Michelle Pfeiffer On Joining ‘Ant-Man’ In MCU: ‘I Was Surprised’
Michelle Pfeiffer is sharing her thoughts about her role as Janet van Dyne in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The 64-year-old actress spoke to Entertainment Tonight while promoting the franchise’s third installment to its film series, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” She revealed how she never thought about her return to the superhero world decades after she played the role of Catwoman in “Batman Returns,” saying, “You know, I don’t think so… Actually, no.”
She is said to have even joked about not expecting to return to wearing “super uncomfortable wardrobes” during the exchange.
Pfeiffer noted, however, that she “was surprised when it came my way,” adding that she “was excited.”
The public first learned about the “What Lies Beneath” actress’s arrival in the MCU, specifically in the “Ant-Man” franchise, in July 2017.
At the time, Variety reported that Marvel revealed the matter during its San Diego Comic-Con panel, noting that Michelle Pfeiffer would star alongside Paul Rudd in “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”
The magazine continued that the “Scarface” actress would play Janet van Dyne, wife of Hank Pym and mother Hope van Dyne, played by Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly, respectively.
Elsewhere in the exchange with ET, published Wednesday, Michelle Pfeiffer recalled what drew her into playing the role, first in “Ant-Man” (2018) and followed by “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).
The “Stardust” star explained that “Janet van Dyne was the founder of the Avengers.” She subsequently recalled, “In fact, in my first meeting with Peyton, it’s what got me very excited about playing this,” before adding, “He said, ‘She’s a founder of the Avengers and a very seminal part of this world.’”
In the latter part of the exchange, though, Pfeiffer admitted to experiencing challenges when it comes to the stunt work required for the role, telling the outlet, “it’s challenging.” But, even so, she noted that she “kind of like upending stereotypes about what women can do and for how long.”
Meanwhile, Peyton Reed, who directed the “Ant-Man” films, including the latest, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which will premiere on February 17, previously stated that the “I Am Sam” actress is his “dream casting” for the character of the Wasp.
The director revealed in an exchange with Heat Vision that they “used a double” on the first “Ant-Man” film, adding, “But the whole thing was, ‘I want her to look like Michelle Pfeiffer, because that would be my dream casting for Wasp,’” according to The Hollywood Reporter.