It goes without saying that director Peyton Reed has done an amazing job with the Ant-Man franchise so far and there's a reason why he's been tasked to helm the third installment in the adventures of Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne. However, longtime followers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are well aware that Reed wasn't always supposed to helm the series and take it under his wing.
In fact, the Ant-Man film has long been in development before its 2015 release, at least two years before the MCU came into fruition with Edgar Wright set to direct. However, creative differences between him and Marvel forced Wright to abandon the project altogether, officially passing the reins to Reed.
Apparently, the behind-the-scenes drama almost got worse and according to the comprehensive new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (via ComicBook), lead stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly considered quitting the original film following Edgar Wright's controversial exit.
In the book, Rudd reveals that after learning about Wright abandoning the film, he talked to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and asked him to bring the director back. He recalls: "When I found out I was buying groceries in upstate New York, and I got a call. My manager said, 'Well, I've got some bad news.' I knew immediately. Then Edgar called, and I clicked over. And then I stood in the parking lot of an A&P for about an hour and a half talking to Kevin [Feige] about, 'What are you gonna do? We have to try and get Edgar back.' I mean, I was really worried and nervous."
Lilly, on the other hand, says that while she also considered dropping out of the project, she took a deep breath and reevaluated things before coming up with her final decision. She said: "I went through the process I'd been through already: I'd read the script, gone through script notes and creative discussions, and I thought, 'That doesn't reflect what my experience has been, so maybe I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Maybe there's a good reason for the split, on both sides.'"
Also Read: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Set Photo Reveals Bizarre New Logo
It would be really hard to imagine the Ant-Man franchise without Rudd and Lilly leading it because they have tremendous chemistry together. And again, there’s a reason why they’re doing a third Ant-Man film. As for Wright, it’s truly unfortunate that he didn’t have his way with things but I believe that Marvel’s door is always open for him should he consider helming a comic book project.
Meanwhile, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters in 2023.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!