On the big screen, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Hank Pym is a benevolent figure, one who turns his back on his own company and research when he doesn’t approve of the way things are headed. Drawn back into the life due to an unwanted alliance with Scott Lang, the veteran scientist and all-around genius had been a scene-stealer.
Michael Douglas has brought the perfect mixture of gravitas and charisma to his live-action performances, but it’s fair to say that the animated Hank Pym is an asshole. Having murdered the majority of the Avengers just a couple of weeks ago in Marvel’s What If…?, the latest episode has seen him at it again, having accidentally caused the zombie apocalypse via a botched attempt to rescue Janet van Dyne.
As you can see from the reactions below, fans aren’t forgetting that Hank’s f*cked up twice now, and it’ll be difficult for some of them to forgive him by the time Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania rolls around in February 2023.
Michael Douglas is pretty particular about his projects these days, but looking at the pair of arcs he’s been given as part of Marvel’s What If…?, it’s easy to see why he agreed to sign on. The legendary actor is one of the rare MCU talents who inks his contracts one at a time, so the writing needed to be strong enough to convince him it was a worthwhile endeavor, and killing the Avengers before starting an undead war certainly ticks those boxes.