Instability. For months, thanks to the departure of director Edgar Wright, Marvel’s Ant-Man movie faced deep instability. But now that Peyton Reed is at the helm, specific plot details can surface, and we don’t have to take them with a grain of salt because – in theory – he has read the sript. Or, at least, the latest version of the script that was in flux for so long.
As you know, Peyton Reed was part of Marvel’s Ant-Man panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where he appeared in Hall H alongside Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Corey Stoll. We learned that Lilly will be playing Hope Pym (or Hope Van Dyne, depending on conflicting reports), and that Stoll will be the villainous Yellowjacket. Marvel President Kevin Feige confirmed to us that Ant-Man will be a heist picture, and will be a passing-of-the-torch mentor movie, with Rudd receiving the Ant-Man suit from Douglas’ character. And now we think we have confirmation as to why he will steal the Ant-Man technology.
It was rumored, back when Edgar Wright was working on Ant-Man, that Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang will be forced to steal the Ant-Man suit because his ailing daughter, Cassandra, needs medical assistance. Peyton Reed finally confirms this fact in an interview with ScreenRant, where he says:
Rudd’s character is an ex-con, a thief. It’s also got the structure of a heist movie. And there’s also a real personal dynamic to the movie, too. In the comics, Scott Lang has a daughter, and that’s part of the movie, too."
Listen to his quotes in context (with a few more Marvel-ous details) below:
That’s great to know, because a lot of Ant-Man seemed to be in flux as Marvel scrambled in the absence of Edgar Wright to fill the director’s chair. David Wain, Rawson Thurber and Adam McKay all went through the interview process as Ant-Man tried to regain its legs. And while McKay ultimately agreed to stay on as a writer, it was wholly possible that the Anchorman helmer could have attempted a full rewrite. Instead, he’ll likely punch up Paul Rudd’s dialogue, hopefully making Ant-Man one of the finniest (and possibly silliest) Marvel movies to date.
Ant-Man filming is underway in Atlanta. The movie is aiming for a July 17, 2015 release date. Will it continue the nearly-flawless Marvel brand. Or could the pre-production hiccups ultimately prove too much for Peyton Reed and his cast to overcome? We can’t wait to find out.
