On Friday, July 17, Marvel’s Ant-Man will hopefully answer the question that has been bugging casual moviegoers since the film was announced. Namely, “Why the heck does Ant-Man deserve his own movie?”
Marvel Studios obviously has their reasons. It may because the script for Ant-Man is reportedly very, very good. They may also be laying the groundwork for new and exciting realms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the revelations of earlier superheroes like Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), or getting ready to introduce a new crop of heroes with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) at the forefront.
Or maybe Marvel Studios just took a look at the impressive legacy of interesting Ant-Man stories and decided he was worthy. Fans of the comics are no doubt aware of the hero’s somewhat shady history – which includes some really ugly moments of spousal abuse – but they are probably hoping that Ant-Man will focus on the more positive moments from the comics. We are too, so here are our picks for The Nine Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Giant-Man
Although “Pym Particles” originally only allowed Hank Pym to shrink to the size of an ant, he soon realized that they could also make him grow to the size of a skyscraper. Hank Pym spent most of his superhero career in the comic books alternating between superhero identities that reflected his choice of stature – including Ant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket and Giant Man – and although the trailers so far only focused on Scott Lang’s ability to shrink, there’s no reason to suspect he won’t be able grow as well. It could make for an awesome climax, completely changing the scale of the movie as two giants duke it out in the middle of a metropolis, or it could be something Marvel Studios saves for a sequel, or a future Avengers film.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Scott Lang, Stark Industries Employee
Before he became a superhero, the comic book version of Scott Lang worked for Stark Industries. Despite his felonious past, he even designed the security system that defended the Avengers Mansion. While the movie version of Scott Lang doesn’t appear to be a technical genius, we do already know that he will take part in Captain America: Civil War, which means establishing a connection between Lang and Tony Stark in the Ant-Man movie – even if it’s just a passing reference – could be in the cards, and hold great promise for things to come.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Irresponsibility
Although Eric O’Grady, a.k.a. “The Irresponsible Ant-Man,” doesn’t seem to be making an appearance in Peyton Reed’s film, his mischievous spirit could be an excellent addition to the film’s more humorous moments. The third Ant-Man used his abilities for selfish ends, like watching female superheroes in the shower, and although we wouldn’t want Scott Lang to get so danged irresponsible that we lose all respect for him we sure would like to see him actually have fun with his powers before this ex-con officially goes legit.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Cassie Lang, Stature
In the comics, Cassie Lang was the teenaged daughter of the second Ant-Man, and took over the family business after his (temporary) death. As the superhero Stature, she took to great heights to fight supervillains alongside her fellow Young Avengers. In the Ant-Man movie she’s played by Abby Ryder Fortson, a very young actress who really shouldn’t get thrown into the fray anytime soon, but she could get a taste of what it’s like to have superpowers from her old man. Perhaps a shrinking field trip to the inside of an ant colony for the film’s happy ending is in order, showing how Scott Lang uses his superpowers to finally reconnect with the child he almost lost as a result of his criminal past.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Ant-Man Team-Up
Although both Hank Pym and Scott Lang were usually working as superheroes at the same time, they rarely worked together in the comics until the Ant-Man & The Wasp mini-series. That series found them traveling to alternate futures and inside the “Mindscape,” which is probably a little too crazy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (for now), but there will be two Ant-Men on screen at the same time. Sure, Michael Douglas’s version of Hank Pym says he’s retired, but he could have plenty of excuses to suit up one last time, and work together with Scott Lang to take down Yellowjacket once and for all.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Scientist Supreme
Who is the greatest scientist in the Marvel Universe? Some might argue it’s Reed Richards, others might say Tony Stark, and Victor Von Doom would no doubt nominate himself, but officially – as in, a freaking god declared it. Hank Pym was given the title of “Scientist Supreme” by none other than Eternity himself (who is, essentially, the whole universe), and while it had a little more to do with the kind of scientist he was than his actual scientific knowhow – which is still undeniably impressive – it does raise the bar for the sort of inventor Hank Pym should be depicted as in Ant-Man. Will he show up Tony Stark with his feats of wonder, and earn the title in the MCU as well? Considering he was able to make people freaking shrink, it seems pretty likely.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Avengers Academy
Ant-Man will be Marvel Studios’ first “legacy” superhero – a hero who passes their mantle on to another – as Hank Pym enlists and trains Scott Lang to become the best Ant-Man he can be. But could he become a mentor to other young heroes as well? It happened in the comics, when Pym founded “Avengers Academy” to help inexperienced superheroes become worthy of joining Earth’s mightiest heroes. With the youngest Spider-Man yet about to join the MCU, he and a whole new generation of heroes might be in need of a mentor, and Pym could start laying the foundation as early as this summer.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: Janet Van Dyne, Costume Designer
By now we’ve all heard the rumors that Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a. The Wasp, will make some sort of appearance in Ant-Man. As well she should, since she’s an accomplished superhero in her own right. But one of the most unusual things about Janet Van Dyne in the comics was her keen fashion sense. As a professional clothing designer, she created a veritable plethora of distinct costumes for herself and her teammates. While we certainly hope we shall also see Janet Van Dyne kick ass and take names, we also hope that this distinctive aspect of her character gets referenced as well, with multiple looks and maybe a few costumes left over for her daughter, played by Evangeline Lilly, whom we hope will take over the mantle of The Wasp by the end of the film.
The Most Anticipated Ant-Man Scenes: The Microverse
If you shrink down too far in the Marvel Comics universe, you wind up in an alternate reality called “The Microverse.” (Yeah, it’s weird, but comics are really weird sometimes.) The Microverse is inhabited by a whole lot of colorful characters, including Bug, who eventually joined The Guardians of the Galaxy after a tour of duty in the unusual superhero team The Micronauts. While we suspect that a trip to the Microverse isn’t in the cards for the first Ant-Man movie, the existence of this alternate reality could be alluded to, and even hinted as the whereabouts of the mysteriously missing Janet Van Dyne.
