When Marvel released the first Ant-Man synopsis last year, it labeled protagonist Scott Lang as a con-man. However, an updated version from January listed him as a "master thief." This doesn’t seem like much of a distinction, but it’s very possible that it’s a subject that’s been debated about behind-the-scenes. As is common for many major blockbusters, Ant-Man recently underwent reshoots, and now new reports are saying that one big change the Paul Rudd character is undergoing actually restores some of the criminal material Edgar Wright originally wrote him.
A reporter from Latino-Review has posted on his Instagram that one of the changes that’s been made during the Ant-Man reshoots is making Scott Lang a straight-up criminal again, and in the process restoring a plot element from Wright’s draft that Marvel originally wanted cut. Badass Digest also mentions that the critically lauded Guardians of the Galaxy changed Marvel’s opinion of how to address Scott’s "roguishness." The alien adventure showed that having rogues as the leads won’t hurt how audiences react to the film. So, instead of the MCU’s Lang being a morally dubious con-man, Marvel is apparently now comfortable with him starting out as a more straight-up criminal before he becomes Marvel’s most famouys shrinking hero. This possibly means that we will see a scene of Scott at the beginning of the story breaking into a building or attempting to rob a bank before the big events of Ant-Man unfold.
Keeping Scott as a thief is more in line with his background from the comic books. In fact, his superhero career kicked off when he broke into Dr. Hank Pym’s lab to steal the Ant-Man suit so he could rescue the only doctor able to help his sick daughter. Honestly, the evolution from criminal to superhero makes for a better story overall rather than having him be a guy who discreetly rips people off. Now he has to change his entire way of life so he can overcome the odds and be the hero that serves the greater good. It’s the best kind of redemption story. Even though he’s no longer involved with the project, Wright must be at least a little satisfied that one important aspect of the movie will now mirror what he originally had planned.
Whether he’s a con-man or a thief, Scott Lang will try to find redemption when he meets Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym and becomes the new Ant-Man. Together, with the help of Pym’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne, they’ll take on antagonist Darren Cross, a.k.a. Yellowjacket, and pull off one of the world’s greatest heists.
Ant-Man will be released in theaters on July 17th.
