Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp has officially screened for audiences, and the generally positive reaction to the Ant-Man sequel seems to prove that there's still plenty of potential for growth with this shrinking hero. That raises questions over where the Marvel Cinematic Universe could continue to evolve the Ant-Man brand, and Hank Pym actor Michael Douglas wants to see a period piece focusing on his exploits as a young man. Discussing the possibility of reprising the role again, Douglas explained:
I'd like to see him, if there's magic, we do movie magic in terms of flashbacks. How about getting Hank back to his prime age as the Original Ant-Man and kick some serious ass?
It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made consistent strides in its ability to convey different ages for the same character. Whether it's the process of making Hayley Atwell look like a geriatric Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier or making Michael Douglas looking like a young Hank Pym in the first Ant-Man, we have watched the progression of this tech do some incredible things on the big screen. Now, with the "movie magic" continuing to expand and evolve as it improves, Douglas thinks that we have reached the point at which he could do an entire Ant-Man prequel movie as a de-aged version of himself.
Of course, even Michael Douglas realizes the limitations of the technology. Continuing in his interview with Screen Rant, the actor noted that, while he will still need a stunt double to tackle the potential Ant-Man prequel, the de-aging technology makes now the perfect time to make this film a reality. Douglas continued:
I'm ready. I'm geared. I need a good stunt double. You know, I'll find him, but now you can make me look 40 years younger let's do the whole job!
Michael Douglas' remark about needing a stunt double does serve as another reminder of why this could potentially work. The Ant-Man action generally takes place with the hero's face hidden under the large mask of the high-tech suit, which means Douglas would only really need to do the dialogue scenes if he couldn't pull off any major action sequences. It's the same reason Robert Downey Jr. can continue to perform as Tony Stark ten years after the debut of Iron Man; the advanced suit does a lot of work for the filmmakers.
Only time will tell if the folks at Marvel Studios ever deiced to rewind the clock and go all in on a full-blown, Hank Pym-oriented Ant-Man prequel film. It would stand out as a bold choice for Phase 4, but until we learn more about that particular slate of movies, make sure to watch out for Ant-Man and The Wasp when the highly-anticipated sequel debuts in theaters on July 6.
