‘Ant-man’ star Evangeline Lilly said she almost dropped out of the film after former director Edgar Wright left the project.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, [via Collider] Lilly explained what attracted her to the Marvel project in the first place, before the director stepped down.
“I thought Edgar’s idea to blend the [Hank and Scott] stories was brilliant. You’re going to have fans up there who insist that you tell the story of Hank Pym, and fans up there who will be more on the Scott Lang side of it. … I think we are going to come close to pleasing them all. And what’s cool is that, you know, Janet Van Dyne is my mom. Hank Pym is my father. I was raised by two superheroes. I’m no schlump. I’m a pretty smart, competent, capable, kick-ass female. She’s very cool.”
Lilly said she was shocked to learn Wright had left the project and considered dropping out herself.
“[I was] shocked. And mortified, at first. Actually, I wouldn’t say mortified. You know, a creative project is a moving target. You never end up where you start. But we all, I think, signed on very enthusiastically with Edgar. We were excited to work with Edgar. We were fans of Edgar. So when the split happened, I was in the fortunate position where I had not signed my contract yet. So I had the choice to walk away, and I almost did. Because I thought, ‘Well, if it’s because Marvel are big bullies, and they just want a puppet and not someone with a vision, I’m not interested in being in this movie.’ Which is what I was afraid of.”
She then went on to say what ultimately kept her on the project.
“I saw with my own eyes that Marvel had just pulled the script into their world. I mean, they’ve established a universe, and everyone has come to expect a certain aesthetic [and] a certain feel for Marvel films. And what Edgar was creating was much more in the Edgar Wright camp of films. They were very different.”
Collider also featured a small bit from actress Judy Greer about her role in the film.
“I’m Paul Rudd’s estranged ex-wife. We have a daughter together and our relationship is, well, estranged, but I feel like my character is still rooting for him to succeed. I guess that’s about as much as I can say. They gave us all these papers of things we’re allowed to say and things we’re not allowed to say, and I left them in Atlanta. Sorry! [Laughs]“
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Wright’s vision wouldn’t have worked in the current Marvel Universe. To be honest, I’m glad Marvel had the stones to move forward with what it wanted instead of sticking with Wright.
It’s about what’s best for the over all story and if Kevin Feige didn’t like the direction the movie was going in, I think he’s earned the right by now to step in and take appropriate actions to go with what he wants. Wright has been on the project since around 2006, which is before the first Iron Man film came out. A lot has happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since then, and there is a gigantic plan in place that only a few people know about. If that original idea didn’t fit with Marvel’s established brand and tone, then it needed to be tweaked. If Wright didn’t want to do that, then the project is probably better off.
I am excited to see that Janet Van Dyne, aka Wasp, will be appearing in the film and not just mentioned. It’s more than a given that Lilly’s character will inherit the Wasp mantle alongside Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang Antman, but it’s nice to see Hank Pym [Michael Douglas] and Janet in the film as well. It represents the best of both worlds in the Ant-man universe.
What do you think about the interview? Does Wright leaving the project give you pause or have you decided to move on and give this new direction a shot? What about the film are you most excited/ nervous to see? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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-Eric
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