Ant-Man Edgar Wright Leaves Ant-Man!! - Part 1

[Keyser Soze]

In what way is he pretentious?

Clearly, Edgar Wright is pretentious in his reticence to unquestioningly obey Marvel Studios' commands. We can't let these director serfs get ideas above their station!

Because it isn't possible for someone to disagree creatively with Marvel and still have any talent or human decency. It isn't possible for Marvel Studios and Edgar Wright to part ways, but for us to still like both, still wish both the best, and still look forward to the future projects from both.

 

[The Question]

Clearly, Edgar Wright is pretentious in his reticence to unquestioningly obey Marvel Studios' commands. We can't let these director serfs get ideas above their station!

Because it isn't possible for someone to disagree creatively with Marvel and still have any talent or human decency. It isn't possible for Marvel Studios and Edgar Wright to part ways, but for us to still like both, still wish both the best, and still look forward to the future projects from both.

I think there's also a perception among some people that a filmmaker making changes from the source material means that the filmmaker is looking down on the source material, which is an absolute fallacy.

 

[C. Lee]

Hi guys...having fun? Here's a nice suggestion for everyone....discuss, argue, and debate this subject without the condescending remarks, the name calling, and the just plain snotty attitude. Your day will be so much better if that happens.

 

[terry78]

Hi guys...having fun? Here's a nice suggestion for everyone....discuss, argue, and debate this subject without the condescending remarks, the name calling, and the just plain snotty attitude. Your day will be so much better if that happens.

Now you may as well just suck out our life essence, Lee.

 

[Shakel92]

I totally understand him leaving and Marvel being okay with it. Marvel is making products now to pave the way for movies, Netflix series and ABC TV shows that may not come out for another 5 - 10 years. This film is waaaay bigger than Wright, Rudd or any single individual involved.

Sometimes specific lines of dialogue and script have been forced to be in a movie for the betterment of the entire project (the Dr. Strange mention in CA2 comes to mind). I'm sure that Wright is hurt that he can't finish this, but it truly is about the bigger picture. I'm a fan of his work, but I get it.

Just imagine how upset all the fanboys would be if Ant-Man came out and didn't COMPLETELY align with the MCU? People have been upset because the part of Hank Pym wasn't how he was portrayed in the comics.

It's not Marvel's job to guarantee that every director gets to make the movie they want. However, it is their job to make sure that I can enjoy the MCU, since I'm the one who forks over the money for the movies and DVD's, watches the TV shows (AoS and AC when it comes on) and recently started paying $7.99 every month to get Netflix to watch the shows that come on there next year.

 

[thalidomide]

Hi guys...having fun? Here's a nice suggestion for everyone....discuss, argue, and debate this subject without the condescending remarks, the name calling, and the just plain snotty attitude. Your day will be so much better if that happens.

CBM really needs someone like you. t:

 

[C. Lee]

Now you may as well just suck out our life essence, Lee.

That's one of the benefits of the job.

Destroying the dreams and aspirations of children and sucking out the life essence of everyone was the number one incentive to join the ranks of moddom.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Petty, hell.
Eight years to get this off the ground. Eight years, and all he's done is dabbled with other projects and put this one on the back burner. That's *all* that "Ant-Man" has ever been to Edgar Wright --- a whim and a vanity. Meanwhile, the principals in his story have taken on a much weightier role in a far more ambitious and lucrative enterprise that grew up while Wright dragged ass. Wright is too conceited to tether Hank, Janet and Scott to the MCU because he just doesn't give a damn about the MCU or the vital roles that these characters play within it. He has no respect for his employers and no respect for the source material.

Given that you're speculating, allow me to return with some speculation of my own. Could it be that the project was equally on the backburner for Marvel as it was for Wright? Could it be that it suited Marvel Studios just fine to hold off until after Avengers secured their branding power before moving onto riskier properties like Ant-Man? If Wright got this far with his altered vision of the Ant-Man mythos, it was with Marvel's approval, and surely by now Marvel Select have earned our trust in at least being true to the spirit of the source material. If this didn't meet their standards, they wouldn't have greenlit it. And once the MCU shared universe took off, Wright could have had his chance to leave then, but Marvel obviously believed his vision for Ant-Man was still compatible with their vision for the MCU. Whatever differences emerged, must have happened relatively recently for things to get this far.

 

[The Question]

Just imagine how upset all the fanboys would be if Ant-Man came out and didn't COMPLETELY align with the MCU? People have been upset because the part of Hank Pym wasn't how he was portrayed in the comics.

Well, that would just be tough for them I guess. I don't think it's anyone's duty to feed into fanboy complaints like that.

 

[Shakel92]

Not necessarily to feed into fanboy complaints, but there is a certain level of expectations that must be met. If the movie has scenes that don't fit in with the rest of the MCU, then they shouldn't be included, regardless of the director's vision.

Think of it on a smaller scale. Let's say that someone has written a movie, but is having trouble with one scene in the middle of the script. They hand it off for someone else to help out, and in the process they write a scene where the main character gets killed or paralyzed or wins the lotto or has sex with the antagonist. It can destroys or severely alter the course of the story. In essence, that is what Wright (and every other director and writer) are doing if they produce an MCU film or TV series. They get a "scene" out of a much bigger "movie" and get to add their own touch, but they cannot deviate from the original course.

It wouldn't make sense for Ant-Man to come out and Pym's talking about how great a job he has working for S.H.I.E.L.D. when it doesn't exist anymore because it was destroyed in CA:TWS. There's a lot that must be maintained in the story so that the continuity of the franchise can remain intact.

 

[The Question]

Sure, that's reasonable. But that's basic continuity stuff. I doubt Wright and Marvel parted ways over that.

 

[Rock Sexton]

Wow, I find this statement shocking and hilarious coming from you Rock, considering how doggedly you defended the movie when it came out, calling people who complained about it haterz and trolls, and even arguing with people about its quality when they had seen the movie and you hadnt.

So after all of the criticism and names you called people on the Thor 2 boards for not liking the movie, you now agree with them? Ha ha irony indeed.

Give me a break. I don't resort to the "haters and trolls" argument. That's for 5 years olds when they run out of argumentation. My beef was with people casting failure on the movie before they saw it - namely yourself and a few others.

You find my comments hilarious because you do not have the capacity to admit when you were wrong. Fortunately I do. Try it some time then come talk to me.

 

[Human Torch]

Petty, hell.
Eight years to get this off the ground. Eight years, and all he's done is dabbled with other projects and put this one on the back burner. That's *all* that "Ant-Man" has ever been to Edgar Wright --- a whim and a vanity. Meanwhile, the principals in his story have taken on a much weightier role in a far more ambitious and lucrative enterprise that grew up while Wright dragged ass. Wright is too conceited to tether Hank, Janet and Scott to the MCU because he just doesn't give a damn about the MCU or the vital roles that these characters play within it. He has no respect for his employers and no respect for the source material.

 

[Chris B]

Here's to hoping that Marvel can salvage the situation, and we still get a good movie.

I wasn't a huge fan of Wright wanting to adapt 'To Steal an Ant-Man' with an aged Pym, but I liked the Rudd/Douglass casting and the idea has since grown on me since then.

 

[Ant-manic]

Given that you're speculating, allow me to return with some speculation of my own. Could it be that the project was equally on the backburner for Marvel as it was for Wright? Could it be that it suited Marvel Studios just fine to hold off until after Avengers secured their branding power before moving onto riskier properties like Ant-Man? If Wright got this far with his altered vision of the Ant-Man mythos, it was with Marvel's approval, and surely by now Marvel Select have earned our trust in at least being true to the spirit of the source material. If this didn't meet their standards, they wouldn't have greenlit it. And once the MCU shared universe took off, Wright could have had his chance to leave then, but Marvel obviously believed his vision for Ant-Man was still compatible with their vision for the MCU. Whatever differences emerged, must have happened relatively recently for things to get this far.

it's too bad that Wright isn't saying. because his take on the Ant-Man mythos was quite radical. in what way could Wright have gone overboard, at this stage of the game? i wonder what the deal breaker was. my off-the-wall conspiracy theory is that, to get Evangeline Lilly on board, they had to offer a meatier role (i.e. she's actually the Wasp in this). Wright's original script didn't even include her. she was finally worked in as a love interest. they said their might be hints at her becoming the Wasp. but i think they wanted more/wanted to sign Evangeline. that changes things for me. i was totally behind Wright's vision for Ant-Man. but, thinking long-term, there's too much potential for Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp; to reduce her to love interest.

 

[The Question]

it's too bad that Wright isn't saying. because his take on the Ant-Man mythos was quite radical. in what way could Wright have gone overboard, at this stage of the game? i wonder what the deal breaker was. my off-the-wall conspiracy theory is that, to get Evangeline Lilly on board, they had to offer a meatier role (i.e. she's actually the Wasp in this). Wright's original script didn't even include her. she was finally worked in as a love interest. they said their might be hints at her becoming the Wasp. but i think they wanted more/wanted to sign Evangeline. that changes things for me. i was totally behind Wright's vision for Ant-Man. but, thinking long-term, there's too much potential for Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp; to reduce her to love interest.

Honestly, if this was because of forced rewrites, I think it's entirely possible that Wright didn't want the climax of the film to be a fight scene, but Disney insisted. Maybe Wright wanted to do something atypical for a superhero movie and have the climax be some kind of race against the clock scene instead of an exchange of violence between the hero and the villain. That seems very believable to me.

 

[Ant-manic]

In 2010 Edgar Wright stated the film would be a standalone, and not associated with the avengers. In 2007 wright said the movie would take place in the 60s and the modern era, with Pym being the original ant-man. The movie was announced the come out I believe in 2008 and has just been getting pushed back. Edgar Wright hasn't even really been working on it, just his weird cornetto films that all of 6 people paid to see in theaters. Shawn of the dead is a cult hit but it didn't pull big numbers for a reason. The guys a pretentious prick and I'm glad to be rid of him. A guy like Pym could have been the next tony stark, but nope they went with Lang who's about as useless as you get in the superhero world.

why, because he didn't build a killer robot or beat up his sidekick? either character is only as useful or useless as the script.

 

[Ant-manic]

Honestly, if this was because of forced rewrites, I think it's entirely possible that Wright didn't want the climax of the film to be a fight scene, but Disney insisted. Maybe Wright wanted to do something atypical for a superhero movie and have the climax be some kind of race against the clock scene instead of an exchange of violence between the hero and the villain. That seems very believable to me.

that's possible. but haven't most of his films culminated in a fight scene of some sort? it's what he's good at.

 

[The Question]

that's possible. but haven't most of his films culminated in a fight scene of some sort? it's what he's good at.

Yeah, true, but I could easily see him wanting to do something different in his first foray into a relatively new and rigorously structured genre.

 

[Tony Stark]

Honestly it doesn't matter at this point. They need to get a director with vision and love for this universe and characters and to get the ball rolling. I don't think you're going to get much in the way of a whole new script, but perhaps they could do something ala Mask of Zoro where Banderas isn't Don Diego De La Vega, he's some guy named Alejandro, but at the end of the movie he assumes the De La Vega name and Zorro.

There are lots of creative things you can do, but as I have said, as an Avenger, it make it hard to have him on the team when you have Tony and Bruce as the "smart guys". Maybe it could mesh well, but I always thought it would be problematic.

 

[DrCosmic]

Guys, keep in mind that what happened with Ant-Man was very much encouraged by Kevin Feige and everyone at Marvel Studios. To take umbrage with the delays or focus of Wright's Ant-Man is fine, but let's not pretend Marvel has had any of the same objections. If Wright didn't think Pym was worthy/important, then neither did Kevin Feige.

 

[The Question]

Guys, keep in mind that what happened with Ant-Man was very much encouraged by Kevin Feige and everyone at Marvel Studios. To take umbrage with the delays or focus of Wright's Ant-Man is fine, but let's not pretend Marvel has had any of the same objections. If Wright didn't think Pym was worthy/important, then neither did Kevin Feige.

Also, we need to recognize that not everyone has the same standard of what it means for a fictional character to be worthy or to matter. Altering a character's role to tell your take on their story the best way you can isn't disrespecting them.

 

[C. Lee]

Honestly, if this was because of forced rewrites, I think it's entirely possible that Wright didn't want the climax of the film to be a fight scene, but Disney insisted. Maybe Wright wanted to do something atypical for a superhero movie and have the climax be some kind of race against the clock scene instead of an exchange of violence between the hero and the villain. That seems very believable to me.

Wow, I had no idea that you had the power to read Edgar Wright's mind and glean an in depth understanding of the pre-production and scheduling process over at Marvel Studios and Edgar Wright's own personal opinions on the projects he works on.

You know, if you didn't have that ability, it would almost sound like you're projecting a bunch of assumptions onto something you don't have a first hand understanding of entirely because a writer/director took creative liberties that you wouldn't have taken in his position. And that would be silly.

Assumptions....apparently some are allowed to make them...some aren't.

 

[The Question]

Assumptions....apparently some are allowed to make them...some aren't.

Notice how I emphasized the word "if" there? I never assumed that what I described there is what happened. If I had, I wouldn't have said if in bold and italics.

 

[Ant-manic]

Wow, I had no idea that you had the power to read Edgar Wright's mind and glean an in depth understanding of the pre-production and scheduling process over at Marvel Studios and Edgar Wright's own personal opinions on the projects he works on.

You know, if you didn't have that ability, it would almost sound like you're projecting a bunch of assumptions onto something you don't have a first hand understanding of entirely because a writer/director took creative liberties that you wouldn't have taken in his position. And that would be silly.