Ant-Man: Why Cassie Lang Was Recast In The MCU - CBR

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced audiences to Scott Lang and his daughter, Cassie Lang, in 2015's Ant-Man. Abby Ryder Fortson was the original Cassie Lang, being eight years old in the film. By the time of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which followed a five-year gap in the MCU timeline, Cassie was played by Emma Fuhrmann as a teenager. However, Cassie Lang was recast yet again for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Released in 2023, Quantumania introduced Kathryn Newton as an 18-year-old Cassie Lang. Considering the character has been recast multiple times, it could have ramifications for the MCU moving forward. But why was Cassie Lang recast for Quantumania in the first place?

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Avengers: Endgame Aged Up Cassie Lang

As previously stated, many years passed between Ant-Man and Avengers: Endgame, which featured a five-year time jump following Thanos' Snap, as depicted in Avengers: Infinity War. That placed even more distance between Cassie's appearances in Ant-Man and its 2018 sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and her return in Endgame, most of which unfolded in the MCU's "present day," 2023. With such a dramatic time span, the character obviously needed to be recast to accommodate Cassie's true age. Thus, Abby Ryder Fortson was replaced by Emma Fuhrmann to embody the teenage Cassie.

Although Fuhrmann appeared as Cassie in only two scenes, Endgame seemed to be setting her up to become a prominent character in the future of the MCU. In Marvel Comics, Cassie Lang became the superhero known as Stature/Stinger/Ant-Girl and joined the Young Avengers. Therefore, it was expected Fuhrmann would likely continue her role, taking Cassie from average teen to superhero. However, another Cassie recasting established that wouldn't be the case.

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Why Another Cassie Lang Recast Occurred for Quantumania

Since the release of Quantumania, director Peyton Reed has opened up about why Kathryn Newton replaced Fuhrmann as Cassie Lang in the third installment of the Ant-Man series. Not beating around to bush, Reed said that he chose to replace Cassie because he admired Newton as an actor, and wanted someone who could keep up with Paul Rudd. Meaning, he wanted someone as quick-witted and sharp as he is since Scott's daughter should take after him. Reed also pointed to Newton's athletic physicality as a world-class golfer as a factor in Cassie's character, which could potentially mean that she's expected to return in a Young Avengers role.

As of now, Emma Fuhrmann's IMDb doesn't indicate she has any projects on the horizon. Despite Reed's comments, the recasting doesn't speak to Furhmann's abilities as an actor -- her exceptional performance in the emotional reunion scene with her father in Endgame was one of the most memorable parts of the film.