Evangeline Lilly says Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man wouldn’t have fit Marvel’s plan

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We are all still cautiously optimistic about ANT-MAN despite the departure of Edgar Wright and the lack of love shown for the character during Marvel’s big Phase Three reveal. Rumors of tension behind the scenes have existed since day one which both Wright and Kevin Feige have denied. We keep hearing the decision to split was amicable, but something still feels a bit off. We know that the Peyton Reed version will be dramatically different from the draft of the script by Joe Cornish and Wright, but what else is changed?

Actress Evangeline Lilly, next seen in THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, gave an interview to BuzzFeed in which she shared she almost didn’t sign up for the role in ANT-MAN once she learned Wright was no longer involved. She was afraid Marvel was bullying Wright into changing his film, but then she learned why the changes were being made and shared some of those details.

“I saw with my own eyes that Marvel had just pulled the script into their world. I mean, they’ve established a universe, and everyone has come to expect a certain aesthetic, a certain feel for Marvel films. And what Edgar was creating was much more in the Edgar Wright camp of films. They were very different. And I feel like, if [Marvel] had created Edgar’s incredible vision — which would have been, like, classic comic book — it would have been such a riot to film [and] it would have been so much fun to watch. [But] it wouldn’t have fit in the Marvel Universe. It would have stuck out like a sore thumb, no matter how good it was. It just would have taken you away from this cohesive universe they’re trying to create. And therefore it ruins the suspended disbelief that they’ve built.”

In the end, Marvel is running a business and that model is based off of a cohesive cinematic universe. Every film Marvel makes feeds into a bigger plan. ANT-MAN never seemed to be a part of that structure but Edgar Wright‘s vision appeared to won over Kevin Feige. To a point, they must have thought they could make it work before deciding they were not in the one off movie model. Like Lilly says, I am sure Wright’s film would have been amazing, but if it didn’t work we probably would have noticed it pretty clearly. James Gunn managed to give us something unique in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, but it fits in with the overall theme and tone of the MCU.

Here’s hoping all of these positive things people have been saying about ANT-MAN turn out to be true. We will know for sure when it hits screens on July 17, 2015.