The relatively small-scale and self-contained Ant-Man was a welcome change of pace from the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s typical apocalyptic happenings. As such, it’s no surprise to see fans starting to get excited about the movie’s sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp, which will give Evangeline Lilly‘s Hope van Dyne a superhero makeover of her own.
Further piquing audience interest is the recent news that fan-favorite character actor Walter Goggins (who you may recognize from Justified and The Hateful Eight and who will be appearing in the Tomb Raider reboot) is also joining the cast. This is a great news because Goggins is an absolute delight to watch on screen. Seriously, he could read a phone book (are phone books still a thing?) and it would be entertaining.
However, in typical Marvel fashion, not a single detail about who Goggins will be playing has been shared (though more information is expected to come out Saturday at San Diego Comic Con), so we thought we’d throw out a few guesses of our own.
Taskmaster
Anthony “Tony” Masters, otherwise known as Taskmaster, is a relatively unknown comic book figure to casual fans, which fits well with Goggins’ own under-the-radar star power. Taskmaster has the odd ability to mimic the physical movements of anyone he observes. He’s basically a super dangerous copy cat who serves as a combat instructor to anyone who pays well. He’s worked both sides of the fence in the past, though he’s mostly known for his villainy.
Thanks to his dangerous smirk and innate charisma, Goggins would be perfect for this mysterious role.
Black Ant
Eric O’Grady, otherwise known as Black Ant, was a S.H.I.E.L.D. grunt who found Hank Pym’s new Ant-Man suit and used it for a few petty crimes. Soon after, O’Grady helped save the Earth from an alien invasion and stuck with the hero gig until being killed in the line of service.
Given that this sequel will already “introduce” the Wasp, it’s doubtful that O’Grady will also be added to the mix. But Goggins certainly knows how to balance the character’s mix of seediness and heroism.
Crossfire
William Cross, otherwise known as Crossfire, was a CIA interrogator who fell for a scientist he had stolen brainwashing technology from (comics, am I right?). He then faked his own death and retrofitted his body with cybernetic implants to become a covert operative and part-time bad guy. More importantly, he’s the cousin of Darren Cross, the villain from the first Ant-Man.
Honestly, Crossfire is kind of a lame character whom Goggins’ talents would be wasted on. Let’s hope Marvel isn’t going this route with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
