The Future of Cassie Lang in the MCU: friends, enemies, romance, Young Avengers and… Doctor Doom?!

The future is bright for the MCU’s Cassie Lang, she could potentially become a second-generation Avenger. She could become the leader of the Young Avengers. Will she become Stature, will she take the name Stinger? Will she die at the hands of Doctor Doom? Will she become an Avenger? Will she become a Young Avenger? Also, I’m really excited about the Young Avengers… Let’s talk about all of this.

I’m a big fan of the ANT-MAN trilogy. And while ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA might not have been my favorite of the three Ant films, there was still plenty to like about it IMO – especially a few performances. I know a lot of people were very bullish on Kang and specifically Jonathan Majors’ take on the character. But, due to my own certain preference for comic history, the character I was most excited about seeing in QUANTUMANIA was Cassie Lang – and Kathryn Newton’s performance also did not disappoint.

I loved 2018’s ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. This actually was my favorite film of the trilogy. It offered a smaller, character-based film in the MCU directly following the massive sprawling plot of INFINITY WAR – truly playing to Paul Rudd’s strengths. I loved how Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (my favorite Marvel writers – also wrote the SPIDER-MAN HOME trilogy and LEGO BATMAN) gave us a superhero with real-world problems (always a hallmark of Scott Lang storylines in the comics) and I love how it offered a plot motivated by the Pym family’s extreme desire to reunite in the face of impossible odds – a plot that mirrored the character growth between Scott Lang and his own daughter Cassie Lang during the film. And it set the stage for what Cassie Lang would become as a hero in Quantumania. I also want to specifically shout out Abby Ryder Fortson who plays Cassie in both this film and 2015’s ANT-MAN. Her performance, energy, and sprit laid the groundwork for the character than Kathryn Newton would both mirror and expand upon in QUANTUMANIA and hopefully in the future.

Now being a comics fan and knowing about where Cassie might go in the future, this made me even more excited about QUANTUMANIA, especially when it was revealed that Kathryn Newtown would take on the role. Newton’s casting signaled an importance in the character – and that she would probably return for future installments in the MCU, becoming a pillar of future phases.

And Emma Fuhrman did great in AVENGERS ENDGAME as Cassie Lang. And I’m not sure why she was recast. But using the recasting as an opportunity to place Kathryn Newton in the role put someone with experience, star quality, gravitas, and a kind of fun and emotional energy – important for Cassie Lang and her potential future stories. Newton has been on multiple TV and film projects and is both a great lead (the underrated streaming horror comedy FREAKY) but also a great costar (the underrated streaming teen soap THE SOCIETY). Newton can combine and play off of other people and characters – something we see in QUANTUMANIA when she is able to be an advocate for change with Scott, Jentorra, and MODOK. Something that might be important for future projects (more on that in a second).

In my opinion, Cassie Lang’s desire (definitely emphasized in the comics AND the MCU’s QUANTUMANIA) to combat injustice combined with her emotional and passionate sense of right and wrong can create a character similar in nature to both Steve Rodgers and Tony Stark. Yes I said it. You see, Cassie Lang is someone who is a natural born leader (something she finally comes to realize and accept in QUANTUMANIA) and who would want to create a way to combat Avengers-level threats like Kang (as Tony did and especially after her experience in QUANTUMANIA). But she also questions authority, something that might cause her to step over the line for the right reason (like Steve Rogers). And these qualities are also the reasons I’ve always liked Cassie Lang in comics. She has all the potential in the world: she’s smart, a leader, funny, empathetic – but also has a very passionate and emotional side that sometimes gets the best of her. It makes for potentially one of the most interesting characters the MCU has seen in some time.

And the members of the MCU that are also members of the Young Avengers in the comics right now are in a similar place to where the Avengers were after 2010’s. People like Kate Bishop, America Chavez, Teddy Altman (Hulking), Tommy Maximoff (Speed), and Billy Maximoff (Wiccan). These characters have been introduced over the course of multiple projects and now need someone or some event to bring them together. And Cassie Lang has potential to be a spark plug for the group. 

But now to speculate on where we might see Cassie Lang next. And BIG, BIG spoilers coming up for both QUANTUMANIA and Cassie Lang’s comic storylines. So let’s look at some of her comic book storylines and see how viable they might be as MCU plots…

Will Scott Lang die and how would Cassie take it?

I almost thought this would happen in QUANTUMANIA – that or he’d get stuck in the quantum realm and Cassie and Janet and Hank would become the “Ant-Team” for the remainder of the phase. But it didn’t happen – and Scott is very much back in our world and doing great by the end of QUANTUMANIA (though slightly nervous about the coming of Kang that might happen).

But this hardly seems like the last time we’ll see Scott and one of the defining things that happened to Cassie – that spurred her into first taking up the suit officially and teaming up with the Young Avengers was her father’s death in AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED back in 2004 – was the death of her father Scott Lang at the hands of the then enemy Scarlet Witch. She was very much present for that storyline. And in 2005, in the wake of this tragedy, she was spurred into action by a younger version of Kang to form and join the Young Avengers and battle other Kangs.

Could Scott’s death spur Cassie into a greater role in the MCU, perhaps in the upcoming fight against the counsel of Kangs in (presumably) AVENGERS: KANG DYNASTY? Maybe. But I also think Cassie in the MCU is psychologically at the same point she was at in the comics when her father passed. So I’m not sure we really need this event. Scott could die – but I am not sure it would be handled in the same way as the comics in terms of its sum total effect on Cassie.

Will she fall in love with Vision and fight Scarlet Witch?

At some point in time in the comic book story, Cassie falls in love with and has a relationship with Vision. There are obvious implications considering her father’s fate and she accordingly also always holds a grudge agains Scarlet Witch? Is her relationship with Vision a form of acting out, true love or both? It is never clear but down the line the two both die in the same storyline and neither are resurrected (though the choice is given).

In 2009, in the Dark Reign storyline in MIGHTY AVENGERS, after her father was killed at the hands of Scarlet Witch in AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED, Cassie held a massive grudge against Wanda. She also eventually ended up dating Vision. Eventually this was manipulated by Loki who posed as Scarlet Witch – and who recruits Cassie with other avengers (including her father – who had been resurrected by that point) to be a part of MIGHTY AVENGERS. Cassie opts to not participate in an attack thereby exposing Loki in disguise as Scarlet Witch.

I’m not sure if a romance with Vision is in the cards for a variety of reasons, most importantly the cringe factor, with Paul Bettany in his 50s and Kathryn Newton in her 20s. But I do think some kind of remix of this storyline could come into play for Cassie – maybe with Spider-Man (just a guess) or even the upcoming Adam Warlock – or maybe some other character that has not been introduced yet. Cassie is a passionate character so a romance or the desire for a romance (something not normally seen in Marvel) is a real possibility for a storyline in the future. And that romance factoring into Avengers-related conflicts with other heroes and villain is another definite possibility.

Will Cassie Fight a Skrull in Secret Invasion, Ms. Marvel or Another Young Avenger?

This actually kind of lights up with another potential storyline involving a confrontation with Ms. Marvel. In 2006, in the CIVIL WAR comic series, Cassie refuses to register but then gives in, only to join and then discover that an offshoot group of superheroes called “The Initiative” is actually being controlled by Puppet Master after they are coordinated to fight against Ms. Marvel.

I’m not sure Cassie would every fight Ms. Marvel (way too likeable) in the MCU. But, in a lot of ways, I could see the Sokovia Accords coming back to the MCU – as the accords never really went away and could be used effectively during the SECRET INVASION MCU TV miniseries, something I could definitely see Cassie being a part of. Also in the actual SECRET INVASION #7 in 2006 in Marvel Comics, Cassie fought a Skrull version of Yellowjacket. I don’t think MODOK is coming back but considering she also had confrontations in and around Skrull versions of previous antagonists, including Ghost and Goliath. Maybe Laurence Fishburne or Hannah John Kamen could return as Skrulls?

IDK if any of this will come true but I do think with Cassie being so passionate, her getting coerced into fighting the wrong person is a definite possibility – if not necessarily Ms. Marvel.

What will Cassie Lang’s relationship be with Doctor Doom?

Well, assuming Victor Von Doom is ACTUALLY coming to the MCU in the next few phases – and with the FANTASTIC FOUR filming soon, I don’t see how he doesn’t – then this becomes a VERY interesting question. Sad, no sooner am I plotting Cassie’s ascendance to leader of the Young Avengers than I am planning her doom (pun intended). Doom is the person in the comics who eventually kills her – and then RESURRECTS her. Could this happen in the MCU?

[side note – how will Doctor Doom fit into the MCU is a great idea for an upcoming (blog – maybe later this month]

In the comics, Cassie Lang has a long history with Victor Von Doom as her father went to work for him when she was just a girl – and she had to move to Latveria where she met Von Doom’s son, Kristoff, and had a brief flirtatious moment way back in FANTASTIC FOUR #405 and 406 back in 1995. Now, I know a lot of comics characters have more romances in the comics than the MCU films but I honestly think Cassie has it more than most in the comics. So it’s a quality I definitely could see appearing in the MCU.

But earlier we speculated if Scott will die – and now this… Doom kills Cassie. It happens during “The Children’s Crusade” miniseries in 2011 after Doctor Doom acquires reality warping powers from the Scarlet Witch. Cassie, upset mistakenly thinking that Doom killed her father (again), rushes Doom – which actually allows Wanda a moment to save the day, but dies in the process. Doom eventually repents and regrets the act and is able to resurrect her using the inherent Pym Particles already found within and throughout her body.

I guess the big difference here from the MCU was that Cassie’s body always had assimilated Pym Particles in the comics, from way back in her first appearance in a flashback in MARVEL PREMIERE #47 in 1979. Early on this infusion of Pym particles into her body was done to help her heart condition. So when Doom kills Cassie many years later (in both our time and in her life), he later repents. And Doom is able to resurrect her due to that connection to the Pym Particles being a literal part of her.

And while I’m not sure if death at the hands of Doom will be the case, I do think Cassie becoming fused or entangled with Pym particles in a future arc in the MCU is a definite possibility. It would give her major plot armor for any future potential attempts on her life and would augment her power above and beyond the previous generation of Ant-Man heroes – leading further into her eventual evolution into Stinger (see below).

Will Cassie take the name “Stature”?

Cassie takes on the Stature mantle soon after she first joins up with the YOUNG AVENGERS. It is kind of a cringey name though, in my opinion. I do like it emphasizes her prowess at becoming BIG (showcased nicely in QUANTUMANIA btw). But its kind if a weird name and I could see it being a cringey line (have I said cringey too much in this blog yet?). Marvel has not been the greatest at naming superheroes without resorting to a chuckle (it has been a recurring bit in the ANT-MAN films for the eponymous character) and I don’t think this would be any different. So while it could happen, it would be more of a joke than a real moment, in my opinion. Though I do hope they continue to show how good Cassie is at being a BIG person. She’s already as good as Scott (though she does have trouble in her smaller form – again, just like the comics) so her gaining power and experience in that giant form would be great, with or without the name “Stature”.

Will Cassie take the name “Stinger”?

Cassie only becomes STINGER after being resurrected by Victor Von Doom. Her Stinger costume includes enhancements including a direct locating point to the Quantum Realm and wings similar to Janet and Hope Van Dyne’s costumes. I see this costume being a real possibility as it truly seems to be the next evolution in Pym Tech – far beyond what either Scott or Hope currently use. And her current purple suit in QUANTUMANIA is far closer to Stinger than Stature so I think some eventual evolution to Stinger will happen.

Will the Young Avengers ever even HAPPEN in the MCU?

As an admitted fan of the Young Avengers, characters like Kate Bishop, America Chavez, and Cassie Lang have been some of most interesting in the last decade or so of Marvel comics. Now look, I get it, a lot of comic fan (lets just nice and call them) “traditionalists” don’t love these characters. But you have to keep moving forward. You need an evolution – otherwise stuff gets stale. And even if you think its bad (I definitely do not) – I would 100% prefer bad to stale, boring, mediocre rehashes. It is natural that not everyone would follow this new story – and you know what, that’s ok. Not every OG STAR TREK fan watched TNG, not everyone watched Deep Space Nine, not everyone watched Voyage. But they had an audience and they grew a new audience. And they were all interesting. And that is what matters. It doesn’t mean (all) of the old guard is going away. But the reality is you don’t want to get stale and many of the performers are ready to move on or at least change the arc for their characters. So a new generation with new stories arrives. And I’ve been awaiting their arrival in the MCU.

And The Young Avengers are most definitely on their way. Even though Feige has yet to publicly acknowledge it and has kind of played it down, you don’t introduce people like  In fact, Wiccan has already been rumored for AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS. The YOUNG AVENGERS are that necessary evolution for Marvel. And when they do show up – I think Cassie Lang will be leading the way.