Marvel has released the first full-length (and full-sized) trailer for Ant-Man, which premiered following the debut of Marvel’s ABC show, Agent Carter. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, an ex-con and thief, alongside Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man and Lang’s mentor.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man. Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
The trailer overplays the seriousness of the film as a set-up for Rudd’s comedic undercutting. Unfortunately the punch-line to the joke isn’t strong enough to offset the very melodramatic music. Ant-Man still looks good and I’ll watch Paul Rudd in anything, but the trailer was underwhelming. Luckily, filmmaker Patrick Willems has recut the trailer to show off the film’s lighter, fun elements. The changes kick in around the 1:17 mark.
Many fans will always wonder what Edgar Wright’s vision of Ant-Man would have been, but I trust Marvel knows what they’re doing in hiring Peyton Reed following Wright’s departure. Reed has a great comedy background, having worked on things like Mr. Show and The Upright Citizens Brigade sketch series. He also directed the original Bring It On (2000), which has grown into a cult classic and not only shows off his comedic chops, but a keen eye for incredible physicality.
Wright and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), who co-wrote the original script, still have a “story by” credit but the official “screenplay by” credit is going to Rudd and Adam McKay (Step Brothers, Anchorman). McKay was Marvel’s original choice to replace Wright as director, but was unable to due to scheduling conflicts. He did, however, work heavily with Rudd on the script. The fact that they received the official screenplay credit means they must have rewritten a significant amount, while still maintaining Wright’s story ideas. This is probably for the best, as it ensures a more coherent vision for the film rather than a botched attempt at an Edgar Wright movie not directed by Edgar Wright.
We’ll see how it all works out when Marvel’s Ant-Man hits theaters July 17, 2015.
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