'Ant-Man's Wasp Has Been Revealed

When you go to see Ant-Man this weekend, make sure you stay in your seats for not one, but two post-credit scenes (as if you didn't know to do that already). One of those is a stinger. Literally. It answers the question that has been on everyone's mind since they announced the Ant-Man movie: Does Evangeline Lilly play Wasp in Ant-Man ? (If you don't want anything spoiled for you, don't read beyond this sentence.) In short, the answer is yes. The Lost alum is Wasp — but she doesn't exactly don the wings and take flight as the Avengers fan favorite in the movie.

It isn't necessarily a huge surprise that Lilly's character, Hope van Dyne, would be Wasp. Fans already know that her father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the original Ant-Man, but her mother is the original Wasp in the comics. This fact isn't said out loud in the movie, but there are so many plot points in the movie that support it that it's safe to say that it's true in the film version, as well. Plus, there is a flashback that shows van Dyne's mother in the Wasp uniform, which pretty much confirms the rumor.

It's All In The Hair

Then there is that hairstyle. When Lilly revealed her new bob cut about a year ago, people couldn't contain their excitement because of the strong similarities it had to Janet van Dyne's (the original Wasp) do. All of this seemed like more than enough proof that Lilly was going to be Wasp in Ant-Man.

However, Marvel purists may have issues with Lilly playing Wasp because in the comic books, when the character's parents die, she becomes the Red Queen and her twin brother (who is not in Ant-Man) becomes Big Man — and those aren't heroes. They are supervillains avenging the death of their parents.

Another criticism some fans might have is that Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne are actually founding members of the Avengers in the Marvel comic book mythology. Even though Joss Whedon had plans to include Wasp in the first Avengers movie, the pair doesn't get any love until the 12th movie in the MCU, so it's understandable why some diehard Marvel fans might be up in arms.

Comic vs. Movie

The comic book version of Ant-Man isn't exactly the same story as the movie, as the two are totally different mediums. Taking creative license for cinematic purposes is a Hollywood specialty, and in the case of Ant-Man, it works surprisingly well. Instead of focusing on Janet as Wasp, Ant-Man decided to combine all of the mythology of the original comic book story to place emphasis on the dysfunctional relationship between Hank and Hope. It's an unexpected father/daughter story, as in the movie, it is VERY clear that Hope is estranged from Hank. From the moment she calls him "Hank" instead of "Dad," you know that they aren't on the best terms.

Throughout the movie, they give not-so-subtle hints on why their relationship is so volatile. Janet is particularly upset that Ant-Man won't let her wear the incredible shrinking suit for the big heist they are planning after she proves she is more than capable of being the "Ant Man"... or should I say "Ant-Woman"? It comes to a head when she finally says, "When will you stop lying to me about how mom died?" (There is good reason why he keeps this from her, but I'm not going to spoil EVERYTHING for you).

This eventually leads to an explosive father-daughter argument, and of course, a resolution that brings the pair closer together. All gets even happier in the post-credits scene where Hank does a huge reveal of a Wasp costume that he was working on with Janet. He admits that they didn't know it at the time, but they were working on it for Hope. She smiles and says, "It's about damn time."

It's already known that Ant-Man will return for Captain America: Civil War , but from what's shown in the movie, I think it's safe to say that it won't be long until Wasp joins the Avengers.

Image: Marvel Studios