Peyton Reed explains why Luis isn’t in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, adding that there’s no version of the film with the character in it. The Ant-Man sub-franchise is known for its comedy, and Michael Peña’s character provided much of it in the first two movies. Between Luis’ ties to Scott Lang and his personal charm, he is sorely missed in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Despite knowing full well the appeal of Luis, Reed tells THR there is no version of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that features the character. The filmmaker justifies the decision by saying the threequel is already packed with characters and they decided early on not to get Luis in the mix. In any case, Quantumania has several other missing characters. Read the quote below:
There were no versions of this movie [with Luis]. There are a lot of characters in the movie. We obviously have our Lang, van Dyne and Pym family, but then we also introduced Kang, MODOK and all of our Freedom Fighter characters. So we had to make decisions early on about what stories we could tell and what stories we couldn’t tell. I love those characters. They were really, really fun and part of the Lang family, but as we got further and further into [development] and knew we wanted to bring the family into the Quantum Realm pretty early in the movie, it just didn’t make sense [to include Luis and co.].
Why Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Should Have Featured Luis
Considering that much of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place in the Quantum Realm, it makes sense that Luis, as a civilian, wouldn’t have much to do in the film. Still, Marvel Studios could have incorporated him into the story, either at the beginning or the end of the threequel since Team Ant-Man’s journey is bookended with a look at their lives on Earth. Perhaps, the film could have even opened with one of Luis’ signature storytelling montages.
Reed talks about wanting to focus on family in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That’s why a big part of the story centers around Scott and Cassie Lang (who was recast). Despite not being blood-related, however, Luis has been nothing but a reliable friend to Scott, even acting almost like family. They were cellmates in prison and maintained their friendship even after both of them got out.
Whatever the case may be, what’s clear is that there are a couple of ways Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could have still utilized Luis. He didn’t need to be a primary player in the film, he just needed to appear and continue his role in the Ant-Man franchise. Aside from his narrative importance, he is also a fan favorite, so seeing him will always be a treat to viewers.
Source: THR