Deleted Ant-Man And The Wasp Scene Adds 2 Marvel Heroes To Ghost Origin Story

Ghost with Janet

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in an interesting place right now, as we're in the interim period between Phases. Every single installment in Phase Three was a critical and box office success, including Ant-Man and The Wasp. The first release after Infinity War backtracked to reveal Scott's life, and introduced a slew of new characters in the process. One of them was the villainous Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. And a deleted scene from the sequel added two more Marvel heroes to her origin.

Ghost was the primary antagonist for Ant-Man and The Wasp. That is, until the very final moments of the third act. Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne ultimately ends up being empathetic toward the villain's struggles, and uses her Quantum Realm abilities to (temporarily) stabilize her. But it turns out that Janet and Hank Pym were originally part of the character's backstory. At least, according to a deleted scene from the Infinity Saga box set.

A new deleted scene has surfaced thanks to the massive Infinity Saga box set (via Comic Book) which includes all 23 installments in the MCU through Phase Three aka Spider-Man: Far From Home. The box set will also include plenty of never-before-seen bonus features, including deleted scenes. The one in question sees revealed that Hank and Janet were present during Laurence Fishburne's Bill Foster was experimenting on her daughter in order to give her phasing abilities. This makes Janet and Ghost's connection all the more significant, as she was privy to the events that followed the villain's life of pain.

Ultimately this sequence was cut from Ant-Man and The Wasp, likely to simplify the story and keep the runtime tight. But I have to wonder the emotional impact it might have had on Ghost's story, and her fate. After trying forcibly to take Janet's Quantum Realm energy, Hope's mother ended up volunteering to help the young enhanced woman. It was a touching moment of intimacy, and one of the few times in the MCU where a villain is given a second chance.

I have to wonder what happened to Ghost after the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp. The film's mid-credits scene featured Scott Lang entering the Quantum Realm in an attempt to harvest it's energy for Ghost. But Thanos' snap happens, with Ant-Man trapped in the mysterious setting while Hope, Hank, and Janet were dusted. This fate would presumably be disastrous for Ava/Ghost, who was relying on the energy to stabilize her abilities and free her from excruciating pain.

Related: Ant-Man And The Wasp's Ghost Teases Her Return To The MCU

One possibility is that Ghost was snapped too, which might have actually been merciful considering the character's alternative. Namely, that she is one again in constant pain, and unable to find any relief on our world. Answers will eventually arrive with Ant-Man 3, although that movie hasn't been given an official release date yet.

The Infinity Saga box set isn't the only place Marvel can find new deleted scenes from the massive shared universe. Disney+ launched last week, with bonus footage including unseen footage from Avengers: Endgame. And you can use this link for a free 7-day trial.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 1st, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look forward to the New Year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.