I wrote an editorial a while back about a way to quickly introduce characters for the upcoming Avengers film without having to wait for a feature-length film. If you didn't catch that article, it's right here
Anyway, following up on the ideas presented within that article, I wrote an Ant Man short film script that will allow for the character to be introduced, and appear in the Avengers film without having to waste time explaining who he is within the film's context.
Now, before we get into the actual script, I'll give a very brief fan cast.
TJ Thyne as Hank Pym
Hank Pym is a very odd character. A highly intelligent man who is also very mentally unstable. I love TJ Thyne's character on "Bones" and I feel that he has what it takes to make Pym more than just an average scientist, and really knock one out of the park as far as the rocky quality of his relationship with Janet goes.
Rose Byrne as Janet Pym
I've liked Rose Byrne in every role I've ever seen her play. In my script, the majority of Janet's scenes deal with her in some sort of emotional stress. After I heard the Cap casting news, I decided to re-watch all of my Chris Evans movies, and when I got around to "Sunshine", the instant she was on screen, I knew she was perfect for the role. Any doubt in my mind was lost completely by the time she votes against killing Trey.
Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury
Well, considering I didn't actually pick this character, I'm not sure why he's included, but I felt inclined, so here he is.
So, now that we're done with that little bit of Fan casting, on to the actual script.
Enjoy.
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ANT MAN
INT. SHIELD OFFICE/ ELEVATORS -- TIMELESS
We see a man in his early thirties standing in front of an elevator. This man is Henry Pym, the research scientist who heads up SHIELD's “Battlefield Technology” division. Pym checks his watch, nervous that the notoriously slow elevator will cost him valuable time with the organization's director, Nick Fury. The Elevator dings. The doors open. Pym steps in.
-FADE TO
INT. FURY'S OFFICE -- LATE AFTERNOON
Pym enters the office. Behind an imposing gray marble desk, bathed in the orange of the late day sun, sits Nick Fury. He motions toward one of the two comfortable looking leather chairs stationed at the front of his desk.
FURY:
“Sit.”
PYM:
(nervous)
“Mister Fury...I know why I'm here, and I'd just like to get the chance to explain...”
Fury cuts him off, a chuckle in his throat.
FURY:
“Explain what, Doctor Pym? How your ULTRON project never seems to get above ground-level? How you've barely, and let me stress BARELY been able to reproduce anything resembling Stark's power source? How you've been downing Prozac in the bathroom on your lunch break?”
Pym continues to grow more and more fearful of what he will do if he loses his job, his life.
PYM:
“Sir, I...”
Fury interrupts once more.
FURY
(calmly)
“Stark caved. We have the reactor.”
Pym is visibly shaken, and has started to sweat.
FURY:
“Relax, Pym. I'd like you to back-burner the ULTRON project and move on to something new. Something a little more in your line of work.”
-CUT TO
INT. PYM HOUSE -- NIGHT
JANET:
(angry)
“He expects you to just pack up and move to this helicarrier?!?”
PYM:
“Janet, It's the Super Soldier program! I've worked my whole life for this! And it's not like he asked me to leave you here. He said you're more than welcome to come too. For Chrissake, it's only for six months. We won't even have to sell the house.”
JANET:
(sarcastic)
“Oh, well that's just great, Hank. I get to go off and be a part of your dream-come-true. What about me? What about what I want to do?”
PYM:
(fed up/tired)
“Not the clothes again...”
JANET:
“YES! The clothes, again! Why is it you get to do whatever you want, but I can't even THINK about setting a goal for myself?!”
Pym stares blankly at her for a few seconds.
PYM:
(flatly)
“I'll be in my lab.”
Pym quickly turns, walks through the door, and slams it behind him. From the other side, we hear him cursing and throwing something against the wall.
-FADE TO
INT. PYM'S HOME LAB -- MORNING
Pym fell asleep at some point late in the night or in the early morning hours, drooling over the blueprints of what look like a slightly modified Iron Man armor and a strange looking gas-mask. In the foreground we see a bottle of behavioral medication and a note from Janet. Pym twitches out of sleep, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He picks up the note from Janet and reads it. He sets it down, smiles, stands up, and walks away. The camera pans over to allow us to see it. It reads
“Hank,
Sorry about last night. I know how much this means to you, and it'll only be for six months, so if you're in, I'm in.”
-CUT TO
EXT. HELICARRIER DECK -- DAY
We find ourselves aboard the newly christened SHIELD helicarrier. A military plane screeches to an abrupt halt, leaving skid marks on the nice, new tarmac. SHIELD guards pile out of the plane's opening doors, followed more slowly by Hank and Janet Pym. As Hank and Janet step out of the plane, the camera pulls back.
WIDE:
We now see that the helicarrier, which appeared to be a standard ocean-based aircraft carrier, is actually located somewhere OVER New York Harbor.
-CUT TO
MONTAGE:
(The song “Devil's Arcade” by Bruce Springsteen plays for the duration of the montage, muffling most of the in-scene sounds. If you want to listen, copy and paste into another tab.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz1ARTHm1Gk
Hank is in the lab, examining a test tube filled with blue liquid. He marks something down on a chart.
Janet is in their small, metallic room, sipping on a glass of red wine and sitting at their small, metallic table across from an untouched glass of wine. She seems to have a lot on her mind.
Hank is staring at a computer screen in the lab, the calculations he is getting just aren't adding up. In anger, he tears out the files and throws them in a trash bin.
Janet and Hank are yelling at one another in their cramped room aboard the carrier. Though we can't actually hear what they're saying, Hank's words seem to sting Janet. He isn't the man she married. Hank storms out of the room and walks quickly down the corridor, purposefully bumping a SHIELD guard with his shoulder as he passes.
Hank is sitting in his lab, staring at twenty-some-odd files spread haphazardly across the top of a metal table.
Janet is sitting in the corner of their small room, on the floor. A tear rolls down her cheek.
Hank knocks back a few Prozac and a glass of water. He swallows hard, as if to clear his head. He pauses for a moment, looking calm, but then, he shoves all of the files off of the table. They flutter in the air and fall in slow motion.
Hank looks towards the floor. Something has caught his attention.
CLOSE UP:
Of a few of the papers that fell to the lab floor. Hank bends down into frame. He appears to have discerned something from the chaos.
Hank stands, walks over to a table, and begins working.
Janet collects herself, stands, and walks out the door and down the corridor.
MONTAGE/END.
INT. SHIELD LAB - OUTER HALL -- TIMELESS
CLOSE UP:
On an identification card scanner mounted beside a door. The hand of Nick Fury enters frame and swipes an ID card over the face of the scanner. Its red light blinks green and a small beep is heard.
The locks click and Fury opens the door.
-CUT TO
INT. SHIELD LAB -- TIMELESS
Fury enters the lab. Pym is wearing what appears to be some sort of gas mask, which is emitting some very odd clacks and slight buzzing noises. A row of ants march in formation within the confines of a small glass box.
FURY:
(clears throat)
“You said you had something to show me...”
Pym looks up from his ant box and removes the helmet. He appears to be more cheerful than he ever has.
PYM:
“It's the Super Soldier Formula... I couldn't crack it, but I figured out that I didn't have to.”
FURY:
“Go on.”
Pym sets the helmet on a table and moves over towards something else on the table; a small, metallic capsule. He picks it up and holds it out for Fury to see.
PYM:
“The Pym Particle.”
FURY:
“Awfully proud, aren't you?”
PYM:
“See, I originally discovered this particular energy pattern a few years back when doing some research for an automotive company. It was supposed to cut their shipping costs in half, but the idea never took off. I'd all but forgotten about it until I stumbled on some old notes.”
FURY:
“Cut to the chase, Pym. What does it do?”
PYM:
“It alters cellular density.”
(pause)
“Basically, it can make an average person giant or...well, an ant-man, I guess...”
(pause)
“See, depending on the charge you use in generating these particles, they either condense the cellular bonds in matter...or expand it. Think of it like this. Subject A is treated with a three-second burst of negatively charged particles. Subject A is now half their original size, but double their original density. Subject B is treated with a three-second burst of positively charged particles. They are now double their original size, but half of their original density.”
FURY:
“So... do you have a working example?”
PYM:
“Well, not a field-ready version. It's still rather...non portable. But I'm working on that as we speak.”
Fury appears to be mildly irritated. He turns and walks slowly toward another table. He lifts up a sheet, exposing the unfinished ULTRON prototype.
FURY:
“That's always been your problem, Pym. You're a man of vision, but not a man of action. You set your sights at becoming a hero, and all you are is a second-rate lab jockey who can't seem to see anything through to the end.”
Fury lifts one of the ULTRON's arms and rotates it, examining the detail.
FURY:
“Like this ULTRON thing... you SOLD me on it, but never delivered. You were so close, but you just couldn't bring yourself to finish it. Even when we PROVIDED you with the power source.”
PYM:
(sheepish)
“Actually, I did...it was the...”
Fury lets the arm drop back to the table. As it clanks, metal against metal, another sound can be heard. The sound of ULTRON activating. The Android sits up on the table, still draped in the sheet. It lurches forward and hurls Fury through the lab doors into the hall. As he flies through the doors, we see Janet standing in the hall. She is, needless to say, shocked.
FURY (O.S.):
“I thought you said you never installed the battery!”
Ultron stands up, allowing the sheet to slide down to the lab floor. Fury shoves Janet into the lab, behind an overturned metal table, to take refuge with Hank.
PYM:
“No! Got That Part! It Was The Programming I Never Got Around To!”
Ultron moves toward Fury, who draws two handguns and fires while moving toward what little safety the table will provide. The bullets bounce harmlessly off of Ultron's outer shell.
FURY:
(sarcasm)
“You managed to finish bullet-proofing it...I see.”
Ultron begins to hurl things across the room, getting dangerously close to hitting the trio. Pym looks at the rubble of his lab and sees the helmet on the floor near the back wall. He turns to Fury.
PYM:
“Fury...I have an idea. Give me your gun.”
FURY:
“What!? No!”
PYM:
“Just trust me.”
Fury sighs. He hands the gun to Pym, who aims at the glass ant box and fires, shattering the box. He turns to Fury, gives a matter-of-fact head-nod, and hands the gun back. Fury looks confused and annoyed. Pym looks at Janet.
PYM:
“I'm sorry, Janet.”
(beat)
“For everything.”
(beat)
“I love you.”
Pym scrambles for his helmet, then dashes into what appears to be a safety bunker and locks the door.
FURY:
(flatly)
“Just great.”
-CUT TO
INT. CHAMBER -- TIMELESS
Pym places a metal capsule into a small slot near a keypad, then punches in some sort of code. The chamber begins to fill with a thick haze.
-CUT TO
INT. SHIELD LAB -- TIMELESS
The lab seems to be in even worse condition than it was before, but as of now, Fury and Janet seem to be holding their ground behind the table. Every now and then Fury fires a few shots to distract Ultron. That is, until he realizes that he's out of bullets. The chamber door swings open, and the fog drifts outward, but there is no sign of Hank. Within seconds of the door opening, Ultron's attacks cease. Fury and Janet peer over the table and see a line of ants marching into the small openings on Ultron's armor. The Camera pushes forward, through Ultron, into
-CUT TO
INT. ULTRON'S CENTRAL OPERATING SYSTEM -- TIMELESS
We see thousands upon thousands of wires and electronics, and among them are a multitude of ants, gnawing away at the connections. In the middle of the fray is a tiny man in a helmet that resembles a gas mask. He is furiously tearing at the cables and cords, smashing circuit boards, and just generally causing havoc.
-CUT TO
INT. SHIELD LAB - - TIMELESS
Ultron begins to violently shake, then crashes to the floor, a dead heap of soulless metal. From within the mechanical nightmare, a line of ants crawl, making their way toward the overturned table.
CLOSE UP:
On Fury and Janet as the line of ants come to a halt in front of them. At the head of the line, riding an ant, is the tiny hero, Hank Pym. He removes his helmet.
PYM:
“Could someone please do me a favor and grab one of my particle canisters and plug it into the chamber?”
Fury picks up one of the small metal capsules and places it in the slot inside the chamber. Janet sets her small husband inside the chamber and closes the door. Seconds later, a regular sized Hank steps out and hugs Janet. He looks up at Fury from over his wife's shoulder.
FURY:
“Pym, let's take a walk.”
(beat)
“I have some people I think you should meet.”
END.
As always, comment and constructive criticism are very welcome.
Excelsior!