Relationship Spotlight: Hope Van Dyne & Scott Lang (Ant-Man and the Wasp)

Even as I enjoyed the heck out of the first Ant-Man, loved Scott, adored Hope, and couldn’t wait until Ant-Man and the Wasp, it would’ve been hard for me to believe, prior to seeing the new movie, that it would get me shipping Scott/Hope.  Big kudos to the production for righting this ship (see what I did there?) in a major way (a few spoilers.)

Romance in Marvel movies has always been hit-or-miss.  I’d previously have said that their best romantic relationship was Cap and Peggy, and that benefits from the frozen-in-amber aspect of ending before it properly starts, leaving it as this lovely might-have-been tinged with wistfulness.  I still like Peggy/Steve, of course, but now there’s a more tangible ongoing relationship in Hope/Scott to give them a run for their money.

As I said, I loved the first Ant-Man, as well as Scott and Hope.  Scott/Hope, on the other hand?  Not so much.  While I liked their interactions and how they came to understand each other, the last-minute makeout shot felt to me like the epitome of out-of-nowhere.  Not even that the dynamic the film was setting up didn’t have any potential for romance – I could see it, but given what we’d seen so far, it was way too soon.  The moment felt irritatingly tacked-on, and I wasn’t a fan.

Cue my surprise at watching Ant-Man and the Wasp and finding myself loving Hope/Scott together almost as much as I love them both individually.  Possibly, it helps that the film starts with them on the outs, as Scott’s escapades in Civl War have gotten them both in trouble (plus Hank,) and Hope and Hank have been on the run while Scott has been unable to contact them as a condition of his house arrest.  In a way, it resets the somewhat-more-combative vibe they had for much of the first movie, which I think works.  Not because I think happy couples are inherently boring, though – rather, I think it works because it’s a chance for the film to back up on these two and bring their relationship forward more organically this time.

Even as Hope starts off being cold to Scott and he’s initially wary around her, you can see that it’s not exactly like it was before.  Hope is angry that Scott’s impulsiveness blew up her and Hank’s life, but she’s also hurt that he didn’t trust her to back him up in Civil War, didn’t ask her to join him.  There’s an investment in her anger that’s sharper than it would be if she didn’t care about him, and it hints at the relationship they had offscreen in between movies; we see the shape of it in Hope’s disappointment that it wasn’t everything she hoped it was.

This provides groundwork for their eventual reconciliation when circumstances bring them back together for a mission.  It’s more than just their previous “they spar (verbally and otherwise,) but they’re also kind of hot for each other!” dynamic, which is fine but fairly typical and, like I said, not all that fleshed out.  Instead, we get this tug between him, watch them dance slightly around each other as they work together again. 

Scott tries to apologize, and Hope blocks him.  Hope makes overtures, and Scott gets honest.  Hope throws up walls, and Scott tries to ease the tension.  And as they get into the rhythm of their mission, both of them suited up, relying on each other and sharing ideas, we see them start to fall back into what they must have been as a couple.  The edges soften, their sparring becomes more playful, and you can hear the care in their voices as they urge the other to watch out.  Then, almost as quickly as it starts, someone (often Hope) pulls back again, and they’re on their guard once more.  But each time it happens, the new distance they build between them isn’t quite as far as it was before, and they’re ever so gradually making their way back to each other.

Additionally, I love that Hope has equal footing in the partnership.  This is something Marvel has been moving toward in its recent movies (see also T’Challa/Nakia and the possible Thor/Valkyrie,) with the “love interest”/potential “love interest” standing beside the hero instead of behind him, but I think Ant-Man and the Wasp is the first movie where that’s fully achieved.  I love seeing a man and a woman fighting alongside each other, both of them strong, smart, and capable, the two of them sharing the lead, and, yes – them having romantic feelings for each other as well.  I hope that this pairing provides a new framework for Marvel romances going forward.