When a director takes on a job within theMarvel Cinematic Universe, it’s understood that, above all else,Kevin Feigeis the primary auteur of each film and theoverarching saga of the franchise. Audiences and critics are aware of this, as complaints about the series' entries being formulaic and cookie-cutter originated from the dawn of Phase 1. There’s only so much style and input that accomplished studio journeymen likeJon FavreauandJoe Johnstoncan imbue intoIron ManandCaptain America: The First Avenger, respectively. Even when idiosyncratic visionaries likeShane BlackandSam Raimiget on board, they compromise their unyielding language to suit Feige’s cinematic mission statement. This harsh reality was crystalized byEdgar Wright’s fallout with the MCU, who planned on directingAnt-Manbefore dropping out due to creative differences,much to the dismay of all cinephiles begging for these movies for some artistic panache.
Edgar Wright’s History With Developing ‘Ant-Man’
The saga of Edgar Wright’s fallout with the MCU goes back decades, asoutlined in aColliderstory. Although the MCU is oftentimes synonymous with bland and uninspired visual and thematic storytelling, constructing an expanded universe across multiple arcs was an audacious plan in the late 2000s, right when the superhero boom earlier in the decade looked to be a fad. When assembling his own team of filmmakers, Kevin Feige solicited the help of an audacious visionary with comic book sensibilities in Wright, who wascoming offShaun of the DeadandHot Fuzzand was preparing to make another comic book adaptation,Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Not only was the Ant-Man part of the initial makeup of the MCU, alongside Iron Man and Captain America, butWright had dreamed of adapting Scott Lang for the screen back in 2003, writing a treatment with Joe Cornish for Artisan Entertainment, who then held the rights to the character.
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For Feige to consider integrating Ant-Man, a relatively niche character from the comics, wasa bold choice, and even more so, to let a freewheeling visionary like Wright take the reins. However, because they were occupied completing Phase 1 andsetting upThe Avengers, Ant-Man’s story could take its time, allowing Wright to makeScott Pilgrim, another longtime passion project. In 2012, withThe Avengersset to take over the culture at large, Wright and the MCU reconvened to begin pre-production onAnt-Man, including test reel footage of how he would capture the shrinking effect.
Things took a somber turn whenEric Fellner, a producer at Working Title, the production company behind the first two films of Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, was diagnosed with cancer. Wanting to come through for his friend and close colleague, Marvel allowed production to be delayed so that Wright could complete the trilogy withThe World’s End. Best of all, Fellner, 59, is still alive today. WithThe World’s Endwrapped, a finished script in hand, andPaul Ruddcast as the titular hero,Ant-Manlooked like a clear green light. Even with the entirety of the cast signed on, includingEvangeline Lilly,Michael Peña,Corey Stoll, andMichael Douglas, the studio wasn’t fully satisfied with Wright and Cornish’s drafts, leading to constant back-and-forths with new notes.Roughly two months before filming was set to begin, Wright abruptly dropped out, andPeyton Reed, director ofBring It OnandDown With Love, was hired to replace him. The film was eventually released in July 2015.
What Edgar Wright’s ‘Ant-Man’ Would Have Looked Like
Where most directors are ostensibly hired guns in the Marvel enterprise, Edgar Wright had a clear vision forAnt-Man. The biggest influence onWright and Cornish’s draft was thework of authorElmore Leonard, whose punchy, postmodern dialogue and quip-filled back-and-forth between characters was a loose model that the MCU worked off. Because Scott Lang didn’t possess any superpowers outside his suit, the character could take on the gritty, hard-boiled sentiment of a thief in a noir. Being a comedy writer-director, Wright wanted to enforce the character’s comic sensibilities, but the edgier tone of the film would not resemble anything like a comic book movie, but instead,more like a “crime-action” movie,he toldSuperherohypein 2006. He described the visual aesthetic as a “special effects bonanza,” complemented by a sprawling crossover of multiple genres.
In the interview, Wright revealed that, even at the early stages, Marvel insisted that the project be family-friendly and not too dark, keeping up with the standard they would set across nearly 40 films.However, the narrative spine of the story conceived by Wright, who still received a screenplay and story credit, would remain in the final product.In theSuperherohypeinterview, he explained his vision for a traditional origin story where career thief Scott Lang crosses paths with Hank Pym (Douglas), along with a prologue that shows Pym as Ant-Man in the ’60s.
It doesn’t take much of an outlandish imagination to picture what Edgar Wright’sAnt-Manwould’ve looked like, as all his films, going back toShaun of the Dead, have comic book sensibilities, from his interest in the archetypal “nerd” characters to the zany, fast-paced rhythms of his dialogue and editing. Luckily, Peyton Reed’s film, which eventually underwent rewrites byAdam McKayand Paul Rudd, retained the essence of Wright’s earnest comic energy. Paul Rudd, whomatches the lovable farcethatSimon PeggandMichael Cerabrought to their films, would’ve been an ideal duo with Wright. In the aftermath of his MCU fallout, Wright did eventually satisfy his thirst to make an action-crime caper withBaby Driver, his grittiest film to date.
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“I wanted to make a Marvel movie, but I don’t think they really wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie,“Edgar Wright said,reflecting on the fallout in 2017. Considering that he did adapt a comic book inScott Pilgrim, Wright certainly was not thumbing his nose at the medium, but he was hopeful that he could converge the franchise’s demands with his own unique traits. Marvel seemed to be the most hung up on Scott Lang being too unlikable, even though the series was founded on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a promiscuous, binge-drinking, weapons manufacturer who learns how to be a selfless hero inIron Man. BeforeAnt-Man’s release, Kevin Feigeemphasized the character’s importanceto the series' overall arc. However, to its credit, the film has a stand-alone quality, making it accessible for any auteur director to put their stamp on.
Ant-Manis fun but ultimately frivolous, which honestly was refreshing at the time, especially as a palate-cleanser to the monumental franchise stakes ofAvengers: Age of Ultron. However, the lack of artistic panache only reminds us of what we lost when Edgar Wright dropped out. Peyton Reed is one of the best comedy directors of his era, but superhero blockbusters do notplay to his strengths, explaining whyAnt-Manhas the aesthetic of a TV movie. Wright, a director obsessed with classic Hollywood and British genre movies, would have infused the film with unlimited style, something a story about a picaresque hero like Scott Lang needs.
Edgar Wright’s departure from his dream Marvel project indicated the direction of the MCU in its future phases. In the early years, they hired experienced studio filmmakers likeJon Favreau,Kenneth Branagh, andJoe Johnston. They would never be mistaken for auteurs, but they’ve worked on enough expensive films to add just enough flourishes without breaking the house style.Kevin Feige’s creative disputes with a bona fide visionary in Wright seemed to be an inflection point,as, from there on, they opted tohire indie filmmakerswith little to no experience making anything with a major budget, includingJon Watts,Ryan FleckandAnna Boden,Chloé Zhao, andDestin Daniel Cretton.
Edgar Wright walked soJames Gunncould run. While it’s highly subjective, if Wright were allowed to realize his unencumbered vision forAnt-Man, there’s a scenario where itreaches the heights ofGuardians of the Galaxy, astand-alone singular vision with high-octane effects, zany humor, and heartfelt sincerity, and not merely a middling entry in a mega-franchise. After all, these traits are instilled into all of Wright’s films. Unfortunately, the MCU is too cautious and factory-line to let someone as radical as him change the status quo.
Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, pull off a plan that will save the world.
