Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish wrote 2015's Ant-Man, though when they departed the project, it underwent some major changes. Scott Lang actor Paul Rudd ended up working on the script and would later receive a writing credit for the sequel, 2018's Ant-Man and The Wasp.
However, with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania taking the franchise in a very different direction, the threequel is the first instalment Rudd hasn't contributed to as a writer.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor shed some light on why he sat this one out.
"Well, I was working prior to it, and I think they had an idea of what they wanted to do. There’s a guy named Jeff Loveness, who’s our writer on the film, and so they worked on the script," Rudd explains. "I talked to them a little bit about the idea of what the film was, but it was great."
"Jeff’s a terrific writer, and it was so nice to get a script and read it and just be excited about the idea of filming it," he continues. "These still are collaborative efforts, but Jeff just did a really great job of nailing this thing, getting the characters down and writing this epic story."
Some will wonder whether Rudd's lack of involvement is why Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hasn't resonated with critics, especially as a lack of humour is said to be an issue. Whatever the case may be, it's clear some changes may be needed behind the scenes should a fourth Ant-Man movie happen.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rudd was asked about his MCU future and whether he's excited to see Scott cross paths with his frenemy Sam Wilson, the new Captain America.
"I have no idea about any of that," he responded with a laugh. "I know that in the past he’s called me Tic Tac, and I think that’s a little patronizing if you want to know the truth. But I don’t know anything about the future of anything except that Kang is maybe somebody that people are still going to have to reckon with."
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania starts playing in theaters later this evening. Do you think Marvel Studios made a mistake not enlisting Rudd as a writer on the movie?