Ant Man and Thor: Updates on the Other Marvel Heroes
Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 11, 2008
There’s going to be a challenge in bringing two lesser-known heroes to the big screen, especially when people thought the gimmick jumped the shark with Daredevil (and then jumped the shark again with Ghost Rider).
But if Marvel is intent on completing projects for Ant Man and Thor, they’ve got two rising directing stars up for the task at hand.
Empire sat down for a chat with Edgar Wright, now an icon for bringing fan favorites Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead to life. He’s confirming that not only will he be going forward with an Ant Man adaptation, but that it’s his next project, and they’ve already gotten a draft written.
Wright said, “It’s going to be less overtly comedic than anything else I’ve ever done. It’s more of a full-on action adventure sci-fi film but with a comedic element – in the same spirit of a lot of escapist fare like that. It’s certainly not a superhero spoof or pastiche and it certainly isn’t a sort of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids endeavor at all.”
He’s also leaving fans to guess who he has in mind for the tiny superhero and pretty much every other detail of the production. He won’t even say which incarnation of Ant Man it will focus on. Wright was also mum on his next project with Simon Pegg – a possible third movie in the loosely tied world of Shaun and Hot Fuzz.
A project whose fate is a bit more uncertain is that of Marvel’s Viking God Thor. They’ve tapped Matthew Vaughn to guide the Norse star into the box office, but Vaughn told Empire that the movie is in a “holding pattern” – a euphemism that Empire writer Glen Ferris wisely points out may indicate development hell.
When asked about the difficulty of bringing such an outlandish character to the screen, Vaughn said, “I think you have to respect that it is comic book and be silly to be frank, so you have to combine that with a modern style and hopefully come up with something fresh. I think we can come up with something special.”
There is no doubt that these comic book icons have niche followings, but the challenge will be to bring them to life in a way that excites the average viewer enough to give up cash on opening day. That seems like a challenge for every film, but the hurdle seems a bit taller for movies like these. And who would have thought that Ant Man would work his way into the multiplex before Thor?
Both of these movies have a long way to go – and one might not even make it. However, Wright and Vaughn are reasons to keep optimistic about the future and viability of both heroes being successful. Both have a great sense of humor and the fantastical which is exactly what projects like this need.
Sound Off: Are you excited for Ant Man and Thor?
Read more articles by Dr. Cole Abaius
