According to Ant-Man‘s editor, Colby Parker Jr., Edgar Wright’s abandoned version of the movie would not have included other Marvel characters besides those directly involved with the titular hero’s story.
One of the biggest creative changes in Marvel Studios’ history was when Wright was taken off Ant-Man’s original solo film in 2014. The filmmaker had been part of the project for years—he even promoted it at San Diego Comic-Con 2012.
According to Ant-Man writer Joe Cornish, the reason for Wright’s departure was because “Edgar Wright makes Edgar Wright movies,” and he didn’t have any desire to make the interconnected story that Marvel was hoping for.
Directorial duties were eventually handed to director Peyton Reed, who went on to helm three different Ant-Man films.
Edgar Wright Didn’t Want More Marvel Characters
In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Gran Turismo and Ant-Man editor Colby Parker Jr. revealed some new details about Edgar Wright’s abandoned version of Scott Lang’s Marvel Studios debut.
First, Parker noted that Wright’s version of the film had a whopping 15 or so people in the gang aiming to pull off the big heist instead of Lang’s tight trio of Luis, Dave, and Kurt who appeared in the final cut:
“His film, it was still heist film. But remember how we have three mains. I think there were, like, 15 people within the gang, the gang that was going to do the big heist. I remember I never got to see his script. But I remember hearing that once in discussions when all the big muckety mucks were in the room… [The heist] was going to be more of a collaborative effort and more of a 15-hander than a three-hander…”
When Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man was released in 2015, it not only told Scott Lang’s story but also included some interconnectivity with other MCU elements. The biggest example of this was Anthony Mackie’s scene at the Avengers Compound, where Falcon went up against Ant-Man in a brief brawl.
If Edgar Wright had his way, that would have never happened.
The editor revealed that Wright “didn’t want any other Marvel characters in the film,” assumingly besides from those immediately in Ant-Man’s lore:
“I don’t think there would have been any other Marvel characters set up. I think he was going to be a standalone. He didn’t want any other Marvel characters in the film… I don’t think the Falcon would have been in Ant-Man.”
Could Edgar Wright Return to the MCU?
Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man will always be one of the biggest what-ifs for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s also unsurprising to hear that Wright didn’t want any other Marvel characters in the picture. Honestly, though, at the end of the day, that stipulation wouldn’t have changed too much—the only big connection the 2015 film had to the wider MCU was the brief scene between Scott Lang and Falcon.
Thankfully, Wright doesn’t seem to be too sour against the MCU. Back in 2020, he openly shared excitement for Eternals‘ release, and in early 2021, he confirmed that he reached out to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to say hi.
Could the filmmaker perhaps be interested in working with them after all this time? With the company’s string of lackluster projects, maybe a large dose of fresh creative energy is exactly what they need.
While Ant-Man could be played out for the time being, especially given Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania‘s rotten reception, a whole host of other characters still need the spotlight. Perhaps one of the many X-Men could be of interest to Wright?
Ant-Man is now streaming on Disney+.
