Ant-Man Michael Douglas is Hank Pym

[Ant-manic]

I was thinking about this all night. Douglas' involvement makes me think that this is going to be a much darker movie than first suspected. probably a good thing that someone like Rudd is around to balance that out. I'm kind of imagining Pym as a seasoned spymaster/super macguyver in the MCU. he was Ant-Man during the cold war and is as used to living in secret as someone like Nick Fury.

and I think he has trained the MCU's version of Janet Van Dyne to sort of be his eyes and ears (plus a real badass); outside of the lab. somehow they find Lang/steer him towards stealing the ant-man suit; as a test. as a twist on the comics, I think Pym's actively orchestrating this "try-out" to be Ant-Man. and I think he has Janet shadow the rookie around to take the suit back if he doesn't prove himself heroic enough to utilize it.

I guess what I'm saying is that Hank and Jan are a lot scarier in the Ant-Man movie I envision.

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

I just hope for Avenger 3 they can have Sidney Poitier as T'Challa.

If Poitier is too old, maybe Richard Roundtree or Fred Williamson.....
What about Louis Gossett, Jr.?

 

[The Batman]

I'm not sure why, reading this thread, people assume that Dogulas' Pym might somehow have action scenes or something.

In all likelyhood, MCU Pym will be like Bruce Wayne in "Batman Beyond": The elderly former superhero who advises his replacement. If he ends up in an Avengers sequel, it will probably be as a consultant.

 

[samsnee]

Having read Douglas' interview on the front page, I appreciate his enthusiasm for the role. He sounds like he's ready to have fun with it, which is all you can really ask for from an actor in these types of movies.

 

[Airwings]

I was thinking about this all night. Douglas' involvement makes me think that this is going to be a much darker movie than first suspected. probably a good thing that someone like Rudd is around to balance that out. I'm kind of imagining Pym as a seasoned spymaster/super macguyver in the MCU. he was Ant-Man during the cold war and is as used to living in secret as someone like Nick Fury.

and I think he has trained the MCU's version of Janet Van Dyne to sort of be his eyes and ears (plus a real badass); outside of the lab. somehow they find Lang/steer him towards stealing the ant-man suit; as a test. as a twist on the comics, I think Pym's actively orchestrating this "try-out" to be Ant-Man. and I think he has Janet shadow the rookie around to take the suit back if he doesn't prove himself heroic enough to utilize it.

I guess what I'm saying is that Hank and Jan are a lot scarier in the Ant-Man movie I envision.

The bolded text makes me even more hyped. The aged Pym could very well have a darkness to him.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

I'm not sure why, reading this thread, people assume that Dogulas' Pym might somehow have action scenes or something.

In all likelyhood, MCU Pym will be like Bruce Wayne in "Batman Beyond": The elderly former superhero who advises his replacement. If he ends up in an Avengers sequel, it will probably be as a consultant.

This.

 

[cherokeesam]

.) please don't put words in my mouth
.) if you're not sure what I wrote, feel free to read it again
.) comprehensive reading is something everyone should try now and then

::

while I'm fine with Douglas as Pym I can understand the disapointment very well.
Imagine you're a big Batman fan in a world where no Batman movies were made. No Burton-Batman, no Nolan-Batman, not even the Schumacher movies.

So, you waited until now for Batman on the big screen. And naturally you want it to happen.

Then, finally, a Batman movie is in the works, but the creative people are big fans of Batman Beyond (which is a great show, btw, don't get me wrong)

So, the first Batman movie ever features Terry McGinnis as Bats and Bruce Wayne, although played by Clint Eastwood who is a fantastic actor, is old and sidelined to the mentoring Obi-Wan role.

And to top that, through the circumstances surrounding the production of the movie it is extremely unlikely we will see Bruce Wayne taking up Batman persona on screen in the forseeable future because of that.

I can see the dissappointment

Clarify that; *then* we'll talk about "comprehensive reading." You're losing something in the translation there.

I just hope for Avenger 3 they can have Sidney Poitier as T'Challa.

If Poitier is too old, maybe Richard Roundtree or Fred Williamson.....
What about Louis Gossett, Jr.?

The ageism in these Ant-Man forums is getting ridiculous. "Old people suck," that about sum it up? Yeah, thought so.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

I assume it's been suggested but if JGL is still circling the project anyone think he'll play young Hank Pym in flashbacks? Looper all over again

 

[fixxxer]

Just read this thread in its entirety... and, jeez, I'm not sure if some of the stuff out there is simply rabid nerd-rage or sarcastic/humorous attempts at nerd-rage mimicry. I really don't know how to respond to some of these crazy vitriol laden posts. I mean, ok... thanks for voicing your displeasure, I guess. I'm sure Feige will personally apologize to each of you individually.

I know people are a little disappointed that Pym probably won't have as big a role in future Avengers movies as an action-oriented hero. I completely get that. I really do. However, this opens more doors than it closes.

First of all (and I know this gets brought up a lot) please read this interview with Wright from 2006, conducted by this very site. Do these guys sound like they are looking to take a dump on the source material? All I got from there was a deep sense of respect.

A decent chunk of the movie will be set in the 60's. We will get to see Pym in his prime as Ant-Man. Maybe Jamie Bell has already been cast as a young Pym. Maybe it's someone else. Maybe more of his backstory story will be explored in a future One-Shot. Maybe in a future Marvel Studios film, proper. Maybe some of it goes into the rumored Agent Carter TV show. There are just so many wonderful, interesting possibilities here.

And this doesn't even start to explore how good someone of the stature of Michael Douglas is for this movie specifically, and the MCU in general.

Also, for the folks who think that someone as old as Michael Douglas cannot be anything but lame in an Avengers sequel, I can just picture Feige, Whedon and co. just licking their chops and going, "Challenge accepted".

 

[Dr. Evil]

Douglas' Pym will probably replace Erik Selvig in future Avengers movies now that Selvig has gone mad.

 

[kedrell]

You know, I'm ok with this casting news. Would I have liked it better if they had hewn closer to the original story with Hank being younger and on the team? Sure. But I'm not going to let wishful thinking get in the way of what might be an awesome movie experience. I got over the Mandarin fiasco in IM3, I can certainly adapt to this. If I can get over Hulk not having his true 616 origins and instead being tied to Captain America, I can really adapt to this. There will always be room in the future to tell the more comic accurate stories. I have faith that as long as they keep making these films we will eventually all see what we want in some form or another.

 

[cherokeesam]

Douglas' Pym will probably replace Erik Selvig in future Avengers movies now that Selvig has gone mad.

Why? They're nothing alike. Selvig's a crazy astrophysicist who's exploring the universe; Pym is a biochemist who's exploring the microverse.

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

::
Clarify that; *then* we'll talk about "comprehensive reading." You're losing something in the translation there.

'through the circumstances surrounding the production of the movie it is extremely unlikely we will see Bruce Wayne taking up Batman persona on screen in the forseeable future'

here is where the magic lies. it is not

that if somebody made a Batman Beyond movie first, there'd be no chance to see Bruce Wayne ever in the movies

not at all, because your statement implicates or states
.) no Bruce Wayne
.) ever
.) because of the movie

instead of
.) no Bruce Wayne active as Batman
.) in the forsseable future
.) because of circumstances surrounding the production (as in 'the movie is part of a bigger narrative that leaves little place for Bruce Wayne centric prequels' as an example)

also

He, and others, are making wildly inaccurate assumptions that this news means Pym is going to die

is simply false (at least the 'He' part, can't speak for the others). this stuff is something you completely pulled out your rectum and is nowhere to be found in my analogy

but

that he's not going to be in The Avengers

is likely, at least not in an active role and only as a consultant

and to clarify that, I wrote this analogy to help people understand why people are dissappointed. not because I am dissappointed, because I'm certainly not (well a little bit maybe). which you probably know, because that was the opening sentence of my post.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Why? They're nothing alike. Selvig's a crazy astrophysicist who's exploring the universe; Pym is a biochemist who's exploring the microverse.

Pym is likely to serve as a consultant for the Avengers, like Selvig was for SHIELD at the start of the Avengers.

 

[cherokeesam]

Why are some of you so hung up on the notion that Hank Pym is going to be a "consultant" to the Avengers? Simply because *you* mistakenly believe that a 70-year old is incapable of being a superhero?

I'll go the more obvious route. Hank Pym is an Avenger, just like in the comics. Scott Lang is an Avenger, just like in the comics. Hank Pym becomes Giant-Man, just like in the comics. Hank Pym is 70 years old --- *not* just like in the comics. But wait, let's see, what does that change about his story and characterization and powers.....? Oh right: not a damn thing.

 

[Joeyjojo72]

I'm actually ( pleasantly) surprised at the relatively low level of negativity on this board regarding the Douglas/pym announcement. Even many pym fans are willing to give it a chance despite their understandable disappointment.

Marvel has earned some good will (as has edgar wright) and its heartening that the majority of us understand this.

Oh and Ant-matic I kinda dig your plot ideas. Not a bad way to work Janet into the mix - not my personal choice, but it could definitely work.

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Why are some of you so hung up on the notion that Hank Pym is going to be a "consultant" to the Avengers? Simply because *you* mistakenly believe that a 70-year old is incapable of being a superhero?

I'll go the more obvious route. Hank Pym is an Avenger, just like in the comics. Scott Lang is an Avenger, just like in the comics. Hank Pym becomes Giant-Man, just like in the comics. Hank Pym is 70 years old --- *not* just like in the comics. But wait, let's see, what does that change about his story and characterization and powers.....? Oh right: not a damn thing.

because Danny Trejo is the exception, not the rule. Believable major action hero with 70+? They will have to work around that in some way

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

I'm actually ( pleasantly) surprised at the relatively low level of negativity on this board regarding the Douglas/pym announcement. Even many pym fans are willing to give it a chance despite their understandable disappointment. Marvel has earned some good will (as has edgar wright) and its heartening that the majority of us understand this.

I think a lot of Pym fans (myself included) are just ecstatic that he is in the film/universe. And rightfully so.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I'm actually ( pleasantly) surprised at the relatively low level of negativity on this board regarding the Douglas/pym announcement. Even many pym fans are willing to give it a chance despite their understandable disappointment. Marvel has earned some good will (as has edgar wright) and its heartening that the majority of us understand this.

There have been a few people who no doubt spent the night busting capillaries and those always manage to sound much louder than they really are but for the most part people seem excited.

 

[chamber-music]

 

[Airwings]

A decent chunk of the movie will be set in the 60's. We will get to see Pym in his prime as Ant-Man. Maybe Jamie Bell has already been cast as a young Pym. Maybe it's someone else.

Hope it's Jamie Bell, and it's during the 1970s.
Wait, maybe they de-age Douglas with special effects and have him play young Pym too. It's only flashbacks so there won't be much action and fights.

Why are some of you so hung up on the notion that Hank Pym is going to be a "consultant" to the Avengers? Simply because *you* mistakenly believe that a 70-year old is incapable of being a superhero?

Don't forget that Christopher Lee played a sith at the age of 80 and 83, and his character was a great fighter

 

[Whiskey Tango]

It's like people have never heard of stuntmen and body doubles before.

 

[TeeKay]

It's like people have never heard of stuntmen and body doubles before.

Better yet, he'll be in a suit covering up face too. They'll obviously use a stunt-man during the action sequences even the ones with Scott Lang's character. I wonder if the helmet will have a faceplate that will retract to show the actor's face. Do you think it will have one or it the actor has to take off the whole helmet to show his face?

 

[fixxxer]

Wait, maybe they de-age Douglas with special effects and have him play young Pym too. It's only flashbacks so there won't be much action and fights.

That de-aging stuff never looks quite right, uncanny valley and all. And Marvel hasn't shied away from having different actors playing a character at different ages. Howard Stark has been portrayed by Dominic Cooper, John Slattery and (somewhat insignificantly) Gerard Sanders in the MCU. I have absolutely no doubt that we'll either see another actor playing young Pym, or an action montage with Ant-Man's face obscured by his helmet... the former being much more probable in my opinion.

Going by Wright's original plans, which as per Feige has hardly changed since they were first crystallized in the Cretaceous era, I think the 60's Pym stuff that we get will be quite action packed.

 

[chamber-music]

The 60's Ant-Man stuff will probably be the some spy/cold war/commie bashing stuff that Edgar says he enjoyed the most from those comics.

Its only a prologue so I don't think it will be long. 10 minutes tops I would imagine.