The full Ant-Man trailer has finally dropped and as a comic fan I’m not entirely sure what to think. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited. I just have a few reservations.
First off lets start with a little synopsis. The four main characters, that we know of, are Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Hank Pym recruits master thief Scott Lang to pull off a heist that will save the world.
Hank Pym is the original Ant-Man from the comics. He discovered the Pym Particles, created Ultron, and helped found the Avengers. While publicly he was a hero, he was not the nicest person privately. He was known to beat his wife, Janet Van Dyne the Wasp, and has been described as bipolar.
Scott Lang is the second Ant-Man. Starting out as an electronics expert, he wasn’t able to support his family and resulted to burglary. His desperation was based around his providing for his sick daughter. He decides to break into Hank Pym’s house where he steals the Ant-Man suit and breaks into Cross Technological Enterprises. Which is owned by Darren Cross.
Hope Van Dyne, who in the comics is Hope Pym, is the daughter of Hank and Janet. She actually becomes a villain when she views the current Avengers are disgracing the things her parents built. She also felt that she should be the one to carry the Ant-Man legacy.
That’s a brief comic history for you.
In the movies things are going to be a little different. First, the villain Yellow Jacket will be Darren Cross. In the comics, Yellow Jacket was an identity that Hank Pym assumed that isn’t considered his most heroic period. For the movie Darren Cross will be a former protégé of Hank who eventually acquires his company where he builds the Yellow Jacket suit.
In terms of the change of Hope’s last name, there are a few possibilities. If Marvel includes Hank’s darker tendencies, it could be her way of dissociating herself from her father. Some rumors point to her name changing due to blaming her father for her mother’s death. Speaking of…..
It has been confirmed that Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Howard Stark (John Slattery) will appear in a flashback for the film. What exactly entails is anybodies guess. It will involve Hank and Janet as heroes though. This makes me think that we will see Janet’s death in this flashback.
From the trailer, we see that Hank will be passing the mantle to Scott. Not only that but he has been evaluating him as well. I’m assuming that he is recruiting him to steal some tech or even his Pym Particle research from Darren. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Darren’s motivations are based in betrayal. Feeling betrayed by his mentor for whatever reason which sends him down a dark path.
It also seems that Hope will be taking a heroic role as well. We see many of her scenes training or generally sneaking around. These same scenes could also mean she could follow her more villainous roots. My guess, Hope will become a more anti-hero version of the Wasp. Someone who isn’t afraid to bend the rules. I think this would contemplate the character of Scott very well. After all, he doesn’t mind bending the rules but only for noble purposes.
There’s your brief run down on what to expect from the film. Now let me tell you why I have mixed feelings about the trailer. The trailer looks good. I think it will fit well after the blockbuster that will be Age of Ultron. Something low-key that gives us a fresh new hero with new dynamics.
However, it looks very serious. No problem with a serious superhero movie, but it doesn’t seem set up for that. With Paul Rudd as the leading man, you would expect them to show off more of his witty charm. That is what he is known for and we only get a slight glimpse of that from him. Not too mention with Peyton Reed (Yes Man) who has his roots in comedy. I was kind expecting some comedy.
I’m hoping that most of my hesitations come from watching the trailer with preconceived perceptions. I am glad to see that they are going to keep the family connections and heart with Scott Lang.
What also struck me was our glimpse of Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. He honestly struck me as more villainous than heroic. I hope this means we’ll see Hanks darker side. I think that would be an interesting concept. To include a veteran hero who has less than noble intentions. This is pure speculation fueled by hopes and dreams. Nonetheless, I think it would be a cool idea.
Beyond that only time will tell and I am excited to see how it all turns out.