Audiences expecting a traditional superhero won't find one in Marvel's Ant-Man . Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is a notorious master criminal before he gets fitted for his shrinking suit and becomes a good guy. And rather than being a teenage and fresh-faced Peter Parker-type, he's a adult with a kid — an adorable one, at that. Daughter Cassie Lang has a huge role in the Ant-Man comic book mythology, which will almost certainly play out if these characters continue to be featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So who plays Cassie in Ant-Man ? 7-year-old Abby Ryder Fortson is the lucky thespian chosen to portray the game-changing character.
And she's no newcomer. Fortson, who's the daughter of fellow actors John Fortson (The Perfect Guy) and Christie Lynn Smith (General Hospital), has a list of credits that would make any adult seethe with jealousy. Her cherubic face and precocious talent have been featured in high profile commercials and critically acclaimed series alike. Could Ant-Man be her launch into cinematic fame? One of this summer's most highly anticipated popcorn blockbusters isn't a bad showcase for an emerging superstar. Catch up to this rising talent with a taste of Miss Fortson's impressive resumé.
"Got Milk?" Commercial
Fortson sized up The Rock in this commercial, which aired during the 2013 Super Bowl. Seeing as the spot was directed by Friday Night Lights and The Leftovers helmer Peter Berg and claimed a airtime that ran a few cool millions of dollars, she handled the pressure with grace and cool.
Transparent
In Amazon's award-winning dramedy Transparent, Fortson played Ella, the granddaughter of Jeffrey Tambor's Maura Pfefferman. So she can proudly claim her role in the emergence of online streaming services as serious competitors to big networks.
Togetherness
There's more 21st century family drama over at HBO, where the actress stars as Sophie Pierson in the Duplass brothers' series Togetherness. The network already ordered a second season of the show, which is coming in 2016.
The Whispers
There has to be some psychological study on the books that explains why cute kids can be so creepy, under the right circumstances. Fortson plays Harper Weil in this supernatural ABC series — one of the children haunted by an mysterious otherworldly force. Milo Ventimiglia and Lily Rabe co-star, and new episodes will continue airing throughout the summer.
With this many prestigious credits to her name, you can bet that Ant-Man won't be the last we see of Abby Ryder Fortson.
