Judy Greer Was Denied a Super-Powered Return to ‘Ant-Man’ Franchise

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Following her appearances in two Marvel Cinematic Universe films titled “Ant-Man” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp“, it came as a surprise to many that Judy Greer would not reprise her role for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania“. Given that Greer’s character, Maggie Lang, had become an integral part of the supporting cast, her absence was felt by both fans and the actress herself. Despite expressing her disappointment, Greer shared that she kept receiving requests for her involvement in the third film, but these invitations never materialized. In the previous films, Greer portrayed the ex-wife of Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, as well as the mother of Cassie Lang.

In an interview with The Direct, Greer candidly discussed not being included in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’. She shared, “I’m not sure why I wasn’t part of ‘Quantumania’, but I did go to the theater to watch it. I wish I had been a part of it because it looked like such a fun ride!” Greer also disclosed that she had suggested her character gaining powers to Ant-Man director, Peyton Reed, but it seems this idea was not taken up by Reed and Paul Rudd. Greer added, “I proposed the idea of my character gaining powers, but it appears they didn’t go for it.

I kept jokingly asking Peyton Reed if he could grant me a superpower. I’d say something like, ‘Gosh, can’t I just bump into someone on the street and get a superpower? Please?’ They’d chuckle at my request, but no superpowers were bestowed upon me.

It’s quite surprising, but the same year that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premiered, Greer also appeared in a different Marvel Cinematic Universe film – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In fact, she played War Hog (or so I recall; maybe it was War Pig) in the last ‘Guardians’ movie. This makes her the second actor from the Ant-Man series to voice a separate MCU character in 2023, following David Dastmalchian who voiced Veb in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania after having previously played Kurt in the previous two Ant-Man films.

The Strange Absence of Judy Greer’s Maggie in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

Marvel Studios aimed to transform “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” from a lighter series continuation into an epic event film. By introducing the antagonist Kang the Conqueror and hinting at the future film “The Kang Dynasty“, the studio emphasized connections to their upcoming projects, which fans had come to appreciate in the Ant-Man series. However, these plans for Kang the Conqueror were abandoned after Jonathan Majors was dismissed from the role due to domestic assault allegations, and the title of “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” was changed to “Avengers: Doomsday“. Unfortunately, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” fell short of expectations, earning less at the global box office than the previous two Ant-Man films.

In “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” there was a noticeable absence of Maggie Lang, played by Greer, which left many unanswered questions about her character that went unaddressed within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Not only was Maggie not seen on screen, but neither she nor her daughter Cassie Lang were ever mentioned. This is particularly odd considering that Cassie is arrested early in the film and her step-father, Jim Paxton (portrayed by Bobby Cannavale), who is a cop, was nowhere to be found during this event. Given the strong emphasis on family in the Ant-Man series, it seemed unusual not to feature Maggie and Jim Paxton within the larger Lang/Pym family group. Their presence could have added depth and intrigue, such as developing a relationship between Maggie and Hope Van Dyne. Here’s hoping that Marvel Studios rectifies this oversight by reintroducing Greer’s Maggie in either the upcoming Young Avengers project featuring Cassie or in another MCU project where she might take on a more significant role, similar to how characters like Kat Denning’s Darcy Lewis and Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan have grown in prominence within the MCU.

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2025-01-08 02:36