Ant-Man

[Jakew]

This has the potential to be excellent, as long as they make Hank Pym kind of jerk, and give him the Scott Lang costume:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Edgar-Wright-Talks-About-Ant-Man-8110.html

[BentonGrey]

Yeah, that's just what I want to see, a hero who is a jerk.  I am actually pretty excited about this, and I hope they do it justice.  No matter what, I hope treat poor Hank better than Marvel does.

[Jakew]

If they played him as a straight-up noble superhero who can shrink, that would be boring as hell. A superhero with a bit of a dodgy attitude, whose only power is he can get small and talk to ants, could be hilarious.

Hank's had personal issues in the comics for years, so I don't see what the big deal is about having him the same way on film (minus the wife beating and suicidal tendencies).

[Previsionary]

Personality only plays so much in how boring or exciting a story is. The hero's personality determines how a person connects to the hero and whether or not they'll root for him. Ultimately, it depends on the type of story being told. I don't think a jerky hero can work in a action/serious film, but that's just my opinion. It really also depends on who is the leading man in this proposed film.

[BentonGrey]

Personality only plays so much in how boring or exciting a story is. The hero's personality determines how a person connects to the hero and whether or not they'll root for him. Ultimately, it depends on the type of story being told. I don't think a jerky hero can work in a action/serious film, but that's just my opinion. It really also depends on who is the leading man in this proposed film.

Thank you Prev.  Yeah, the reason I don't read stories past the 70's with Ant-Man is because......oh wait, that's right, he's a total jerk who beat his wife.  Yeah, let's take THAT for the Ultimate and "edgy" version, because that's what people want to see, a superhero wife beater!  I have no problem with Hank being played in an interesting way, maybe in the classic version as a man too invested in science and not enough in emotion (or his girlfriend, for that matter), especially if the arc of the story would bring about some good resolution for that.  However, Prev. has hit the nail on the head, a jerk of a hero isn't going to do much for an audience.

[Jakew]

Robert Downey Jnr is playing a playboy weapons dealer in Iron Man. The Watchmen film has superheroes with their own psychological hangups. The characters in these two films aren't classic good guys yet people seem to be excitedly anticipating these films. Personally, I think there is room for films about morally ambivalent superhero characters, as well as classic good-guys.

Benton, as I mentioned in my posts, I wouldn't mind seeing Ant-Man as "kind of a jerk" with "a dodgy attitude", "minus the wife beating and suicidal tendencies".

Nobody has suggested "people want to see a superhero wife beater".

[Previsionary]

Most of the people anticipating Iron man actually know his background as well and probably have been introduced to him at least 4 different times just in the 90s/00s alone (Iron-man toon, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Avengers 2, games, etc.) and his personality actually fits the story being told for him. He's not a serious type of character and his storylines range from serious to mystic to jerky (taking into account civil war). During Civil War, not many people were actually behind him then and he lost a few of his likable characteristics and most people began to classify him as a jerk/villain.

*note: you didn't comment on any of their personalities...just their roles and we don't know how those films will fare yet. That's the risk factor. :P*

Anyway, point being, it depends on the story being told and which Ant man is leading said story and how said ant man fits into the story. I can't really see Henry Pym doing many things of the jerky/comedic nature (see some old Iceman), but I can see it with the latest Antman fine. I don't know about Scott since I didn't read many stories with him in it. Though, they could always combine elements of each Antman. Also, I really doubt anyone would touch on the domestic abuse Pym unless they wanted to villify him. Though, his costumes in general is already comedic in nature...so they don't have to push so far.

[detourne_me]

let's keep in mind that hank pym has always been pretty nutso since the 1960's.   The Yellowjacket persona?   F'in bonkers.  he showed up to steal his girlfriend away from himself...  in kind of a way to interact more emotionally than scientifically i guess. i don't really understand.
also in 616 continuity, he slapped janet one time (after, y'know being reverted to caveman state, brought back, brainwashed by ultron etc.). and it hasn't really been too much of an issue until the ultimates when he sicked a whole ant army on her.

if anything hank pym is one of the most tragic marvel geniuses,  he's been put through a lot more crud than bruce banner or reed richards.

[UnkoMan]

Okay, so everybody remembers that ONE TIME he hit his wife... after a ton of dren happened... and he was brainwashed...

Remember that time that non brainwashed Peter Parker hit Mary Jane across the damn room? Okay, so it was an accident. He felt bad. Sure. So did Hank. I'm not saying that he was perfect, but he's not just some guy who beats women (unless it's the ultimate universe). Besides, she was obviously cheating on him, or at least wanting to, since day one. Also, she wasn't pregnant at the time. And he doesn't have super strength.

Anyhow... I actually would have liked to see Ant-Man done as a trilogy of seperate movies. The first, a more sci-fi "Incredible Shrinking Man" type story. This is Hank Pym's moment to shine. He starts as a brilliant scientist and his life sort of falls apart. Of course, in this one he finally figures it out. But not before ruining his life. Terrible depressing really. The second, a comedy about a theif who steals the Ant-Man suit. A combo character of Lang and O'Grady. Laughs. The third, a jimmies to the wall action. Yeah, you can do that with a guy who just shrinks. And this one would have both guys. Double Ant-Men. A bit of comedy, a bit of serious, a bit of kick arse.

That could TOTALLY work. C'mon. Heck, you could even make Hank Yellowjacket in the last one. Whatever.

[Verfall]

Here are my thoughts.

Terrible idea for a movie.

Seriously.

The majority of Marvel movies, hell comic movies in general, have been about either really popular characters, or characters with a background and/or name that isn't instantly ridiculed by the general public. Everyone knows Spidey and Bats and Supes and the Hulk. Daredevil could have been good if they went a more Frank Miller route. Elektra was about a chick ninja, that can sell itself to any audience if the lead actress is attractive enough. Basically, if the character wasn't a big name, it had to be a really good movie and sell itself well enough to be successful.

The first Blade was a perfect example. Practically a no-name character turned into a good movie with the right marketing scheme. Sure it fell apart by the third movie, but it should have been obvious it wouldn't have the staying power a character with a richer history like Spidey would have. And even the quality of the X-Men and Spidey franchises basically peaked at the 2nd movie.

Ant-Man just isn't a big enough name to sell the general public on itself. The script could be brilliant, but the majority of the viewing public is going to hear "ant-man" and laugh their collective posteriors off. At least Blade and Daredevil didn't sound as cliche as the majority of "Something-Man" characters.

Now if they ran with a duo picture, tossing in the Wasp played by an actress the general "horny but not comic geeks" public can get behind and play up a humor or off the wall style akin to what the Fantastic Four movies failed to achieve, I can see it working. Though personally I'd think Giant-Man would work better. Basically borrow the Ultimates origins, add in the 616 persona's, weed out the domestic stuff, through in some tech talk, science geekery and some humor, and I can see it clearing its budget. Make sure to get that "nerdy but hot" look down for Hank, maybe grab someone the ladies are interested in presently. Get the right actor and that first "grow to 60 feet scene" involving the typical "loss of of clothing" should bring in the female crowd if used in enough commercials. Ditto Wasp and her first shrinkage. I'm fairly sure a large portion of the money Fantastic Four made was based solely on Jessica Alba. Cast someone in her calibre as the Wasp and you're golden.

And on top of it all, have Bruce Banner show up, maybe Tony Stark, or anyone else that can connect them to the "Marvel Movie Universe" and you've got an Avengers movie already half cast. Just crank out a Cap and Thor flick, toss in some Ultron, and you've got the first team comic movie outside of the Angst-Men that might make a few hundred million.

[Previsionary]

I believe the plan is to do individual movies before they do the teamup movies. I think the Hulk/Tony thing is just the start of it and a Thor movie is in the works.

[bat1987]

I never liked Pym as a character, I mean Ant-man, Giant man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, too much alter egos if u ask me. Marvel didn`t know what to do with the character so they turned him into a wife-beater...That`s no hero in my book.

I really couldn`t care less for the movie.

[Protomorph]

I have recently reread Hank's earliest issues, and it could totally work for a movie. At first, he only had the shrinking (and unshrinking) serum (it wasn't Pym Particles yet), and after almost getting himself perished by ants, he developed his communication helmet (several issues later) and used his abilities to thwart some crooks.

With the right script, it could easily be an action thriller on par with any monster movie. Ants, spiders, cockroaches, and centipedes, OH MY!!!
It's not even needed to make him a major heel and show an abusive side to him. A Science guy absorbed in his work is fine. Give him a Reed Richards cameo, to tie the films together.

Throw in some Janet in designer clothing and you got a great basis for the character before sticking both of them in the Avengers Movie with Iron Man, Thor and Hulk. Cap wasn't with them in the very beginning, and he's not needed in the film either.

[bredon7777]

I'm a little more sanguine since I found out Edgar Wright was involved. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the dead are excellent.

[HumanTon]

I am oddly optimistic about this. First off, Ant-Man works far better on his own than he does working with a zillion other heroes in the Avengers. On his own, he's a super-stealthy secret agent, able to sneak into places no one else can and appear where no one suspects, with an army of inconspicous spies at his disposal. Plus there's room for all sorts of great sequences where we see the world from his tiny perspective.

Put in him with a bunch of other heroes, though, and the concept of stealth goes out the window. Why sneak anywhere when Iron Man can just blow the side off of the building? (I'm convinced this is why tiny heroes get no respect: writers like them and try to get them more face time by putting them onto teams ... but then they are invevitably overshadowed because their powers don't fit in with the team.)

More importantly, I think Edgar Wright's involvement is a good sign. Even though he's known for comedy he knows how to make you care about the characters. Anyone who can make a zombie relationship movie work should have no problem with a movie about a guy who talks to ants.