New ANT-MAN Screenplay Said To Be "More American"; Will 'The Falcon' Cameo?
We have more details here on the changes Marvel made to Edgar Wright's screenplay which led to his departure, while director Peyton Reed and the cast all weigh in on this new version. It turns out that Wright wrote an after-credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron too...
We've heard a lot about why Edgar Wright decided not to direct Ant-Man, but the latest issue of Empire Magazine sheds some more light on why he decided to part ways with Marvel Studios. For example, they point out that Wright's version of the script would have seen Scott Lang take on the villainous "Nano Warrior", but the basic premise - Lang being guided by Hank Pym in a mentor like role - was still there. There have also been reports that Wright's script didn't take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that apparently wasn't the case as as it featured appearances from established cameos and he had even written an after-credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Some of the changes made along the way included Nano Warrior being renamed Yellowjacket, a car chase being scrapped, and a number of characters being cut (some of which we heard about during pre-production). However, it was definitely Dave Callaham (The Expendables) and Eric Pearson's (Agent Carter) changes which led to Wright's departure as we've heard a number of times already.
"Was it a strange situation? Absolutely," says new Ant-Man director Peyton Reed. "One of my concerns upfront was, 'Someone else has developed this movie for a really long time. Can I come in and make it my own?' And that has absolutely been the case. For one thing Marvel have let me explore the dark side of Hank Pym, this tortured, guilt-ridden guy. I love that this is a mentor/pupil story, but with a [frick]ed up pupil and a really [frick]ed up mentor." Reed even reveals that he spoke to Wright via email after accepting the job, so it definitely sounds like there's no bad blood between the two filmmakers. "We both acknowledged the general werdness of the situation. It's all very odd, but it's been really nice to communiate with him."
It's star Evangeline Lilly (who describes Hope Van Dyne as "kind of a bitch...a very had woman on a journey towards becoming a decent person") who reveals perhaps the most interesting details about the changes made to the screenplay by Paul Rudd and Adam McKay though. "I met with Paul in a little restaurant in New York City, and he talked me through how the movie was changing. I think the most defining difference between the two scripts was that Edgar's didn't take itself as seriously. It was fun and silly and brilliant irreverent - a romp from beginning to end, in classic English fashion. Whereas where we've gotten to is so much more American. There's tons of levity, but just as much emotion." Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen!
Finally, the magazine mentions that Anthony Mackie's Falcon might make an appearance alongside other Avengers, to which Reed would only say: "That's classified information. That's buried. It's possible." What do you guys think about these latest Ant-Man details? See new images HERE.
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