From the opening scene, it’s obvious that Juno isn’t like other teen comedies. Elliot Page’s wry commentary as the title character sets the tone for a unique tale about growing up. 1z3a37

Like many teenagers, Juno (Page) is at odds with herself. In love with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), she is unable — or unwilling — to tell him. Instead, the two have spontaneous sex, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. This event sets Juno on a course that teaches her about love, friendships, and what is important to her. While no films are a one-for-one comparison of this classic, there are many with similar tone and themes that fans should explore after watching Juno.

1. Jennifer’s Body (2009) – Hulu 78e

High school is never easy, especially when your best friend is a literal man-eating beast. Jennifer’s Body was wildly underappreciated at the box office when it premiered, but Diablo Cody’s follow-up to Juno should not be discounted. With equal parts gore and humor, the film is a feminist text about how society views women and the intricacies of female relationships. 

Jennifer (Megan Fox) may seem like a hateful demon, but it is only because society made her that way. Particularly when an indie rock band sacrifices her to Satan for a shot at fame. Or so they think. Turning into a succubus, she starts eating her way through the boys in town. The irony featured in the film is a horror spin on Juno and remains a cult classic.

2. Easy A (2010) – Amazon Prime 295y6o

Following the success of Superbad, Emma Stone kept going with the high school theme. This time, it was an extremely loose, modernized telling of The Scarlet Letter. Stone stars as Olive, a girl whose little lies amount to a massive reputation. After lying to her best friend that she lost her virginity, she gets a reputation as the school harlot. 

She allows boys to claim they’ve slept with her to boost their egos, and starts pinning an A on all her clothes, like Hester from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. A love letter to many high school films of the ‘80s, Easy A constructs a clever narrative with a hilarious take on a classic.

3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – Hulu e333i

It is hard to pull off a movie that is quirky as well as sincere, but Little Miss Sunshine fits the bill. A celebrated film at Sundance, the movie stars a young Abigail Breslin as Olive Hoover, an aspiring beauty queen. Though not who you think of as a beauty queen in a traditional sense, her family s her implicitly as they drive from Albuquerque to California for a contest. The ing cast — which includes Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Greg Kinnear, and Alan Arkin in an Oscar-winning turn — is just as important, as they all experience emotional setbacks during the film. Serious as well as comedic, Little Miss Sunshine earned all of its accolades.

4. Booksmart (2019) – Peacock 4l232u

Before the media firestorm that was Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde had a much more successful run in her directorial debut, Booksmart. A back-to-school movie from the female perspective, it follows best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who have sacrificed high school social lives to get into good schools. 

On the last day of school, Molly is flabbergasted to learn that the popular kids also got into good colleges. Realizing that they wasted years of having fun, Molly and Amy decide to have one last hurrah at a high school party. Friendships are tested and laughs are had in a movie that shows nerds can have fun too.

5. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) – Amazon Prime 2qb

No, the Hailee Steinfeld vehicle sadly does not have vocals from Stevie Nicks. But it does accurately portray the loneliness of coming of age. Steinfeld plays Nadine, a high schooler dealing with the trauma of growing up.

Still dealing with the death of her father, she feels even more alone when her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating her popular brother (Blake Jenner). With a mother she can’t agree with, and a best friend being phased from her life, the only person she can seemingly connect with is her dry teacher, Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson). Many teen comedies can show the awkwardness of growing up, but The Edge of Seventeen does it with a level of truthfulness rarely seen. 

6. Ghost World (2001) – Apple TV 16t2g

Based on the Dan Clowes-penned comic of the same name, the 2001 cult film is a dark take on growing up. Though humorous, it posits themes of loss of individuality and the pain of moving on. After Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) graduate high school, they languish aimlessly in their hometown, unsure of what they should do with their lives. As summer progresses, the two grow apart, with their cynicism taking over the trajectory of their lives. Growing up is hard to experience and sometimes even harder to watch. But at least you can laugh while doing git.

7. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Apple TV 6g411a

As with all Wes Anderson films, Moonrise Kingdom has a specific perspective. Set against the backdrop of a fictional New England town, the film takes heavy inspiration from the French New Wave of the ‘60s. Lighthearted and humorous, it follows two adolescents, Suzy (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman), who find love in a hopeless place. They run away together, incurring a panic from the town as authority figures try to track them down. Moonrise Kingdom balances quirkiness with a nostalgic appreciation for young love.

8. Lisa Frankenstein (2024) – Amazon Prime 4h81z

Allegedly set in the same universe as Jennifer’s Body, Lisa Frankenstein takes a gothic look at young love. Kathryn Newton stars as Lisa, a teenager in the ‘80s who can’t connect with anyone. She spends her time talking to the corpse of a dead Victorian man in a graveyard (Cole Sprouse) until one day, he comes to life. Despite being from different times, the two find common ground and, of course, love. Lisa Frankenstein posits that there really is someone for everyone in a twist on the classic Mary Shelley tale.

9. Clueless (1995) – Hulu 4o511b

Adapted from the Jane Austen classic, Emma, Clueless takes the story of the oblivious matchmaker and sets her in a 1990’s California high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) seems to have it all. Looks, wealth, and no worries. After a new student, Tai (Brittany Murphy), transfers schools, Cher takes it upon herself to remake her in her own image. 

While these intentions come from a good place, everything Cher does ultimately backfires. She realizes she doesn’t understand anything, let alone her own heart. Despite Cher’s cluelessness, the film views the protagonist with love and appreciation as she finally realizes that love is in front of her the entire time.

10. Ladybird (2017) – Tubi 5j343n

Mother-daughter relationships are often fraught, and this is explored deeply in Greta Gerwig’s personal film, Ladybird. As with many teenage girls, Ladybird (Saoirse Ronan) is in transition. Though her given name is Christine, she has insisted on going by her self-proclaimed nickname as she traverses her final year of high school. Though her coming of age is painful, it is also humorous, and she ultimately accepts herself as she is and not who she is pretending to be.

11. Adventureland (2009) – Amazon Prime 282st

A period comedy set in the late ‘80s, Adventureland features the difficult period after college. When James (Jesse Eisenberg) realizes he doesn’t have enough money to travel abroad, he takes a job at an amusement park. There, he forms memories but also falls for a fellow employee, Em (Kristen Stewart). 

The chemistry between the two actors makes for a comedy for the ages, but it also shows the realism of relationships. Both make mistakes and come to with their shortcomings. With Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Reynolds in ing roles, this offbeat dramedy is highly underrated. 

12. Saved! (2004) – Amazon Prime 16644m

Teen pregnancy is complicated enough, but throw in organized religion, and it’s a whole different set of circumstances. Mary (Jena Malone) believes herself to be a good Christian girl, but that changes when her boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust), comes out to her. 

In an effort to save him, they have sex, which results in a teen pregnancy. Dean gets sent away to a Christian reform school, leaving Mary alone to deal with the ramifications. The further she gets along in her pregnancy, the more she sees the hypocrisy of her religious high school. Saved! sets the typical trope of teen pregnancy in an uncommon setting to show that love and acceptance comes out of the most unexpected places. 

13. Whip It (2009) – Hulu 24653s

In Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It celebrates individuality in a world of conformity. Bliss Cavendar (Elliot Page) lives in small-town Texas, enduring her mother’s love of beauty pageants. Only when she discovers the world of roller derby, does she find out who she truly is. Page excels in the material that shows humor as well as the merits of finding your — well — bliss.

14. Young Adult (2011) – Amazon Prime 5xk6

Sometimes coming-of-age stories don’t always happen in our formative years. Sometimes achieving maturity takes a while, like in the case of the 2011 film, Young Adult. The dark comedy stars Charlize Theron as Mavis Gray, a recent divorcee who returns to her hometown to strike up a relationship with an old flame. 

The only problem is that her high school ex is now married with a baby. Mavis takes no part in the logic of those around her, such as Matt (Patton Oswalt), who urges her to seek therapy. Throughout her experiences, Mavis learns to become a better person — whether she wants to or not.

In many teen films, pregnancy is a consequence often followed by lessons to be learned. In Sugar & Spice, however, it is just the inciting incident. After a whirlwind romance, Jack (James Marsden) and Diane (Marley Shelton) get pregnant and quickly learn the realities of the world. 

The relationship between the two remains strong, but they still need to get ahead. And what can two high school students with no real-world experience do to get ahead? By robbing a bank, of course. Diane enlists the help of her cheerleading squad to be able to provide for her family. There is no moral lesson to be learned in this film. Just hilarious, campy fun.

16. Empire Records (1995) – Hulu 6gq6a

Oh, the days when music was sold in record shops, and you could spend all day jamming with your friends. Empire Records is a relic of a different time, but always worth a rewatch. Taking place in the day of the life of working at the record store in question, five friends experience the trials of growing up while their boss tries to keep the store afloat. Accompanied by the classic music of the era, the film is a time capsule about love, loss, and the best times of your life.

We Got This Covered is ed by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more

If you ask me, I think Hollywood doesn’t make enough vampire movies anymore. Whilst we had a few last year, they weren’t very good, we need more good films focused on those blood-sucking creatures of the night; lucky for us, Universal is delivering the scares with the horror: Abigail.

The film follows a group of kidnappers who plan to hold the daughter of a rich crime lord for a 50 million dollar ransom. Unfortunately for them, the girl is actually a vampire, and too late the group realize that they’re trapped in the house and the hunters become the hunted. Judging from the trailer alone, Abigail looks set to be a pretty wild ride, with plenty of horror, gore and even a few jokes.

That’s not the only reason to be excited about the movie though, as we’re also being treated to a great line-up of stars with plenty of familiar faces. So who do we know from the cast? And who are the fresh faces?

Who plays the kidnappers in Abigail? 615r6r

Coming off her stint in the Scream franchise, Melissa Barrera is sticking to what she knows, going from one horror-slasher to another. She plays Joey, one of the kidnappers and one of the only people seen being nice to Abigail in the trailer. We also have Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, William Catlett and Angus Cloud ing Barrera and we can expect to see at least some of them get eaten by Abigail.

This will be one of Angus Cloud’s final roles after the Euphoria star sadly ed away last year at the age of 25. Filming began on June 30th last year and Cloud was able to finish his scenes before his death a month later.

Who else is in the cast of Abigail? 72b1k

Of course, you know a film or series is going to be good when you’ve got Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito in a vaguely intimidating or outright villainous role. In this case, he plays the apparent mastermind behind the whole kidnapping scheme, although he looks like he knows more than he’s letting on.

Then of course, we have the ballerina vampire herself: Abigail, played by Alisha Weir who shot to fame in 2022 for her leading role in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Of course, Matilda Wormwood and Abigail might both be magical girls, but aside from that they’re worlds apart, although I reckon if it came down to it, Matilda would absolutely win in a fight.

Warning: This article alludes to The Marvels spoilers.

It’s every Marvel fan’s go-to joke when it comes to blasting how much the MCU is dragging out the Young Avengers‘ debut — they’d better assemble them soon otherwise they’ll just be the regular Avengers! Despite Marvel Studios seeding the coming of the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes since at least 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, we’re still yet to see them officially forces.

Thankfully The Marvels definitely gave things an encouraging nod in the right direction, but an actual Young Avengers project remains a few years away at least, thanks to the MCU’s stacked release schedule. But is Marvel already pushing the definition of the Young Avengers to its limit? To find out, let’s match up how old the original Avengers actors were when they first ed the MCU and how old the Young Avengers actor are now, at the time of writing.

The Avengers 231d6t

Robert Downey Jr. — 43 years old 141129

The fact that getting cast as Iron Man instigated a career renaissance for Robert Downey Jr., who had first broken into prominence in the 1990s, is a matter of cinema history, so we’re all aware that our Tony Stark was no spring chicken in 2008’s Iron Man. Specifically, he was 43 years old.

Chris Evans — 29 years old 3w4l6n

Chris Evans had been famous for years prior to becoming Steve Rogers, in part thanks to playing Human Torch in the mid-00s Fantastic Four films, so it might surprise some to know he was still just about in his 20s when he made his first appearance as the Sentinel of Liberty in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Chris Hemsworth — 27 years old 1c146x

And yet his fellow Hollywood Chris, Chris Hemsworth, was even younger when he got his big break as the God of Thunder in 2011’s Thor. Found after an exhaustive casting search, that also saw his actual brother Liam Hemsworth and on-screen brother Tom Hiddleston audition, Hemsworth was 27 at the time.

Jeremy Renner — 39 years old 10181e

Jeremy Renner will forever be best known as Clint Barton aka Hawkeye, but he’s another of the OG Avengers to be a more established actor prior to his MCU fame. Although it’s often forgotten, Renner’s first Marvel appearance comes in Thor, not The Avengers, which came out when he was 39.

Mark Ruffalo — 44 years old 3f286l

After Edward Norton and Marvel Studios proved not to be a good fit, Mark Ruffalo was hired to replace him as Bruce Banner for The Avengers, and he’s been part of the MCU family ever since. A couple of years older than Norton — who was 39 in The Incredible Hulk — Ruffalo was 44 in the 2012 blockbuster.

Scarlett Johansson — 25 years old 5f3b5l

Yes, Scarlett Johansson was the youngest of the original Avengers, as she was just 25 in 2010’s Iron Man 2, her first appearance as Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow icon was even younger when she first landed the part as Johansson has previously claimed that she was “23 or 24” at that point.

The Young Avengers 1s43t

Iman Vellani — 21 years old 39592p

Iman Vellani may play a 16-year-old in the MCU, but the Kamala Khan star in real life is currently 21 years old. Famed for being a lifelong Marvel fan — Iron Man was released when she was just five years old — Ms. Marvel was her very first acting credit. The Marvels confirmed Kamala will be the Young Avengers’ leader.

Hailee Steinfeld — 26 years old 6gm39

Given that Hailee Steinfeld has been a famous face since 2010’s True Grit, her presence on the team is often used as Exhibit A for the Young Avengers not living up to their name. And, yes, at 26, she is currently a year older than ScarJo was in Iron Man 2. Her Marvels cameo, though, confirms Kate Bishop herself is 23.

Kathryn Newton — 26 years old 1j1o5t

To be fair to Steinfeld, however, she’s not the only prospective Young Avengers member to be older than Johannson was. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania recast Cassie Lang — who gets a shoutout in The Marvels — with Kathryn Newton, who is currently 26. For comparison, Emma Fuhrmann, who played Cassie in Endgame, is 22.

Xochitl Gomez — 17 years old g4w61

Congratulations to Xochitl Gomez for being the only Young Avenger to actually be a teenager. Making her MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Gomez is only 17 years old at the time of writing — she was born less than two years before Iron Man released. If that makes you feel old, good, she’s supposed to be a Young Avenger!

Joe Locke — 20 years old 2r2231

OK, now we’re getting into speculation territory. It has yet to be officially, officially confirmed, but everyone and their familiar is confident that Heartstopper star Joe Locke’s top-secret role in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is Wiccan, the reincarnated Tommy Maximoff from WandaVision. He’s currently 20, so he would be another Young Avenger already out of their teens.

Elijah Richardson — 20 years old 716cs

Eli Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? You know, the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, the aging Super-Soldier? In the comics, Eli becomes Patriot, a member of the Young Avengers. Despite rumors indicating he might be shelved in the MCU, let’s hope he doesn’t. In any case, actor Elijah Richardson is the same age as Joe Locke and is 20 at the time of writing.

All in all, it’s not like Marvel’s cast anyone Downey or Ruffalo’s age in the Young Avengers, but many of them are not far off Johansson or Hemsworth, and certainly won’t be by the time a movie or a TV show or whatever the studio has planned comes to . Don’t make us wait until after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel, or you’ll only have yourself to blame when social media has a field day.

There are plenty of things about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to hate, but fans have singled out one moment near the end of the film for its exceptionally poor writing and acting. Even so long after the film’s release, they can’t forgive the cringey exchange.

For the unaware, the scene we’re talking about comes at the climax of the film during the final fight with Kang. Cassie and M.O.D.O.K. have a brief fight, ending with Cassie being the victor. What follows is what many are dubbing as some of the worst writing the modern MCU has to offer, along with a sprinkling of equally bad delivery.

s banded together to collectively mock the bad exchange and just generally laugh at the film’s poor excuse for an emotional moment.

And then motivational music starts to play pic.twitter.com/v063sqHf8y

— Shadow Knight (@ShadowKnightDK) April 18, 2023

Even more fans piled on to proclaim Cassie and M.O.D.O.K. the worst characters in the MCU.

Gotta say…. 2 worst characters in the MCU. I mean WOW. Modok always wack, 3rd act Cassie was unbearable

— RogueThoughts (@RoqueThoughts) April 18, 2023

Those who hated the scene still had good things to say about the movie as a whole so it’s not just Quantumania haters trying to put the scene down. Kang’s dialogue was praised by many, so at least some of the writers were obviously trying.

The writing for Kang was great tho pic.twitter.com/WgfcGjzwwN

— Shadow Knight (@ShadowKnightDK) April 18, 2023

The anger and disappointment for Quantumania are still strong. The digital release has re-opened a barely healed wound, and people are finding even more things to hate about it. However, that’s not to say there weren’t good parts of the film — like all Marvel movies, it has strengths and weaknesses. Maybe in a year’s time, we’ll look back on the third Ant-Man and realize that we, much like M.O.D.O.K., were just being dicks.

Places everyone, places. This is not a drill. Marvel has finally come right out and let us all know when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is hitting Disney Plus. At least, we’re pretty sure it has. Introducing Marvel’s next new big bad, fans (who didn’t make it to the theaters) have been dying to catch a glimpse of one of the MCU’s most ambitious new films.

Sadly, that ambition led to an incredibly mixed critical reception and the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score a Marvel film has ever seen. With a disted story and uneven perfomances, there were certainly moments of greatness, but none great enough to overcome the film’s played-out premise. Yet even so, we definitely enjoyed ourselves.

Following the entire Ant-family, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) find themselves trying to escape the Quantum Realm — all while facing Marvel’s next Thanos; Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s overall issues may have had many fans opting to steer clear of theaters, waiting for the film to come out on digital, DVD, or Disney Plus to take an actual look. Well, that time has come.

Available for purchase on April 18, Marvel’s announcement for Ant-Man‘s return to the spotlight marks its addition to Disney Plus. Probably. In the past, Marvel has made its films available on Disney Plus the same day they’re released digitally for purchase. That fact alone leads us to believe that Quantumania will be no different. So get ready to shrink down, and dive deep into Marvel’s ever-changing mythos.

It’s safe to say Marvel Studios didn’t want to start Phase 5 like this. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has opened to some of the worst reviews the MCU has ever gotten, ending up at just 48 percent on the Tomatometer. Less than two weeks on from release and it’s sitting at $363 million at the box office, which is great for an Ant-Man movie, but disappointing for the franchise in general.

Complaints have ranged from a confusing story that sidelines its hero, shoddy CGI (M.O.D.O.K. instantly became a meme), and Jonathan Majors’ new big bad Kang not being a patch on Thanos, but at least the widespread criticism doesn’t seem to have brought star Kathryn Newton down.

Speaking to THR at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night, she sounded sanguine about the response:

“It’s been a huge deal. I love going on TikTok and watching the fan edits. I really do. … So the fans pay attention, I love that they’re paying attention and I’m so grateful they’re watching.”

So something of a diplomatic answer, especially as Newton herself has come under heavy online fire for her performance.

Even so, Marvel Studios clearly has big plans for the character going forward. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that the MCU is quietly setting up a number of young superheroines, including Cassie Lang, Shuri, Ironheart, Yelena, and Kate Bishop. We’d love to see them team up as the Young Avengers down the road, perhaps with some of the more experienced heroes providing guidance.

For now, Quantumania looks set to go down as a bottom-tier MCU movie. Here’s hoping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delivers the goods, as Marvel Studios’ reputation has taken some dings lately.

Not to get all Martin Scorsese on you, but not many people would describe Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as high art. Going by its atrocious Rotten Tomatoes and continued online backlash, even the most hardcore of MCU fans would have to it that Ant-Man 3 is about as low-brow as the Marvel universe gets. So that’s why it’s a little bit eyebrow-raising that one of the movie’s stars is now saying that shooting the thing was like performing Shakespeare.

While speaking to The Wrap, MCU newcomer Kathryn Newton was asked if she had to undergo a “crash course” in Marvel effects work while filming Quantumania. The Cassie Lang actress itted this kind of was the case, thanks to some of her earliest scenes coming opposite Corey Stoll’s M.O.D.O.K., with something about it recalling the feeling of playing out the works of William Shakespeare. As Newton put it:

“That’s a really great question. And I’m so happy that you asked it because it was my first couple days of filming. We shot Corey’s M.O.D.O.K. We shot all his scenes and he wore this big thing around his head, and we did a weird blocking, really, on a stage — it felt like Shakespeare. And I learned immediately like how to be in a Marvel movie. And Paul told me not to hold back and it really set the tone for the movie.”

For anyone whose Shakespeare knowledge is a little rusty, we’ll clarify now that none of the Bard’s 37 plays feature an oversized egg-headed villain who flashes his bare behind at the audience. Presumably, then, Newton’s opinion that shooting those M.O.D.O.K. scenes was like a Shakespeare play likely has something to do with the stripped-back staging of the sequences. Alternatively, maybe it was the dramatically ripe dialogue. Lines such as “Don’t be a D*ck, Darren” are certainly on the level of anything you’ll find in Macbeth or Hamlet.

Honestly, though, Newton probably wasn’t the only one getting Shakespeare vibes concerning M.O.D.O.K., as seeing how Marvel massacred their boy was surely on a level with any of old Bill’s tragedies for comic book readers everywhere.

Christopher Landon still has big plans for a third Happy Death Day. The director once again discussed the sequel and a potential crossover with his other horror-comedy hit, Freaky (Starring Kathryn Newton), although this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard such bold ideas.

Whilst discussing his horror dramedy We Have a Ghost with The Hollywood Reporter, Landon brought up his plans for his two previous franchises. Although the update is a disappointing one as it seems that little progress has been made with getting a sequel to either film yet. Landon expanded upon the reason why we won’t be getting Happy Freaky Death Day soon, itting that creator and founder of Blumhouse Productions, Jason Blum, has yet to give him the greenlight on any sequels/crossovers.

“Look, Jason Blum is the puppet master. He’s pulling all the strings. So if anybody knows, it’s him. (Laughs.) I know that Jessica, Kathryn and I would love to get together and make something absolutely ridiculous. So it’s possible, but we really haven’t had an actual creative conversation about doing something like that. I just know that I would do anything to work with both of those people again.”

That hasn’t stopped him from planning ahead as the director hopes to get a higher budget for a third Happy Death Day film and then potentially do the long-awaited spooky crossover. He’s stated his plans before, but unfortunately, he’s not been given much from Blumhouse, it seems. However, fans of the films do his vision. It’s safe to say the internet would love to see a crossover between the two films.

Most of Landon’s films have had relatively low budgets and given high returns, so it’s likely that we’ll get to see more from the director as he’s proven to be a success. Whether or not he’ll be given the budget he desires for the projects he wants to do is another issue to overcome.

Warning: Spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to follow.

With its opening weekend having come and gone, it doesn’t look like the bleak sentiment surrounding Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be improving any time soon. Indeed, barring an inch-perfect performance from Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror (who, frankly, needed all the gravitas Majors could muster given how the character met his defeat), it seems that Scott Lang’s third outing has all the parts it needs to cement itself as one of the worst-reviewed MCU projects in history.

But who was the biggest loser of Quantumania? Kang and his apparently poor matchup against technocratic insects? M.O.D.O.K., the floating, talking personification of dramatic dissonance? Audiences, if we’re being ruthlessly honest?

No, if there was any character that Quantumania did a disservice to more than anyone, it was Cassie Lang.

Cassie, for the most part, is a character that the MCU has treated with reckless abandon from the get-go, as prophesized by the bizarre decision to recast Emma Fuhrmann, who first portrayed a grown-up Cassie in Avengers: Endgame, even after she delivered a masterclass of a reunion scene with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang.

Of course, that isn’t to say that Kathryn Newton, who will be helming the role of Cassie from here on out, is to blame for Quantumania dropping the ball on her. Given the script that she seemed forced to work with coupled with her status as an MCU newcomer, no one can reasonably blame her for getting trapped the way she did.

So why was Cassie the biggest loser of Quantumania? Well, one just has to turn to the film’s ending to begin answering that question.

How Quantumania should have ended 6p5y46

Marvel missed a glittering, gorgeous opportunity to launch Cassie into one of the most fascinating character arcs we could have ever seen, and threw it away for the sake of a safe, Hollywood-friendly ending, in which Scott, on the brink of being beaten beyond recovery by Kang, is rescued by Hope van Dyne, and the two of them knock Kang into the power core, seemingly sending him to his death. With the day saved and everyone happy and healthy, Scott and the rest of the Ant-Man family return to their world for a fake birthday surprise for Cassie.

On the surface, and barring the fact that it quickly turned Kang into a laughingstock, perhaps there’s nothing wrong with this ending. But, if one were to tap into their imagination just a little bit, it doesn’t take long to arrive at how the film should have ended, and how opting out of such an ending for the sake of the one we got in the film made for a major missed opportunity for Cassie’s character.

Recently, a thread on r/MCUTheories led to a discussion on how Quantumania‘s ending could have been improved, which, of course, involved the now-popular opinion that the film should have ended with Scott getting trapped in the Quantum Realm, rather than the happy ending we wound up getting.

Again, putting aside the fact that it could have helped establish Kang as a far more serious threat while adding onto Scott’s arc much more significantly, this alternate ending would have jumpstarted Cassie’s character arc in an enormous way.

Throughout the film, Cassie and Scott share contrasting points of view on the subject of justice, with Scott shying away from any more danger for the sake of preserving life with his family, and Cassie believing that they still have a responsibility to help those in need.

Cassie, of course, is right. Scott is an Avenger, and doesn’t have much business substituting crime-fighting with book gs. So, had Scott made the ultimate sacrifice by trapping himself in the Quantum Realm in order to prevent Kang from escaping, that would have been one big step in the right direction for Scott.

But it would have been ten big steps in an exciting new direction for Cassie. After she spent a good portion of Quantumania egging her father on about doing the right thing, how would she have responded if he finally did do the right thing at the cost of his, and, by extension, Cassie’s livelihood, family life, and capacity for emotional trauma?

Perhaps, for instance, she would start to realize that true justice isn’t quite the idealistic endeavor she originally thought it was, having now learned how much sacrifice tends to be involved with it, which in turn could result in her retroactively cutting Scott some slack. Such a development could have sent her on a fascinating trajectory for her growth as both a person and a Young Avenger, where she could have sought to reconcile this new inner conflict regarding the act of justice.

But alas, what could have been the site of a world-class moment of character development was instead nothing more than a lackluster CGI exhibit for Cassie, Kang, and, worst-case scenario, the ethos of the Multiverse Saga as a whole. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for a Phase Five phoenix moment, but this woeful mishandling of Cassie was no doubt one of the sourest surprises of all of Quantumania‘s misdeeds.

Apparently, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn’t already on the receiving end of enough backlash, what with all the wildly underwhelming reviews and almost record-breakingly bad Rotten Tomatoes score, as fans have decided to add some more to its plate. In the wake of the latest MCU threequel’s release, Marvel critics with long memories have reminded us all of Marvel’s most controversial recast, which is still leaving people angry all these years later.

Quantumania inherits the idea that Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie aged up to adolescence while Ant-Man was stuck in the Quantum Realm from Avengers: Endgame, however, it hasn’t inherited that film’s older Cassie actress. Emma Fuhrmann took over from Abbie Ryder Fortson for Endgame, appearing in a hugely emotional cameo opposite Paul Rudd. And yet, she was replaced by Kathryn Newton for this latest entry in the saga. This unexplained recast, plus the way it was handled, is still rubbing fans up the wrong way.

As the tweet above states, Fuhrmann itted at the time of Newton’s casting — which was first announced back in December 2020 — that she was “sad” to find out she wouldn’t be returning to her role when the news broke online but, with irable grace, she thanked Marvel for the opportunity to play Cassie just the once at the same time.

Many of the reactions to this new viral tweet think Fuhrmann’s Endgame performance was so good she deserved another shot.

Others believe that, given Quantumania‘s reception, Fuhrmann may have dodged a bullet.

Some, meanwhile, don’t think any kind of crime was committed here…

Although, as the OP pointed out, whatever your stance on Furhmann’s recast, no offense is intended to Newton who is an equally gifted actress and in no way to blame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is playing in theaters everywhere now.

One of the many legends surrounding Bill Murray is that he’s incredibly difficult to get a hold of, leaving many fans wondering how he was cajoled into becoming the latest big name to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this week’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

The veteran comic legend doesn’t have an agent or a cellphone, and screens his calls by putting virtually everyone with the exception of Wes Anderson through to an answering machine that he doesn’t even check all that often, so you’d imagine Kevin Feige and the rest of the higher-ups had a strategy in place to track him down and put out an offer.

As it turns out, though, fellow new recruit and keen golfer Kathryn Newton played a pivotal role in getting Murray on board, after she revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that a conversation on the fairways led directly to the star’s Ant-Man 3 gig.

The truth is I played in the tournament [2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am], and I wanted everyone to think I was cool, so I told them about the next project I was doing. I was also playing with Jordan Spieth, who I’m a big fan of, and I was like, “I’m in Ant-Man, and it’s going to be sick.” And Bill was like, “Huh, Marvel.”

And then I got a phone call a month later. My mom was like, “I have Bill Murray for you.” And I was like, “What!?” And Bill was like, “I’ve been thinking about ing the MCU for a while.” And I was like, “Okay.” And he was like, “I just wanted to ask your permission to the movie.” And I was like, “Yeah, Bill. That’s fine, but maybe you should talk to somebody else and see if there’s a role for you. I have no idea.” But I think he already had an offer and just wanted to make a joke out of it.”

You never really know where the truth lies with Murray, so maybe he really did ask for Newton’s permission before accepting what’s sure to be a lucrative guest spot in the world’s biggest franchise. Then again, there’s a reason why “the Bill Murray story” has long since entered the realm of internet folklore, so it’s always a 50/50 shot that he’s kidding.

Actress Kathryn Newton is about to get a lot more famous. As Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, she has a role with huge MCU implications. Before she was a superhero, she was the star of the 2020 streaming hit Freaky, and now there’s talk of her reprising that role in a fun crossover.

Freaky is a twist on the body-switching Freaky Friday, except instead of trading bodies with a mom, it’s the body of a serial killer. Despite being released during the height of the pandemic, it got a lot of buzz and solid reviews. This brings us to Happy Death Day and its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U. Like Freaky, Happy Death Day centers around a young female protagonist, this time played by Jessica Rothe, and was also a hit, making $125.5 million on a budget of $4.8 million. All three movies were directed by Christopher Landon, and for a while, there was serious talk about a crossover between the two franchises. Unfortunately, that got mired in production issues and pandemic delays before it fizzled out.

Things could be different now that Newton is about to appear in what could be one of the biggest Marvel movies ever, and one that introduces Marvel’s Phase 5 as well. When asked about the crossover, she said she would always be interested in it happening. She told One Take News:

“I’m waiting on the script. Send me the offer. Let’s do it!”

Here’s hoping!

You can see Newton in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania when it hits theaters on Feb. 17.