The first Ant-Man movie featured a fun back-and-forth between Evangeline Lilly and Scott Lang, as the characters went from feeling contempt and loathing for each other to a kiss shared at the end of the film. For a while, it seemed like the sequel movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp, was being positioned to be Marvel's first romantic comedy and the lovebirds err... love bugs, would pick up where they left off in their romance. However, it turns out that might not be the case. In fact, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne will not start the movie out as a happy couple at all, as Paul Rudd explained:
We're starting a little estranged... We're not really on the best of terms.
Speaking with Marvel at Ant-Man and the Wasp's premiere, Paul Rudd's comments make it clear that the romance between Scott and Hope is in the past at the start of the movie, and it must not have ended amicably if they are no longer on good terms. It is still possible that Ant-Man and the Wasp will have romantic elements, but the characters will have to work through their issues in order to get there. What those issues are is unclear, but they certainly sound more serious than a simple disagreement. The Wasp herself, Evangeline Lilly, also spoke at the premiere, providing a little bit more clarity about the arc of the relationship between the two characters to this point, saying:
They finished the first film in a kiss, in an embrace and then they carried on to have a relationship off-screen -- sorry fans! -- and then they became estranged. And so we pick up the second film where they are at odds, where they aren't speaking, and they haven't spoken in years. And Hope is once again not pleased with Scott. Which is how I think we like her right? It's fun to watch her dig on him.
Evangeline Lilly paints a much clearer picture about the relationship between Scott and Hope here without giving away what exactly split them apart. The kiss at the end of Ant-Man wasn't a one-off, and the two were actually in a relationship for some time. Something happened, it's been years since they have spoken and Hope is unhappy with Scott. The in-universe time in the MCU isn't always clear or relevant, but in this instance, it has been years since these two last talked, which will make their reunion all the more awkward.
If I had to guess, Scott's choices during and after Captain America: Civil War are probably what drove a wedge between him and Hope. Scott joined the fight without Hope and he wound up on the wrong side of the government and had to take a deal to protect his daughter instead of being a fugitive like Cap. This ultimately led to him being put on house arrest. I suspect that the deal might have involved turning over his suit to the government or something like that, which would understandably put him at odds with Hope and Hank.
Evangeline Lilly also spoke about how fun it is to watch Hope ribbing Scott, and we've seen some of that in the trailers and TV spots for the film. The fact that these two characters are estranged former lovers and they have to reunite and work together for some reason should make their dynamic all the more interesting. Watching Ant-Man and the Wasp bickering like a married couple as they are fighting bad guys is sure to be entertaining. If I had to guess, these two will be back on the romantic track by the film's end, but the road to get there will be a challenging one.
Romance or not, the early reactions are in and they indicate that Ant-Man and the Wasp is an absolute blast, full of wild fun and tear-inducing laughs. Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters on July 6.
