The Film that was Ant-Man
Marvel's Phase 3 slate is a tremendously complex and diverse set of films. But one microscopic hero seems too small to be seen with the naked eye. I'm talking, of course, about Ant-Man.
Edgar Wright's Departure
Without question, this film has been the most tumultuous film Marvel has ever undertaken. The trouble began when Edgar Wright, the mastermind behind the push to get the insect hero on the big screen, departed the project. Both Wright and Marvel Studios came together to release a joint statement, claiming that the split was "amiable" and that it was for the best of the project that they part ways. But if you have been following this film, you'll know Edgar Wright was involved with
Ant-Man for
several years. However amiable the disassociation, you'd be hard-pressed to believe that wasn't any animosity between the two parties.
The Search
Marvel's troubles with the film did not end there. Several directors were approached to take the helm of the project after Wright's sudden departure. Names like David Wain (
Wet Hot American Summer), Rawson Marshall Thurber (
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Adam McKay (
Anchorman) and Nicholas Stoller (
Forgetting Sarah Marshall) were all considered forerunners to direct the film. But one by one, each director opted to pass on shooting. It seemed like an act of desperation to meet its July 2015 release date when they hired director Peyton Reed (whose film credits include
Bring It On and
Yes Man) to finally take the reigns. In addition to the director change, aforementioned McKay was brought in to make "revisions" to Wright's script. Though in interviews, he claims that only slight changes were made, such as adding "action sequences" and "scenes to make it more a part of the MCU." Still, that leads us fans of the MCU to think...
Marvel's Next "Other Child"
...is
Ant-Man going to be Marvel's new "other child." By that, I am referring to the film that is rarely mentioned within the MCU, the
Incredible Hulk. Let's be realistic and honest for a moment. The
Incredible Hulk was clearly not as successful as
Iron Man. Issues of difficulty with its male lead, Edward Norton, an awkward after-credits scene which had to be retconned in the Marvel One-Shot,
The Consultant, and a general disconnect from the rest of the universe (barring Bruce Banner himself) have all but diminished the
Incredible Hulk's significance in the MCU. Though they seem to have cracked the code with how to properly utilize Hulk on film, another solo outing for the green goliath is nowhere in sight, minus Kevin Feige's word that the character will appear in "several films in Phase 3". I see
Ant-Man having a similar issue. It was recently revealed that
Ant-Man would be used as the
epilogue for Phase 2. But that raises a big question: why end Phase 2 on what could be considered a low note?
The Relevance of Being Small
I have compared
Ant-Man to the
Incredible Hulk for a number of reasons. The first, and perhaps the most obvious reason, is that with Phase 3 mapped out, a sequel to
Ant-Man is hitherto absent. Normally, that would be not an issue, since most studios (Marvel Studios included) want to gauge the audience's tolerance for a character and their desire to see that character again on the big screen by commercial success and to a lesser extent, critical response. Of course, that is not to say that
Ant-Man will be completely absent from the MCU throughout all of Phase 3, but it is interesting to note that Feige has gone on record to say Hulk and Black Widow will feature prominently in Phase 3 films, even though neither character has a solo feature forthcoming.
The second [slightly more of a stretch] reason is that Marvel seem to be thoroughly excited with
Avengers: Age of Ultron and
Captain America: Civil War. We've already got some information about both of those films and how they might potentially shake up the MCU in unprecedented ways. But what about
Ant-Man? How does a movie about Paul Rudd's Scott Lang attempting to steal some kind of tech stack up against those two landscape altering films? Is he stealing it from individuals employed by HYDRA? How will it affect the MCU, if at all? Refer back to my comparison of the
Incredible Hulk. Did that film really have an affect on the MCU? At all? It seems that Marvel is trying desperately to get as far away from Louis Leterrier's film as possible. Besides Banner, what other characters have been reused? What parts of that film have affected the MCU, except for the destruction of Harlem? It's a stretch to find any plausible way to claim that the
Incredible Hulk made an impact. I'm finding it difficult to think of ways
Ant-Man can avoid this trip into near obscurity.
The third [this is where I'm beginning to really push into the realm of theory] reason is because of similar production issues with both films. Rumors broke of Norton's difficulty to work with and Louis Leterrier's directing capabilities. The film was a modest box office hit, grossing $264 million on a $150 million budget, but critical response was mixed at best. It is difficult to accept this, when the final battle between the Hulk and Abomination remains one of the best, if not the best, final fights in the entire MCU. Marvel Studios seems to show a pattern of reluctance to return to a troubled franchise. They could not anticipate the troubles they had on the
Incredible Hulk, but it seems to be that some of that friction leaked through the film's otherwise decent production. Since then, they have been hesitant to return to a solo venture with the character. Will a similar fate befall
Ant-Man? Clearly, more issues have plagued the production of the film, and it seems to be Marvel is making the film half-heartedly, because now they are obligated to do so. But how will the final product be received? Even if the film is more successful in terms of box office, how will it overcome the other aforementioned reasons? And, perhaps, the most important reason of all...
Hank Pym, a Proton in an Electron's Place
We already know that Paul Rudd will be playing Scott Lang, the titular character's second iteration. The talented Michael Douglas will be playing his predecessor, Hank Pym. Good so far, right? But that is literally where the good things seem to cease. Hank Pym has been stripped of his most important and valuable contribution to the Marvel Universe: being the creator of Ultron (that honour now applies to Tony Stark in the MCU). I find this rather disconcerting. If the Marvel Universe is an atom, Hank Pym would be a proton. He would be lodged tightly with other great minds like T'Challa, Reed Richards, and Bruce Banner, firmly in the nucleus of the structure. Instead, all indications seem to be that Pym will be regulated to the role of mentor, like an electron orbiting in a cloud. Without Pym's greatest triumph (or failure) in Ultron to really give us a reason to invest ourselves in the character, how can his character be given justice? I know Pym has a dark and abusive past, especially with Wasp, but what contributions can this version of the character truly give us? Perhaps a curve ball may be thrown in where it is revealed that Pym was actually the creator of Project Ultron. But I disgress.
It seems that
Ant-Man is a character destined for mediocrity. Unless the film surprises us all by being exceptional, I do not forsee much of the film (save for Rudd and Douglas) to be used throughout the rest of the MCU. Thank you greatly for reading. Leave your impressions below.
[EA] - "It's been a long way down."