Quantumania screenwriter describes handling Bill Murray on set

Nabbing Bill Murray for a major franchise is a good snag, and that’s exactly what Marvel got, as the actor appears in the studio’s latest, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as Lord Krylar. And it seems as if the filmmakers wanted to make the process of shooting Quantumania as easy as possible on Bill Murray.

According to Quantumania screenwriter Jeff Loveness, “It’s almost like a Bob Hope cameo in an old movie: Just give him four minutes of runway, let him do his thing, boost the elevation a little bit, and let him get out.” The reasonings for the apparent catering aren’t given, but it could go a couple different ways: one, the filmmakers are grateful to get such a legend to cameo in their movie and don’t want to press their good fortune; two, it’s probably best not to tempt the Murricane, considering the actor has been known to be difficult on set (for various unflattering reasons…).

Regardless of how much time he spent on set, Loveness said, “I think Murray pulled it off pretty great.” What Bill Murray didn’t exactly land was the secrecy surrounding his Marvel involvement, spilling the beans to a German magazine ahead of the official announcement. One can imagine how well that went at the studio…

Loveness also said that Bill Murray was not the first choice for the small but important Quantumania role of Krylar, a former love of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne. While Murray still feels a little unusual in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his short appearance does end up working, partly because the writing “kind of molded the voice to him.” On the other actors on the table, Loveness said, “​​Matt Berry was a choice, and I’m just a big Steve Martin fan, but I don’t think that ever got too far.”

Murray or not, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has some of the worst reviews in the MCU, in addition to a significant box office drop.

What did you think of Bill Murray’s role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? Did he seem like a good fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know in the comments section below!