The internet has been abuzz this evening over Edgar Wright's decision to step down from directing the upcoming live action Ant-Man. Wright (most famous for directing Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End) cited "creative differences" as the inspiration for his departure. I'm a massive fan of his work and he has made nothing but a great impression on me throughout his numerous commentaries, interviews, and other press appearances. When I heard he would be at the helm of Ant-Man, I was absolutely stoked. As you might expect, I was not alone.
In fact, there were so many invested in the idea that the most common reaction I've seen to the "Wright drops Ant-Man" story has essentially amounted to "well, screw it then." On one hand, I understand the disappointment. I felt quite similarly when Darren Aronofsky decided to step down from The Wolverine, and many others were right there with me. Still, the high profile nature of that movie's subject matter meant its potential success remained secure. With Ant-Man, the same might not be true.
Despite his rich history within the pages of comics, Ant-Man doesn't have the notoriety that will make the masses clamor to see his live action solo adventure by name alone. Said name can actually inspire plenty of dismissal and snickering among the uninitiated. I've already seen my fair share of general "lol Ant-Man sounds lame" sentiment. I even recall Craig Ferguson making fun of the character on The Late Late Show when the movie was first announced. Despite the strong Marvel brand-name, Ant-Man might be the sort of movie that needs positive word of mouth as early and often as possible. Edgar Wright's departure is a major blow that is unfortunately bringing the exact opposite.
It's easy to assume that Ant-Man might be shaping up poorly if Wright lost interest in working on it. Regardless, I would love for the film to go on to succeed. Going back to The Wolverine, Aronofsky's departure didn't mean the film automatically went into untalented hands. The directorial duties shifted to James Mangold, a perfectly fine choice. Opinions vary wildly on how the movie actually turned out (I personally felt iffy about it), but it wasn't a total disaster. While Edgar Wright leaving Ant-Man is a major disappointment, at the very least, the movie could still fall into the hands of someone worth supporting.
Whatever is going on behind the scenes to have caused all of this can be worrying to think about, but hey, Ant-Man is still over a year away! Nothing good can come from deciding it's completely doomed already. I haven't seen anything to indicate that the Wright and Joe Cornish (director of the incredibly fun Attack the Block) screenplay will be dropped, so perhaps there's still some hope there. Whatever happens, I'm happy to live in a world where an Ant-Man movie is considered a viable release, and I'd much rather remain hopeful than immediately assuming it's just going to suck. Expectations can easily lead to disappointment, but would a little more cautious optimism really be that bad? At the very least, I say let's just wait and see.
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