This one really hurt. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright has long expressed his desire to direct a film based on third-tier Marvel superhero Ant-Man. Wright and his writing partner Joe Cornish were hired by Marvel to work on the film in 2006 and spent eight years developing it, even shooting test footage that was extremely well-received by fans. However, this was before Marvel was attempting to create an all-encompassing movie universe. Originally, Wright's Ant-Man wasn't even supposed to be connected to the Avengers series. Wright cast the film, including hiring popular comedy actor Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. Naturally, with the huge success of the MCU Marvel Studios wanted to include the film in its multibillion dollar franchise, and it appears that led to Wright's exit due to "differences in their vision of the film." Fans were heartbroken, and even Whedon tweeted his support of Wright. Longtime Rudd collaborator Adam McKay was then asked to direct, and though he and Rudd did a rewrite of the script McKay also passed on directing. Peyton Reed, who hadn't directed a feature since 2008's Yes Man, was taped to direct just two months before filming started. Wright and Cornish still received writing and "story by" credit and Wright was also credited as executive producer, but the Ant-Man that Marvel released is far different than the movie Wright spent a decade trying to make. Do you side with Marvel Studios or the directors in these creative disputes? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Chris McKittrick is a published author of fiction and non-fiction and has spoken about film and comic books at conferences across the United States. In addition to his work at WhatCulture!, he is a regular contributor to CreativeScreenwriting.com, MovieBuzzers.com, and DailyActor.com, a website focused on acting in all media. For more information, visit his website at http://www.chrismckit.com.
