up with their name. She was a constant part of the team and even their leader for extended runs, so fans have been perturbed by her lack of presence in the hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was further pushed when it was revealed that she was supposed to be in ‘Avengers’ and was even in some newly discovered storyboards.
Then Evangeline Lilly was cast in ‘Ant-Man’ and, well, who else would she be playing, except The Wasp? But then word emerged that Michael Douglas was playing an older Hank Pym and that Paul Rudd was stepping in as a younger Ant-Man, Scott Lang. Wait, what does that mean? Will Janet be younger and involved with Lang? Would she be the trophy wife for Douglas’ character? Then again, since her part has never been specified until now, could she play a completely new or different character?
No, she’s playing Hope Van Dyne. In the futuristic, alternate universe series, Hope Pyn was the daughter of Hank Pym and The Wasp, who grew up to be a super villain called The Red Queen.
So does this mean our villain has been announced? Lilly is the right age to play Douglas’ daughter, but why doesn’t she use the last name Pym? Has Janet been switched to another daughter who actually becomes The Wasp. Unfortunately, it’s not that one at all.
Michael Douglas let it slip “a tragic personal accident [that] happened with my wife.” His wife… presumably Janet… has apparently been killed off, off-camera, taking her off the board completely for any additional movies.
Fans are understandably pissed and as fans tend to do, have taken to social media to vent:
More MCU fans think Loki deserves a solo movie before a founding Avenger. #Sexism #JanetVanCrime
— Cassidy Allison (@BoochGnome) July 30, 2014
Founding member. Named the Avengers. Really important character. Completely wiped clean as if she never existed. Just sad. #JanetVanCrime — Hannah (@hannahbandart) July 27, 2014
Marvel not only won’t give us a movie with a female lead they’re killing off the first female Avenger as a plot point. #JanetVanCrime
— DC Women Kicking Ass (@dcwomenkicknass) July 29, 2014
all the founding Avengers have franchises except Janet, dead for manpain. It’s conspicuously misogynist. they don’t CARE. #JanetVanCrime — thingswithwings (@twwings) July 29, 2014
Things can still be salvaged. The Wasp may still come into existence and may simply be another Janet, but with a different name. Or Janet is Hope’s sister or cousin and they both adopt their separate entities.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter