‘Ant-Man 3’ Star Accidentally Drops Major MCU Villain Hint

in Marvel

Posted on by Thomas Hitchen 1 Comment
hope pym (left) and scott lang (right) in ant-man and the wasp

Credit: Marvel Studios

After a year of not much new Marvel content, 2021 has brought the superhero studio back with a bang.

With a full year of projects pushed back due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, Marvel launched its Phase 4 slate with the surprising genre-bending Disney+ streaming show, WandaVision. The television series was quickly followed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and now fans will continue to get a slew of new entertainment for the rest of the year and beyond.

One of those projects — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) — sees the return of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in the title roles of the famous Marvel Comics characters. And Lilly may have just accidentally confirmed the return of an infamous MCU villain.

Ant-Man
Credit: Marvel

Following up from Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) which in turn was the sequel to Ant-Man (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is perhaps one of the most anticipated movies to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second installment in the Ant-Man franchise topped the first movie’s box-office success, bringing in $100 million extra for Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios. Not so much a sleeper hit, but Ant-Man‘s success does feel like one of those that will increase with each new outing.

It should also be noted that Rudd’s performance as Scott Lang in the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the way the character provided the catalyst for the return of the complete Avengers line-up, cemented Ant-Man as a leading player in the MCU’s superhero catalog.

Ant-Man
Credit: Marvel Studios

That being said, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is likely to be a big hit of the MCU, where it joins James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and potentially the debut of Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic 4 in 2023. Although, the latter has yet to receive a confirmed release date and, with Marvel being Marvel, let’s not rule out 2022 just yet. The upcoming Marvel movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), could also point to whether there is a link between the Multiverse and the Quantum Realm.

The third film in the Ant-Man franchise will be directed by Peyton Reed, who returns after directing the first two installments. Jeff Loveness is writing the script and joining Rudd and Lilly are Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, respectively. Two new cast members were announced last year — Jonathan Majors as the villain, Kang the Conqueror, and Kathryn Newton as Scott’s daughter, Cassie Lang. Most recently, the movie was looking to cast a new younger leading character.

scott lang as antman
Credit: Marvel Studios

But, thanks to Lilly — who stars as Hope van Dyne / Wasp — Marvel fans may have just got new information surrounding the return of another Ant-Man villain.

Who’s coming back?

In an Instagram post — which was edited and then most recently deleted — Lilly shared her excitement over both receiving and reading the script for the upcoming superhero epic. However, fans were quick to notice something odd in the photo caption.

As Hector Navarro (@Hectorisfunny) pointed out…

Wait. Hashtag Corey Stoll?? HASHTAG COREY STOLL?!?!?

Marvel fans will remember Corey Stoll as the featured antagonist in the first Ant-Man movie where he played Darren Cross / Yellowjacket. However, in a final battle against Lang at the end of the film, he was seemingly destroyed when Lang went subatomic to shrink Cross, presumably killing him. Well, if Lilly’s social media mishap is anything to go by, Cross may not have been destroyed after all.

yellowjacket
Credit: Marvel Studios

Yes, it could very well be a flashback in the Marvel sequel or just an allusion to his part in the Ant-Man projects overall, but with the post now deleted and no other ex-cast members tagged it is likely Lilly made a huge Marvel faux-pas, and it seems that the character will possibly come back somewhere in the movie. Did someone say Quantum Realm?

In a world run on Marvel secrets, “fan-service” moments, and gigantic reveals, it feels pretty safe to say that Evangeline Lilly just accidentally confirmed the return of Stoll to the MCU. At this time, Marvel Studios have not confirmed whether Stoll will reprise his role as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket.

Do you think Corey Stoll should return to the MCU?

Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.

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