Kathryn Newton Wanted To Capture The Joy Of Abby Ryder Fortson's Cassie In Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

Marvel Studios has gotten pretty good at getting charismatic actors to play bit roles, while set against the stars playing an Avenger. The "Ant-Man" movies, especially, are loaded with folks you simply enjoy being around, such as fast-talker Luis (Michael Peńa) and the magic-curious Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park). Even with their short screen time, however, it's Abby Ryder Fortson who steals the show as Scott Lang's adorable daughter, Cassie. She loves weird things, has a great imagination, and sees her father for the hero he is.

When the Blip happened, however, it meant that Forston's time as the character was over. Cassie was suddenly five years older and played by Emma Fuhrmann, who would only show up in "Avengers: Endgame" before being recast once again with "Detective Pikachu" star Kathryn Newton. In "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," we're going to see how much Cassie has changed since the universe-altering event, and how that affects her familial relationship with Scott. Newton wanted to treasure Fortson's performance, while leaving her own joyous stamp on the character (via The Hollywood Reporter):

"Abby was so cute and joyful and just magical in both movies. So we thought about her a lot, especially in creating what she looks like now. We wanted her to stay brunette, so I had a seamless transition, and I was so excited to introduce this new phase of Cassie. She still has that same spark of energy, that joy, that love and a big, big heart."

Given how much personality Abby Ryder Fortson brought to the role, it can be a challenge for their replacement to capture the same charm, but Kathryn Newton was up for the task. She possesses the same charm, yet has the extra benefit of making Cassie feel like her own. Newton wants folks to know that Cassie thinks with her heart above anything else, telling THR:

"She's sticking up for the little guy, and she's not thinking too much about it. If it's the right thing to do and someone needs help, she's going to do it. That's pretty brave, and it makes for a good movie because she makes a lot of mistakes trying to do the right thing. She kind of trips over herself and is clumsy, but she's a good character because she's got a place to go."

You only have to go back to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" to see the character's inherent nature to help out. When Scott talks about having a superhero partner, Cassie thinks she would make a great one. Without her input, Scott probably would have let Hope (Evangeline Lily) and Hank (Michael Douglas) carry out the mission on their own. Fortson's performance showed someone who wanted the people in her life to do the right thing. "Quantumania" is surely going to give her older counterpart a chance to do some good herself. Given how much we do know of Kang's incoming wrath, if there's any moment for Newton's Cassie to step up and be a hero, it's now.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023.