Ant-Man Fans Feel The Cassie Recast In Quantumania Wasn't Necessary
"Ant-Mand and the Wasp: Quantumania" is finally here, and it ushers in a new era for the MCU, kicking off Phase 5 and introducing audiences to Kang the Conqueror. Everyone's favorite ant-based hero returns as it is Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) versus Kang (Jonathan Majors) in the Quantum Realm. Joining him in his fight against the Avengers-level threat are Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Hank (Michael Douglas), Janet (Michelle Pfieffer), and Cassie (Kathryn Newton).
Fans will notice that Cassie looks very different in "Quantumania." Similarly to how Marvel Studios handled War Machine and Hulk, Cassie Lang was the victim of another recasting, with Kathryn Newton becoming the third actor to portray Scott's daughter. Cassie first appeared in "Ant-Man," played by Abby Ryder Fortson, who reprised the role in "Ant-Man and the Wasp." For "Avengers: Endgame," Emma Fuhrmann portrayed an older Cassie, who reunited with Scott five years after the Blip. Instead of bringing Fuhrmann back for "Quantumania," Marvel Studios decided to recast with Newton.
It makes sense that Marvel would want a bigger star in the role of Cassie. They seem to be building towards a Young Avengers project, as a well-known actor like Newton would add more star power to a team alongside Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. However, fans cannot help but feel bad for Fuhrmann, who could have become a star in the industry if she had played Cassie long-term. The casting change didn't really make sense when Marvel announced it, and "Quantumania" solidified the choice was unnecessary.
Some fans had strong opinions on Kathryn Newton as Cassie
Even though Kathryn Newton is a great actor and personally has nothing to do with Marvel's decision to recast Cassie, that didn't stop fans from vocalizing their negative opinions on her debut as Cassie in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Many questioned why Marvel Studios felt the need to recast the character when Emma Furhmann already gave a touching, albeit short performance in the role in "Avengers: Endgame."
On Twitter, @madsabouttv said, "[The] new Cassie was just not giving anything for me. Sad we missed out on Emma Furhmann." Other users, like @Jack_tevo, @thefuzzyaya, and @Raayan420, shared similar sentiments, stating that they didn't like Newton as Cassie. @ABhi17ek suggested that Furhmann did a much better job in her short time in the role, saying, "Emma Furhmann's 5-minute portrayal of Cassie Lang in 'Endgame' had more emotional depth than the whole 2 hours that Kathryn Newton gave in 'Quantumania.'"
@HustoJan didn't necessarily take issue with the casting, choosing instead to focus on how Marvel integrated it into the story. "Trying to convince us this was a teenager/his daughter was a huge leap for the audience," they wrote, as Newton is 26 years old in real life. "Just do a time jump. Put her in college. It was disorienting for fans of the first two movies who loved the bond between Scott and his daughter." @Kacha_marvelfan also pointed out how Cassie's age doesn't make sense within the story of the MCU, saying that she's conveniently aging faster than any other character.