A friend of mine on this site is named ComicsBornAndBred, but if there's anyone who's Marvel born and bred, it's this guy. From five years of age, I was fascinated with Spider-Man and his world of characters. As a kid, any Marvel movie that wasn't rated R was one that I watched and for the most part, enjoyed. Of course, I watched the Justice League cartoons and a few of DC's movies, but until recent years, it was Marvel that was my passion, and to this day I still lean in that direction.
When we found out that Hank Pym was going to be an elderly man in this movie, many of us were outraged. I wasn't. I thought this was a great way to expand and give history to the universe, and believed there to be a touch of brilliance to making the villain a version of Yellowjacket. I feel nothing but excitement for this movie.
So why would I want Ant-Man to fail at the box office?
Here's the deal. If you're familiar with me on this site, you'll know I have an obsession with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm not here to argue whether it's the best comic book show, but it is my favorite show. And if you're familiar with Ant-Man-related comic books, you'll know there was once a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Eric O'Grady. Eric O'Grady stumbled upon the Ant-Man suit, and thus became the third Ant-Man. In the comics, Scott Lang still continued his career, and it's rumored that he'll become Giant-Man in Captain America: Civil War. Because of this, I see no reason why there couldn't be another Ant-Man in a future season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But here's the thing: If Ant-Man is a continuing franchise in the MCU, there's no way the Marvel Studios higher-ups will let there be a "discount version" on the small screen.
The question would be raised, why is it such a big deal to have O'Grady on the show anyway? And to be honest, it's not. The show is doing great, and I've loved every MCU movie. O'Grady's appearance has never been rumored, so it's not even likely to happen; it's just something I think would benefit the show, and for several reasons. For starters, one of the first outcries the show received was it's lack of comic book characters. That was mostly for season one, though, as we then received Deathlok, Sif, Mockingbird and various others.
He's a player, liar, and an unloyal asshole. This would create tension with the team (notably the female agents), but watching this character learn from his mistakes and grow would be a great story to watch. He's also a smartass, which could create a hilarious rivalry with Lance Hunter. Third, there's only so many superheroes this show can use on it's budget. Deathlok is a fun character, but he's not the authentic Deathlok we know from the books because of budgetary concerns. I liked Mister Hyde's transformation, but it was slightly underwhelming. If the show is going to continue to use these characters, the powers they have need to be easy to show on the small screen but also visually cool to watch. Ant-Man's powers are exactly that.
With Marvel Studios launching SIX new franchises within the next four years, there's bound to be at least a couple of them that don't get sequels. Let me be clear: If Ant-Man is successful enough to require a second movie, I will be very happy. But Ant-Man being put on the backburner would not only allow O'Grady to appear on my favorite show, but it would also allow other heroes to be in the mainstream and a little less white-washing of Marvel cinema. If there was one out of the six that doesn't seem likely to continue as a franchise, I think it'd be this one. However, time will tell, and Marvel will deliver.
So what do you think, CBM? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!