For me, choice goes as follows
- female / boy with no male pals
- Pym / Strange as Pym tech have
huge potential very rarely used in stories/quests.
- cat / lockbox as cat is more interesting.
Most of all, I do not want to play slightly tweeked clone of Peter. Even with magic we would expect him to have personality similar to canon. Sure, he may have use magic, but it would still be same old one-liner shoting irreverent irritant. Magic will not change it.
Penny is
entirely different person. Background is mostly the same... but outcome of that background may be different. Approach to situation may be different. Hell, given how genetics works, Penny does not need to look 100% similar to Peter! Nor would she behave exactly like him.
How different could she be?
Maybe she will be bit less innocent? Still cheerfull, but less bound by rules and more decisive.
(click for any picture for full size)
Maybe she will be tall using Pym particles to achieve statusque psychique, and become heroic inspiration for others?
Maybe she will be armored, prefering the quiet shadow in darkness, as Batman does?
Or maybe she will be actually simillar to what we may recognize ...at least at the beginning.
Or maybe she will become armored juggernaut - as Pym particles, would allow her to carry and hide
any amount of equipment in miniaturized form.
My point is, that people that judge Penny as just gender-bent clone of Peter do not appreciate a potential Penny have as character.
Also, miniaturization technology allows for freedom of design really awesome thing. Potentially?
Stark's vaunted iron armor would not compare.