UPDATE: Bill Murray made headlines the other day when he casually confirmed that he was in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania to a German newspaper called “Frankfurter Allgemeine” but when asked to confirm his comments while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor admitted that he could not confirm his very own comments. Jimmy Kimmel addressed Murray by saying “You did an interview with a German magazine and you spoke to the interviewer and you seemed to indicate that you just shot a Marvel movie and that maybe that Marvel movie was the new Ant-Man movie. And nobody knew that you were in the Ant-Man movie, and now it seems that you were in the Ant-Man movie. So, I guess my question is, if we want to tighten it up, are you in the Ant-Man movie?” Murray, who also seemed to be doing a bit on Jimmy Kimmel Live by bringing in translators for his interview, went on to say, “Well, I’m not supposed to say… They’re making a movie, OK? And it has Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man, and there’s Evangeline Lilly, plays the Wasp. And Michael Douglas, I forget what his name is in the movie, and Michelle Pfeiffer. They’re all in the movie. But I am not at liberty to talk about it.” I think that’s about as good as another confirmation as we’re going to get for now. You can check out the exchange on Jimmy Kimmel Live in the video below at about the 4:30 mark!
Unless this is a story that has gotten lost in translation (see what I did there?), then Bill Murray just casually confirmed he’s heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the project is likely Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.
During an interview with a reputable German newspaper called “Frankfurter Allgemeine”, and per “Deadline” and a healthy dose of Google Translate, Murray casually slipped and said, “You know, recently I made a Marvel movie.” This all was brought up because Murray was asked about working with directors on multiple occasions because he was promoting The French Dispatch, his ninth collaboration with director Wes Anderson. Murray began referring to the Marvel movie he recently finished to explain why he favors working with certain directors.
From there, the actor went on to discuss the Marvel project by saying, “I got to know the director and really liked him very much. He was funny, humble, everything you want from a director.” Murray further explained, “And with the cheerleader story Bring It On he made a movie years ago, which I think is damn good. So I agreed.”
The Bring It On disclosure seems to make it clear that he’s talking about director Peyton Reed, who helmed the cheerleader comedy and whose last three major projects have been Ant-Man, Ant-Man And The Wasp, and Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, which is set for release in 2023. Unless Reed is making some other secret Marvel project, it has to be this one.
While it appears that Murray is entering the MCU via Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, it appears it’s going to be a one-shot deal. Murray went on to say, “Now I’ve at least tried out what it’s like to shoot a Marvel movie but I don’t need that experience a second time.”
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to bring back Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lily’s Hope Van Dyne as the titular heroes while Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer are also confirmed to return as Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. The third film has recast Cassie Long with Kathryn Newton stepping into the role and Jonathan Majors will be the latest threat as Kang the Conqueror.
So is Bill Murray pulling our chain? Is this legit? “Deadline” reached out to Disney to comment on the story but did not hear back from the Mouse House. This was likely meant to be a big secret that is now out of the bag but can you really force Bill Murray to keep a secret like this? He seems to be someone who certainly says whatever is on his mind. You can read Murray’s full quote from the German publication below!
“You know, recently I made a Marvel movie. I probably won’t tell you, but never mind. In any case, some people were quite surprised why I decided on such a project. But for me the thing was quite clear: I got to know the director – and really liked him very much. He was funny, humble, everything you want from a director. And with the cheerleader story Bring It On he made a movie years ago which I think is damn good. So I agreed, although I’m not interested in these huge comic book adaptations as an actor otherwise…Let’s put it this way: the director is a good guy, and now I’ve at least tried out what it’s like to shoot a Marvel movie. But I don’t think I need that experience a second time. And to come back to your previous question: I have mostly had a pretty good knack for avoiding the nasties of this industry. Fortunately, most good artists are also good people. At least that’s how I experience it with my friends.”