At this point, the Ant-Man debacle currently plaguing Marvel Studios is well publicized, so I won’t bore you with the details about script changes, shifting director shortlists and reactions from people like Joss Whedon, James Gunn, and most recently, Michael Douglas.
Instead, let’s shift focus a bit and dissect the biggest challenge facing whoever winds up signing the dotted line and bringing the world’s smallest Avenger to life. The movie is expected to begin shooting in just a few weeks, and is still a lock for its July 17th, 2015 release date. That means the new director will have to hit the ground running and pick up the pieces that Edgar Wright has been assembling for over eight years, along with incorporating the new changes that ended up forcing him out of the project.
The new director will be facing an uphill battle, and will also have to deal with the looming presence of Edgar Wright throughout the entire production. Regardless of how the film turns out, we’ll always wonder what Wright’s version would have looked like, and may not judge the film properly because of our preconceived notions.
Two directors who would be perfect choices to helm the film in Wright’s stead are up-and-coming directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller. They have three hits under their belts already with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, and The LEGO Movie, and will likely strike gold again with 22 Jump Street, which hits theaters on June 13th and is already garnering rave reviews from critics.
However, though their keen sense of how to balance action and comedy (not to mention their experience with fun and quirky projects) makes them great candidates for the gig, they want absolutely nothing to do with it.
In a recent interview with MTV, Lord and Miller discussed Wright’s departure and how they feel about the film’s prospects now that he’s gone.
Miller: “It seems like a tough person’s shoes to step into, you know what I mean? It’s tough to have that as the specter hanging over, what would have been, and what could have been. It seems kind of tough.”
As far as who they think could effectively shepherd the film?
Lord: [Laughing] “A logical choice would be Edgar Wright… To finish an Edgar Wright film. I mean, Joe Cornish, that would make a lot of sense. Or if they, like, decided to abandon ship and try again years from now it would make more sense.”
Miller: “We’re fans and buddies of Edgar, so, you know.”
Lord: “It would be like Spielberg making ‘A.I.’ It’s like, I don’t know what to do with it… This guy’s a genius, I feel strange.”
It’s a shame that Lord and Miller wouldn’t want to tackle the project, because their ingenuity and talent put them in a league of their own, especially when compared to the more comedy-centric directors Marvel is looking into. That being said, it’s probably better that they stay far away from this one.
Tell us, what do you think about what Lord and Miller had to say about Ant-Man? Do you think someone will be able to turn this mess around, or would you rather see Marvel abandon the film and work on something else entirely? Sound off in the comments below.