Thank you to Disney and Marvel Studios for hosting me during the Ant-Man and the Wasp event, which included this Hannah John-Kamen interview.
Photo: Ben Rothstein
©Marvel Studios 2018
Hannah John-Kamen is excited to be a part of the Marvel family, and she understands just how important her role as Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp actually is. “It’s a huge responsibility to take this amazing character off the comic book page and be the first person to introduce it into an incredible movie with incredible cast members.”
Hannah was a huge fan of the first Ant-Man and had a blast in Atlanta auditioning for the role. “I said, listen, if I don’t get this, that’s okay, because I had the best day ever. I don’t regret one minute of it.”
That best day ever didn’t end, because eventually Hannah was cast in the role of Ghost, a villain in the comic book with limited backstory. Ghost was also a man. That gave her the opportunity to really explore the possibilities of her character and “make her a strong, badass woman.”
She approached Ghost as if she were the good guy. “I think everyone’s redeemable,” says Hannah. “Marvel does that genius job with the villainous characters to really not make it black and white. They make it gray.”
Hannah found freedom in acting with a green screen. “It didn’t restrict me as an actor to be like, ‘Okay, now I need to move like this and then move there and then move there for camera.'” Instead she knew that she could act and let the special effects process fill in the rest.
She’s also been doing her own stunts throughout her career, and Ant-Man and the Wasp was no exception. “I think it’s really important to do as much as you physically possibly can, because the character is what you bring to it.”
Suiting up as Ghost was a bit of a process. “It’s like 40 pieces,” says Hannah. “By the end of the movie we kind of had it down to around seven minutes to get the costume on and off, though. It’s a three-man job.”
40 piece suit or not, Hanna wouldn’t want to be anyone else in the MCU. “I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
Photo: Ben Rothstein
©Marvel Studios 2018
Hannah did have her moments of being star-struck on the set. “Oh my God, it’s Paul Rudd from Clueless!” And she also agreed with my earlier findings that Paul Rudd doesn’t age. “It’s crazy. I wanna know what he’s having.”
She was also a huge fan of Michelle Pfeiffer. “I remember actually in Grease 2 me and my sister used to make up dances in front of the TV to all of her songs all the time. I was obsessed.”
What does she want everyone to take away from the film? “It has so much heart in it. That’s what I think separates it. I think that’s actually what’s needed after the devastation of Infinity War. I think you need to laugh.”
Check out all of the Ant-Man and the Wasp action
I have a behind the scenes look at the making of Ant-Man and the Wasp from my visit to the set, along with tons of Ant-Man the the Wasp interviews from the #AntManandtheWaspEvent! Find it all right here on the blog. Ant-Man and the Wasp is in theaters now.
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink. In the aftermath of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP is directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John Kamen, Abby Ryder-Fortson, Randall Park, with Michelle Pfeiffer, with Laurence Fishburne and Michael Douglas.