The MCU's Potential Reboot After Phase 6 Already Has 2 Marvel Characters Ready For Reinvention

Two MCU heroes are already the best candidates for a total reinvention if the MCU goes through a reboot in Avengers: Secret Wars. Over the past seventeen years, the MCU has grown into a cinematic behemoth, but its mᴀssive scale has also led to uneven character focus. While some heroes have completed epic, decade-long arcs, others are only just beginning their journeys. As a result, characters like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men aren’t able to meet MCU legends like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.

The MCU’s immense scale and the Multiverse Saga’s increasingly complicated narrative make a reboot feel inevitable. A franchise reboot, soft or hard, could unify the franchise and bring all characters onto a level playing field. This would mirror the source material, where Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars event brought together characters from all over the universe (and multiverse), and offered something of a fresh start for everyone. Following Phase 6’s Avengers: Secret Wars, some MCU characters could benefit from such a reboot more than others.

The MCU Wasted Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym & Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne

Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym & Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne Had Very Limited Impact On The MCU

Marvel Studios reimagined the legacy of Ant-Man and the Wasp in the MCU by shifting the spotlight from Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne to their successors, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne. Instead of being founding members of the Avengers, Hank and Janet are portrayed as retired heroes whose past exploits remain mostly off-screen. Scott and Hope inherit their mantles and establish themselves as independent superheroes before joining the Avengers. Hank Pym became Scott Lang’s reluctant mentor, and Janet van Dyne only reappeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s ending before revealing that she had a close link to Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Despite appearing in all three Ant-Man movies, Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne contributed far less to the larger MCU and to Ant-Man’s mythology than their comic book counterparts

Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne had inspired casting, and their roles as seasoned heroes with a long superhero history separate and previous to the Avengers was an interesting idea. Unfortunately, Hank and Janet spent very little time fighting together on screen, and their mentor roles weren’t as well-developed either. Despite appearing in all three Ant-Man movies, Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne contributed far less to the larger MCU and to Ant-Man’s mythology than their comic book counterparts.

Michael Douglas Likely Won’t Return As Hank Pym In The MCU

Michael Douglas Has Made It Clear He’s Done With Hank Pym

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym mentoring Scott Lang in the present day in Ant-Man (2015)

Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym played a pivotal role in Kang the Conqueror’s defeat in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, leading an army of hyper-intelligent ants to overwhelm the villain in the Quantum Realm. Although Hank survived the events of the third Ant-Man film, Michael Douglas has since indicated he’s stepping away from the MCU. In May 2025, Douglas said he doesn’t expect to reprise his MCU role and is enjoying a break from acting. As the MCU shifts focus beyond the Ant-Man trilogy, Hank Pym seems likely to enjoy his retirement as well.

Hank Pym’s reduced MCU role meant that he didn’t play any role in Ultron’s creation, which removed one of the most important parts of his story for his live-action adaptation.

Prior to his 2025 statement, Michael Douglas revealed he wanted the MCU to kill off Hank Pym in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. According to Douglas, he requested a spectacular on-screen death for Pym, but it never materialized. Although the film didn’t follow through on that idea, Douglas’ desire to step away from the role is more than clear. The MCU doesn’t need to kill off Hank Pym or even address his future absence to explain his absence. Given the character’s arc, a quiet retirement would suffice.

Janet Van Dyne Has Little Left To Do After Kang The Conqueror’s Defeat

Kang’s Departure Leaves Janet Van Dyne With No MCU Future

Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne standing in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

After her flashback cameo in Ant-Man and her late return in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne had a big role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where she was revealed to have been an ally of Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum Realm. Janet betrayed Kang and escaped the Quantum Realm with her family, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s ending suggested Kang could return. If Marvel’s plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty had moved forward, Janet would have likely played a sizable role in the next two Avengers movies.

However, Marvel Studios’ original plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty were scrapped following Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles, leading to a creative overhaul that transformed the crossover movie into Avengers: Doomsday, now centered around Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom. With Kang the Conqueror gone, Janet van Dyne’s connection to the main villain vanished, leaving her with little else to do in the franchise. While Avengers: Doomsday could still draw on Janet’s Quantum Realm expertise, its already mᴀssive ensemble leaves little room for her. Hence, Janet will probably do the same as Hank Pym and retire quietly with her family.

Scott Lang And Hope Van Dyne Are Also Ready To Exit The MCU

Ant-Man & The Wasp’s MCU Story Is Basically Over As Well

Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne stuck in the Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania

Like their predecessors, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne appear to have completed their MCU arcs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang evolved from a small-time burglar into a full-fledged Avenger, and ultimately to the Avenger who almost singlehandedly defeated one of the MCU’s most powerful villains. Scott may still doubt whether Kang the Conqueror will return, but since the villain’s arc has been abandoned, participating in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars could be Scott Lang’s victory lap before retirement.

Hope van Dyne has had significantly less impact in the MCU than Scott Lang. In fact, Wasp has been one of the most underdeveloped heroes in the entire MCU. After establishing a life beyond crime-fighting and helping defeat Kang the Conqueror, Hope van Dyne is also ready to hang up the wings and leave her superhero days behind her. In 2024, Evangeline Lilly revealed she’s stepping away from acting, further suggesting Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the last audiences will see of this version of the Wasp in the MCU.

Ant-Man & The Wasp Deserve An MCU Reboot Most Than Any Other Character

The MCU’s Rebooted Ant-Man & Wasp Would Need To Be Much More Prominent

Hope Van Dyne and Scott Lang in costume in Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp have earned their place among the MCU’s heroes and proved themselves just as capable as any Avenger. However, their live-action adaptation pales in comparison to the source material. A potential multiversal reboot following Avengers: Secret Wars presents an ideal opportunity to reintroduce both Ant-Man and Wasp as central, if not founding, members of the Avengers. A fresh start could finally give the Wasp the prominence she deserves and honor her comic book legacy, and the MCU‘s reboot could also spotlight Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne as the original Ant-Man and Wasp, while retaining Scott and Hope’s role as their successors.