David Dastmalchian Returning In A Different Role For Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania - A New Marvel Trend
It looks like a fan-favorite actor from the "Ant-Man" franchise is returning for the upcoming third entry in the series, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Per The Hollywood Reporter, David Dastmalchian is indeed going to appear in Peyton Reed's upcoming trilogy capper. Though it won't be as Keith, the member of Scott Lang's gang we met in the first two movies. Rather, it looks like Dastmalchian will be voicing an entirely new character, one who is hanging out with Kang in the Quantum Realm.
So, if the actor is not returning as Keith, who will he be playing? Further information on the character was provided by Daniel Richtman via his Patreon. Dastmalchian will be voicing a character named Veb, which was corroborated by THR. The character is said to be a freedom fighter within the Quantum Realm. Per Richtman's reporting, the character has "a goo head in a glass helmet who can translate." So yeah, this is a pretty radical departure from Kurt in the first two entries in the franchise.
We recently got a new trailer for "Quantumania," and it appears as though this is going to be a more action-packed, cosmic adventure than the previous two entries. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, along with his daughter Cassie, played by Kathryn Newton, and the rest of his family, are pulled unwittingly into the Quantum Realm. There, they meet Jonathan Majors' Kang, and things get chaotic. So yeah, not a lot of room for a character like Keith. But lots of room for a guy with a goo head and a name like Veb.
The MCU letting actors be actors
Letting Dastmalchian flex his skills as an actor in an entirely new way seems like a wise choice, as he's proven himself to be an outstanding addition to most blockbusters he appears in. "The Dark Knight," "The Suicide Squad," and "Dune" rank as just a few examples. This isn't a one-time thing either, as it's something Marvel Studios has proven its willingness to do as of late.
The first example was Gemma Chan, who appeared as Minn-Erva in "Captain Marvel." But it was a relatively small role and one that had her covered in alien makeup. So, when it came time to cast Sersi in "Eternals," Marvel Studios once again turned to Chan, giving her a far meatier role to sink her teeth into. Setting the mixed reception to the movie in question aside, letting Chan have a larger role very much seemed like the right way to go.
Similarly, Mahershala Ali first appeared in "Luke Cage" as Cottonmouth, a primary antagonist in the series. Be that as it may, when it came time to cast a lead for the upcoming "Blade" reboot, Marvel once again turned to the Oscar-winning actor. And it's easy to see why! He's one of the finest actors working today and he wants to be Blade, why not let him be Blade?
Allowing these actors to flex their chops in multiple roles, when it's not terribly distracting, seems like a wise choice. Particularly as the MCU enters 15 years of existence, why not maximize the pool of talent to its fullest potential?
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is currently set to hit theaters on February 17.