In 2015, audiences were able to see Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) de-aged with CGI when Ant-Man debuted on the big screen. Now, with Ant-Man and The Wasp right around the corner, the MCU is going to do the exact same thing with his wife, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Check out a newly-released TV spot for Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp, below, to see the moment for yourself.
As you can see from that TV spot, it looks like Ant-Man and The Wasp will feature at least one sequence showing a de-aged Michelle Pfeiffer (rocking a feathered hairstyle, no less) during the earlier years of Janet van Dyne's life. This is presumably before she sacrifices herself (going subatomic to the Quantum Realm in the process) to stop a ballistic missile. We don't have much narrative context to work with, but the moment seems to show her comforting a young Hope (Evangeline Lilly) in a flashback sequence. Posters for Ant-Man and The Wasp have already confirmed that Michelle Pfeiffer will appear in the movie as an older Janet, but now we know for sure that she will show up unmasked in flashbacks.
The emphasis on a younger Janet van Dyne in a flashback sequence is important for Ant-Man and The Wasp's main story because it represents the continuation of one of Ant-Man's most vital plot threads. Hank and Hope's rift in the first movie is one of the film's most emotional narrative throughlines, with the flashback to Janet's death representing a pivotal moment in the evolution of Hope's arc from jaded daughter to willing hero. Now we get to see more of the origins of that rift.
Given the fact that Janet van Dyne will appear in flashback sequences in Ant-Man and The Wasp, it seems reasonable to assume that Hank Pym will once again find himself de-aged on the big screen as well alongside his wife. Marvel has become exceedingly good at using this technology to age or de-age actors (it has been used in everything from Captain America: The Winter Soldier to Captain America: Civil War to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and the use of it on Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer is the next stage in its evolution. Who knows? If the technology continues to improve, we may one day get an Ant-Man and The Wasp prequel focusing on Hank and Janet, which is something Douglas recently expressed interest in pursuing at some point in the future.
Audiences will be able to see young Janet van Dyne when Ant-Man and The Wasp debuts in theaters next month on July 6! Check out the early critical reactions from the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure, and check out our movie premiere guide to see what other films are set to debut on the big screen in 2018!
