It’s only been a week since Edgar Wright departed Marvel’s Ant-Man, but already we’re starting to hear of who might take over for the British director. Rumors have pointed to Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn as well as Marvel Co-President Louis D’Esposito, but now we’re receiving news that’s a bit more official. According to THR, the three men that are being eyed for the job are Adam McKay, Ruben Fleischer and Rawson Thurber.
With a July 17th, 2015 release date still pencilled in, whoever takes the job is going to have to hit the ground running, as the studio is really running short on time if they hope to have the film ready on time for its summer 2015 release. Thankfully though, all three of the candidates here are more than capable and should be able to handle the pressure that will no doubt be placed on them.
McKay is best known for his Will Ferrell comedies (Anchorman, Step Brothers), but has shown that he knows his way around action setpieces as well with films like The Other Guys. Though his comedic style might be a bit too much for what Marvel is going for, I definitely think it would be interesting to see him try his hand at a property like Ant-Man.
Fleischer seems like the best choice, in my mind at least. He’s done comedy to great effect (Zombieland) and has also shown his action chops in films like 30 Minutes or Less and Gangster Squad. He’s also proven that he can mix the two genres seamlessly, which is something that would be needed for Ant-Man.
Thurber could be a solid pick, too, as he’s coming off last summer’s hit comedy We’re The Millers. He doesn’t have much experience in the way of action setpieces or anything of the sort, and has the least feature film credits under his belt of the three, but has definitely proven himself with his work so far.
Whoever Marvel goes with, they’re going to need to act fast. I imagine that it won’t be long now before we hear of a replacement as the clock really is ticking. When we find out who they’ve gone with, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Tell us, who do you want to see direct Ant-Man now that Edgar Wright is gone?