Ant-Man’s 12 Best Friends in the MCU & Comics [Ranked]
Ant-Man is an incredibly likable guy – well, at least the second Ant-Man, aka Scott Lang. Although Lang started as a petty criminal, he grew into one of the most beloved characters in Marvel, unlike the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, who is still one of the least liked Avengers members ever due to his brash – and sometimes aggressive – attitude.
That being said, they are both heroes, and both had a ton of friends in the MCU, as well as in the comics. So, without further ado, let’s rank Ant-Man’s best friends in the MCU and Marvel Comics from worst to best. We’ll focus more on Scott Lang’s Ant-Man, simply because he’s the more popular Ant-Man nowadays due to Paul Rudd’s MCU portrayal.
12. Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
These two bug-based superheroes are destined to be great friends with each other, right? Well, not really, and the reason why Spidey kind of dislikes Ant-Man is as petty as it gets. In Ant-Man #3 in 2020, Ant-Man and his daughter Cassie teamed up with Spider-Man and Black Cat.
And, although Spidey’s relationship with Black Cat was long gone (he actually rekindled the flames with MJ already), Pete seemed incredibly jealous that Black Cat liked Ant-Man a bit more than him – at least at that moment. Spider-Man acted awkward and jealous every time Scott and Felicia interacted, and it was quite an amusing panel.
To add to this jealous rivalry, the two bugs were on separate teams in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War. They aren’t enemies and are cool with one another, but one would expect them to be better buddies than they really are.
11. Jim Paxton
It’s a testament to how good of a guy you are if your ex-wife’s new husband ends up being your very good friend. In the first Ant-Man movie, Jim Paxton was not too fond of Scott Lang due to the latter’s proficiency in ending up in trouble with the law. After all, Scott WAS a criminal, and Jim only had the best intentions in mind for little Cassie.
However, as time went by, Jim realized that Scott had changed and was doing everything in his power to be there for his daughter and only do what was best for her instead of reverting to his old habits again. By the end of the movie, Paxton actually helps Lang, and later throughout the MCU, they are great buddies.
10. Sam Wilson (Falcon)
When these two guys first met in the MCU, they were not at all fond of each other. In fact, the first time they met was in battle, when Scott Lang was breaking into the Avengers compound with Sam trying to prevent it from happening. However, even in that battle, Falcon saw the potential in Ant-Man and later recruited him to Captain America’s team in Civil War.
As time went by, the two became much better friends, especially because Scott was so happy and honored to be called to Captain America’s team, and hey, it was Sam who got him there.
One can’t call them best friends ever, but the fact that Ant-Man became a part of Cap’s team, and later, the Avengers, simply because Falcon (now the new Captain America) called him is a reason enough for this friendship to break the top ten on the list.
9. Steve Rogers (Captain America)
Much like Sam Wilson, Steve became friends with Ant-Man during Captain America: Civil War, when Scott Lang joined his team to fight Iron Man and his supporters. Scott was absolutely enamored and fangirled about meeting Cap, and Steve showed him all the respect in the world for joining the cause.
Even later in the MCU, when the Avengers became a wholesome team again, the two fellows were quite fond of each other, but truth be told, they didn’t have that many interactions that could place their friendship higher on the list.
There was, however, this now-immortalized quote in Avengers: Endgame from Ant-Man, saying: “As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass.” Ant-Man defended Cap when Iron Man told him that his old suit didn’t do him any favors when they traveled back in time to 2012’s Battle of New York. That IS America’s ass, Scottie!
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
You might’ve not anticipated this entry on the list if you’re solely an MCU fan due to the fact that Ant-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t really interact with each other that much. Well, apart from a couple of snarky remarks from Rocket, everyone got a piece of those, I guess.
However, in the comics, Scott Lang was actually a member of the Guardians for a while. In All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #12, we learn that Scott had joined the team to leave Earth for a while. His reputation was unrightfully tarnished, so he went away with the Guardians until the situation settled a bit. Their stint didn’t last long but was incredibly amusing and made Ant-Man great friends with basically every member of the team.
7. Maggie Lang
I’ve already mentioned Jim Paxton on the list as an unusual friendship for Ant-Man, being his ex-wife’s new hubby. Well, how about Scott’s ex-wife Maggie making the list as well? In fact, one could argue that Maggie is one of Scott’s best friends at the beginning despite them being divorced.
Scott messed up so many times, not just with her but with Cassie (their daughter), too. And yet, Maggie was always there to give him the benefit of the doubt and always there to give him one more chance to do right. We’re happy that she did because Scott redeemed himself and showed just how much he loved his daughter.
Maggie and Scott remained friends throughout the MCU and did their best to raise Maggie together the best they could despite being divorced and separated.
6. Dave & Kurt
Scott Lang had a group of oddball, misfit friends from his prison days. They were not bad guys, just made some bad choices. I put Dave and Kurt together on the list because, well, they are kind of in the same ballpark as Scott.
Dave is the cooler, composed guy in the crew that’s always positive but doesn’t really have that much screen time in the MCU. That being said, he was the head of the security business the guys were running, which Scott eventually joined.
Kurt, on the other hand, was a good guy – but absolutely the weirdest. He is a really tech-savvy guy but always freaks out over ancient spirits and witchcraft and similar stuff, which often raises eyebrows in the team. It’s a group of misfits but great buddies, nevertheless.
5. Hank Pym
Yes, Hank Pym IS the original Ant-Man, but we’re focusing on Scott Lang here – and if there was no Hank Pym, there would be no Lang’s Ant-Man. Pym chose Scott as his successor and gave him the Ant-Man suit. He taught him the tricks of being Ant-Man and showed him the ropes of being a hero.
Their relationship was rocky (at best) at first, but they grew on each other and became really close friends. Family, even after Scott started dating Hank’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne, more seriously. I loved the dynamic between the two Ant-Mans, and it’s no wonder that they became good friends.
4. Clint Barton (Hawkeye)
You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that scene in Civil War where Ant-Man shrunk, and Hawkeye catapulted him on an arrow? Well, that scene is actually a recreation of a famous comic book cover; True Believers: Ant-Man and Hawkeye- Avengers Assemble Vol. 1 #1. The same thing happens in the comics as in the movie, with Ant-Man flying on Hawkeye’s arrow.
In the comics, their friendship is, even more, emphasized, whereas, in the MCU, Clint Barton and Scott Lang started off as colleagues on the same team but grew more fond of each other as the movies went on.
Now, they didn’t have that much screen time together, but there was a scene in the Hawkeye series that was a lovely nod to their relationship – when Clint shoots an arrow with a Pym-particle tip. Jeremy Renner, the actor behind Hawkeye, said this about the little Easter egg:
“If you’re going to have a special tip arrow, it should be a Pym arrow. Because [of Hawkeye’s] relationship with Ant-Man. That was such a cool, cool thing. Now we’re talking; now we’re feeling more Avenger-like.”
Not only that but Renner and Rudd share a friendship as well, outside of their characters. That is more than enough for me to put Hawkeye at number four.
3. Bruce Banner (The Hulk)
It’s so interesting that the Hulk – one of the strongest Avengers – would end up being such great friends with Ant-Man – the tiniest Avenger. I mean, yes, Scott can also turn into a giant, but that’s not what makes their relationship so profound and amusing.
There was this scene where Bruce managed to merge Banner and the Hulk to become Smart Hulk and met Ant-Man at a diner, where they presented Bruce with the idea of time-traveling through the Quantum Realm. Bruce takes photos with some fans and urges them to take photos with Ant-Man, too, even though they have no idea who he is.
Later, when they are back at the Avengers Compound, Scott’s tacos get blown away, and Bruce is quickly ready to hand him his tacos instead. They have kind of a brotherly bond that’s absolutely wonderful to see. I mean, he gave him his tacos.
2. Luis
Luis is Scott Lang’s best friend, no doubt about it. He’d be in the first place had it not been for, well, the Wasp. Luis is also a part of the same oddball gang as Dave and Kurt but is the closest to Scott out of the three. He picked Scott up when he got out of prison, gave him a place to stay, and later joined him in his superhero endeavors.
Luis is best known for his endless stories, which might be a bit annoying at times, but he’s one of the most loyal people Scott has in his life and definitely remains one of his best friends.
1. Hope Van Dyne (The Wasp)
Last but not least, one of Scott Lang’s best friends – and absolutely his closest ally – has to be Hope Van Dyne, aka the Wasp. Hope is the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne and also the one who helped Pym train Lang to become the new Ant-Man.
Although their relationship started out incredibly rocky, they actually grew into friends, colleagues, and then… well, a lot more than that. Apart from his daughter Cassie, one might argue that Hope Van Dyne is the most important person in Scott Lang’s life.
We already had one movie about Ant-Man and the Wasp, and another one is coming out in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
