So, 2014 is drawing to a close, and we’ve already begun to look ahead to the massive year of movies that is 2015. Among other things, next year will see new entries in the Star Wars, Terminator and Jurassic Park franchises, the return of Pixar, the 24th James Bond adventure, the end of the Fast & Furious franchise and the re-assembling of The Avengers. But amidst all of these titans of cinema jostling for attention, there’s another film that perhaps hasn’t got the attention it deserves. This film has been mired in controversy for most of the year, due to numerous departures from the source material, possible studio interference and changes in the ages of characters. No, I’m not talking about the Fantastic Four reboot. I’m actually talking about Ant-Man, the 12th film offering from Marvel Studios and quite possibly their most controversial.
A large portion of fans have already written off Ant-Man as a disappointment. The most controversial point is the film’s numerous departures from its source material- Hank Pym is now 70, Darren Cross is Yellowjacket, Janet Van Dyne will either not appear or will die in the 60s etc. There are other reasons, but most of the hate for the film comes from these changes. But I can’t help but think about all the CBMs who have departed from their source material and still emerged strong- take any X-Men film for example. So, in the spirit of seasonal positivity, I’ve decided to present 5 reasons why Marvel Studio’s Ant-Man might not suck. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion- I’m not trying to force you to be excited for the film, I’m merely trying to get people who have already written it off to maybe rethink their position a little. Anyway, enough blabbering from me, let’s get started.
5. Fleshing Out The MCU
One of the good things that came out of making Han Pym be in his 70s in the present-day MCU is that we’ll get to see him as a 60s superhero. If you look at the MCU timeline, there’s a pretty huge gap between Cap in WW2 and Iron Man, and this film would help to fill that in. We’ve already learnt that the movie will feature a flashback scene in the 60s where Pym will encounter the likes of Arnim Zola, Peggy Carter and Alexander Pierce. Well, what if the movie decides to go one step further and show us Pym (and even possibly Janet) in action?
This I think would not only be really cool to see, but would also serve to answer some un-explained questions. For instance- we know the Avengers Initiative existed long before Iron Man, Hulk, Thor et al were on the scene. But since the aim of the project was to bring together a team of super-humans, there must have been some super-humans around in the past for them to come up with this idea, such as Hank and Janet as Ant-Man and Wasp. Also, when Nick Fury says to Tony Stark in the post-credits scene of Iron Man ‘You’re not the only superhero in the world’, this doesn’t make sense, as at that point in time, he is (bar Cao, but he was frozen). So having Hank as a 60s/70s superhero would help to answer some unanswered questions and flesh out the mythology of the overall MCU.
4. A Talented Cast
Paul Rudd as thief Scott Lang is a great choice. The guy can pull off a struggling, charming family man, and has done so in numerous other movies. Looking past the age differences, Michael Douglas is a great actor able to pull off almost anything a writer can throw at him, and is perfect for the grouchy, cynical, world-weary take on Hank Pym they appear to be going for. I still have no idea what ‘Hope Van Dyne’ will be like, but Evangeline Lily is a talented actress who has plenty of experience playing intelligent, resourceful and self-assured female leads, so I’m certain she’ll do a great job.
On the more villainous side of things, Corey Stoll is another actor who always delivers a stalwart performance, and I hope he brings the same sort of gravitas to the role of Darren Cross as he did in House of Cards. The film will also see the return of MCU veterans such as Hayley Atwell as superspy Peggy Carter and Toby Jones as Nazi scientist Arnim Zola. These actors are all solid in their roles, and it’s good to see them come back.
3. Awesome Visuals
Ant-Man may be a character ridiculed by many, but the concept of a size-changing superhero opens up the door to some awesome visuals and environments. To a man who’s only a few centimetres tall, every-day environments can be fraught with danger. Small objects that would never seem threatening to us normal-sized human beings could become obstacles and traps for Ant-Man. The description for the SDCC trailer describes Lang standing in a ventilation shaft with dust particles swirling around him. This sounds like it would be awesome to see, and is just one of many awesome shots we could see if the film takes full advantage of the possibilities opened up by a miniaturized superhero.
Another aspect of the visuals for this movie is the costume design, which so far has really impressed me. The Ant-Man suit looks like a perfect blend of functionality, high-tech and comic-book inspiration. Here it is:
Yellowjacket’s suit also looks pretty awesome. While it may look markedly different from its comic book counterpart, the suit is impressive in its own right. They’ve kept the yellow-and-black colour scheme whilst also succeeding in making it look realistic and cool. The arms on the back may be a new addition, but I like them- they emphasise the insect vibe and also seem useful and practical to the character. Here it is:
2. Peyton Reed & Adam McKay
I know many people are still hung up on Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish leaving, but hear me out. I realise many people think Reed is just a no-talent yes man, but consider this- who would’ve thought before Winter Soldier that Anthony and Joe Russo- whose only previous directing credits were You, Me And Dupree and a few episodes of Community- would end up being handed the reins to Avengers: Infinity War, the massive universe-spanning two=part epic conclusion to over a decade of Marvel movies featuring almost every character in the MCU- and that people would support it?
Reed also has past experience on CBMs- he was originally set to direct Fantastic Four, and contributed many ideas to an ultimately scrapped but stellar script that perfectly captured the spirit of the F4 and their personalities. If he can bring a similar level of passion and playfulness to Ant-Man, we could be in for a treat come July 2015. Adam McKay doesn’t have previous with CBMs, but he’s a great writer anyway. He’s written plenty of smart yet hilarious films (notably both Anchorman movies), and could provide a level of intelligence and wit to the film’s script that will help it stand alongside MCU greats such as Iron Man and The Avengers.
1. Marvel’s Track Record
I know this isn’t a point exclusive to Ant-Man, but it’s still valid nonetheless. The fact is, Marvel hasn’t yet made a horrible film. Sure, there are some that are simply ok or mediocre, such as Iron Man 2 and Thor:TDW, but Marvel have yet to produce a stinker like Catwoman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Green Lantern. Marvel’s films are always entertaining- they’re never boring, they don’t get bogged down in exposition or needless melodrama and the characters are interesting and funny. And with a talented cast and creative team, why would they break that streak here?
Coming off the mega-success of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel is pushing ahead with some more risky projects. Ant-Man presents numerous opportunities for Marvel to do things differently- a heist movie element, diverse environments inside normal settings, a superhero-hating mentor character. Marvel got where they are today by being willing to take risks- hiring an ex-drug addict to headline their first movie, choosing directors not from the blockbuster movie catalogue, casting relative unknowns as fan-favourite superheroes and more. And every time, the risk has paid off for them in a big way. If Marvel are willing to take the same sort of risks with Ant-Man, I’m confident they’ll be able to produce one of their best movies yet.
So, those were five reasons why Ant-Man might not suck. Disagree with my points? Have any of your own? Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments below. That's it from me for now. I've been PaddingtonBear7, and thank you for reading.