Editor's Note: The following contains Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania spoilers.

One thing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was always lacking was a grandpa. When you think about it, the franchise is littered with "daddy" issues in its heroes, but we never get to see a grandfather just having a fun time with his grandkids. That is until Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The Ant-Man movies have always been about Scott Lang and his daughter Cassie. While there have been other movies in the Marvel catalog about fathers and their kids, it is Ant-Man, and specifically Paul Rudd's performance as Scott, that really focused completely on how much a father protecting, finding, or returning to his daughter can motivate heroic adventures.

That being said, Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania's new "grandfather" storyline is surprisingly refreshing. That grandfather being Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. For the first two movies, Hank never interacted with Cassie. In this third movie, though, it's clear that his relationship to Scott's family because of Hope (Evangeline Lilly) has changed between Ant-Man and the Wasp (as well as Avengers: Endgame) and where we find the team in Quantumania. And this relationship frankly changed for the better because this movie is shows Hank at the happiest he's been thus far in the MCU.

'Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania' Gives Us a Happier Hank Pym

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, and Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne in Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Image via Marvel Studios

Now that Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) is back in their lives, it seems like all the stress that Hank was experiencing in the previous Ant-Man movies is gone. Here, Hank is able to relax and just enjoy his family and their time together. This new state of being lets him embrace the idea of Cassie being his granddaughter of sorts. Throughout Quantumania, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) refers to Hank as her grandfather. While at first calling Hank her grandfather is a bit jarring — that has, after all, never been the dynamic we've gotten to see thus far — it quickly becomes one of the more endearing parts of the entire movie. Throughout the movie, Hank's clearly just a grandfather excited to see what his granddaughter thinks of next.

Cassie Lang is a lot like her father Scott in the sense that she uses her intelligence to help her get what she wants. Underneath Scott's original motive to committing the crime that first sends him to prison are altruist motives - steal money from the rich to give to the poor, and provide for his family. For Cassie, she similarly uses her intelligence for good and tries to be a hero for people who need it. But one of the amazing parts of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was getting to see how Hank and Cassie sort of geek out together. And all of this just leads into Hank being a great and fresh take in the MCU as a whole.

Let Hank Pym Be a Grandfather

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Image via Marvel Studios

Hank goes from being a distant father to someone who lets his granddaughter tell him all about the science she's working on. He clearly lets Cassie take suits and tech, likely because they've worked on them together. Their supportive, playful, collaborative dynamic is a refreshing addition to the world of Marvel as a whole.

Having Michael Douglas bring a grandfather's energy to the MCU, where all he does is encourage Cassie and let her experience new lessons and challenges, is perfect. And sure, there maybe wasn't a reason for there to be a grandpa in the MCU prior to this, but the fact that the first one we get is Michael Douglas as Hank Pym really works. Turns out when Hank Pym's gotten his family back from the Quantum Realm, he transforms into a soothing presence like only the best grandpas can be!

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