One of the controversies surrounding Ant-Man is the supposed exclusion of Janet Van Dyne, Hank Pym’s wife and notable superhero The Wasp. Despite Michael Douglas being cast as Hank, Marvel hasn’t made any announcement of Janet being involved with the story, and so far the only notable Van Dyne in the film is Hank and Janet’s daughter Hope. To further exacerbate this situation, it’s been hinted that Janet will be involved in a "terrible accident," prompting many fans to rage at Marvel over the possibility that this famous superheroine was killed off-screen. However, as the recent announcement of Hayley Atwell joining the film as Peggy Carter reminded us, this film will be spending a fair amount of time in the past through flashbacks. Taking this into account, it’s possible that there may be a role for Janet after all that Marvel is keeping on the down-low.
Back when Edgar Wright was still on Ant-Man, he mentioned there would be a prologue sequence in the 1960s, where we’ll see the early development on the Ant-Man technology. Wright may be off the project, but with Atwell’s involvement, the movie looking for a young Michael Douglas lookalike and John Slattery expected to reprise his role as Howard Stark, it seems this scene has been kept in. If Janet is included in the film, this will also likely be when we see her, although whether she’ll know Pym at this point, let alone be married to him, is unclear. However, if we take Carter and Stark’s inclusion in the film into account, there may be a unique role that may be reserved for Janet: agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hitfix has brought to light a theory among fans that Janet will be affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. during the flashbacks. At this point in time, the organization has been around for almost two decades, and not only could they be funding Hank’s projects, but they may also have lent Janet to help him. Eventually the two of them will fall in love and have a daughter together, but let’s not forget this "tragic accident" that happens to Janet. In typical comic book fashion, it’s possible that one of Hank’s experiments goes awry and she’s caught in the devastation. Now, this could go one of two ways. One, she immediately dies, or two, the accident somehow affects her. While it would be cool to see Janet obtaining shrinking powers and fighting crime as The Wasp in the ‘60s, it’s doubtful the movie will go in this direction.
More than likely, the effects will slowly deteriorate her body over the years, and she’ll either pass away or Hank will be forced to put her in permanent medical care. If the movie really wanted to get sci-fi heavy, perhaps she doesn’t die, but is trapped in some sort of stasis that Hank can’t wake her up from. Either way, whatever happens to her won’t be good in the long run. Janet being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent could also set her up for other appearances set in the MCU’s past, like a future season of Agent Carter, if the limited series gets renewed.
At this point, it’s all still speculation on whether one of Marvel’s most famous female characters will be appearing in this 2015 blockbuster. The optimist in me believes that Marvel won’t casually dismiss her from Ant-Man, and if this S.H.I.E.L.D. theory is legit, this not only gives her a unique role, but also sets the stage for future appearances. Either way, Marvel, gives us the scoop on Janet ASAP!
