Kathryn Newton’s first Marvel casting failed – but now, thanks to Ant-Man, she’s still the next big superhero in the MCU

While the first Avengers generation is gradually saying goodbye, the new films and series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are looking for busy looking for a replacement. Florence Pugh succeeds Black Widow.Xochitl Gomez emulates Doctor Strange. Hailee Steinfeld is applying to succeed Hawkeye, and Dominique Thorne has already forged her first Iron Man armor.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the starting shot of the fifth MCU phase, also introduces us to a new superheroine: Cassie Long. We already saw her in the first two Ant-Man films, but then as a small child. Now Cassie has aged and is being portrayed by a new actress, Kathryn Newton, who has already had a distinguished Hollywood career.

Ant-Man 3-Star on their entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Newton was already standing at the age of four in front of the camera. Small roles in Mad Men and Supernatural have been followed by big productions like the HBO hit Big Little Lies and Netflix’s The Society. She is also known from films such as The Sex Pact, Freaky and Pokémon Detective Pikachu. On the occasion of her MCU debut, we caught up with her for an interview and talked about Quantumania.

You can watch the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania here:

Moviepilot: This is your first big Marvel movie. What exactly did your journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe look like?

Catherine Newton: The casting process at Marvel always takes a long time. I have already auditioned for a role years ago, but nothing came of it. Then I haven’t heard anything new for ages and suddenly I get a call and I’m supposed to talk to Peyton Reed, the director [von Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania], meet. A week later I was offered the role of Cassie Lang.

What year are we in exactly?

Oh, I can’t say that at all. From that point everything happened very quickly. I got the offer and have trained for four or five months. After that we shot straight away. I owe it all to casting director Sarah Finn. Already at [Pokémon Meisterdetektiv] Pikachu and Three Billboards [Outside Ebbing, Missouri] i worked with her.

It’s only been two films, but I’ve been to her office countless times. She knows me and my work very well. It just takes that one person to believe in you
– and she believed in me. That led to the meeting with Peyton and from there everything just fell into place. It’s actually quite simple, but I can’t believe it until I’m talking to you about the film.

Can you reveal what the audition was that didn’t work out?

No. But I can say that the people at Marvel know exactly what they are doing. I remember that [MCU-Produzent] Lou [D’Esposito] said: “There’s a place for you here, we just have to find it.” And now they finally found something for me. It is natural it’s a pity that the first casting didn’t work out, but basically I don’t even know what role it was for. They just tell you it’s a Marvel project, nothing more.

Kathryn Newton “always” wanted to be a Marvel heroine

When you were cast: were you already familiar with the MCU or did you have to quickly catch up on all the films and series?

I’ve always wanted to be a Marvel heroine. Ant-Man was my favorite Marvel movie when I first saw it when I was 18. I said to my father at the time that one day I wanted to be in a film like that and I stuck to that dream. Honestly is Cassie Lang better than anything I ever dreamed of. For a long time I didn’t even know who she was. Of course I knew the character from the Ant-Man movies, but I had no idea about the superheroine from the comics, ie Stature, Giant-Girl, Ant-Girl and what the different versions are called.

Before filming, did you sit down with Abby Ryder Fortson and Emma Fuhrmann, who played Cassie in the early Ant-Man films and Avengers: Endgame?

No, we’ve actually never met. But we should definitely do that again. I love the Cassie I met back in Ant-Man. She is such a wonderful person and loves her father. I wanted to carry on this legacy and at the same time a new version of Cassie create things we haven’t seen before. We’re sticking to a few things though – including the hair color!

Maybe in a few years there will be a multiverse movie called Cassie Lang: No Way Home that will star all three of you.

That would be great! Cassie Lang: No Way Home – love the movie already!

Did you talk to Kevin Feige before filming?

Just a little bit with Kevin. Most of the conversations were with Peyton. After reading the script [von Quantumania] had read for the first time, he came and [Drehbuchautor] Jeff Loveness towards me. They asked: “Do you have any comments, anything you’d like to change?” And I just said: “What makes you think that? Cassie sounds perfect. She’s just like me. Funny, screwed up. That’s, as if you wrote the role just for me.” It’s crazy how things work out in the end even though the first try didn’t work.

And then what did your conversations with Peyton Reed revolve around?

At its core, it’s always been about the idea that there’s a teenage girl who wants to be a superhero just like her dad. We wanted to keep Cassie and Scott’s relationship grounded, because that is the core of the Ant-Man films. It’s about the family. A normal guy saves the world to save his family. We wanted Cassie to feel real and real. She has a big heart and cares about those around her. Possibly even too much. We wanted to express that in the film.

Life on the MCU set: This is how Ant Man 3 filming went behind the scenes

Do you think Cassie will become an inspiration for new generations of fans?

That would be very nice. When I saw the first Iron Man back then, I was blown away. The Marvel movies are a big part of my life – I’m a fan! There is little more beautiful than when films inspire people. Cassie is an apt reflection of our young generation. Young people are not afraid. There are no limits to your imagination. You try everything. And I like that.

I can’t take it anymore when someone tells me that I can’t do something and that I should kindly put up with it. I am ready for the younger generation to take this something and use it for good. But use your opportunities consciously! Cassie is the best example: she really wants to be a superhero, but she still hasn’t understood what that really means.

You yourself have made many different films and series. Was it different now that you’re starring in a Marvel movie?

No, actually not. The only difference was that my trailer was a lot bigger. [Lacht]

how tall was he

It was as big as a whole house. No seriously: With a production with such a huge budget, everything gets bigger. As incredible as the trailer was, at the end of the day, the work is the same. You create a character and try to find out who she really is. On the set you work with actors and a director. At first I also thought that everything would be different with Quantumania.

“Stand on that mark! Say that sentence! You’re a robot now!” But that wasn’t the case at all. It was very similar to Three Billboards and Big Little Lies, even Supernatural. In fact, these films and series prepared me perfectly for Quantumania.

So many things are happening on set at the same time. You have to be prepared for everything and be able to adapt quickly. You need a lot of stamina and always wear this suit. Under certain circumstances he can Shooting for one scene can even take a whole week. All of these things add up, so timing is what matters most in the end. And with Quantumania everything worked out perfectly. I was so ready for this movie.

What was definitely new, however, was the rotation in the volume. Do you find it easier to play in front of huge LED walls than in front of a green screen?

The volume is great! It’s like being on stage at a concert and stepping straight into the Quantum Realm. You don’t have to use your imagination as much as with green screens, you can see exactly what’s happening in the film. Quantumania is real the greatest high-tech film I’ve ever been a part of and will probably be involved. The volume helps you to put yourself in the most diverse situations. The only thing that is strange is the many bright lights, they can make you lose your concentration.

What was the most difficult scene you had to shoot?

The hardest?! Each with Paul Rudd! It was so bad because I had to laugh all the time. There was hardly a scene we could shoot that didn’t make me crack up laughing.

Can you reveal something about your MCU future?

I’m afraid not. All I can say is that I would be over the moon if I could be in another Marvel film. In any case, it will be very difficult to top my Quantumania experience. I’m too spoiled by Paul Rudd. It was so great to work with him. Can you imagine going to work every day and Paul Rudd is just waiting there? That was really incredible. I just hope that if I get another Marvel offer, Paul will be in it again.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantmania hits theaters on February 15, 2023.

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