Like any other cinephile, we’ve long deliberated the pros and cons of Ant-Man releasing in the shadow of Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. On one, human-sized hand we have the simple fact that, no matter how charming Peyton Reed’s feature turns out to be, it can’t possibly match the scope and budget of Marvel’s colossal sequel. But on the other, minuscule claw, there’s every chance that the studio’s latest standalone movie could use this lack of expectation to its advantage – the Guardians of the Galaxy factor, if you will.
With Paul Rudd in the title role as master thief Scott Lang, Ant-Man will chart the adventures of our protagonist who is offered a second chance by Hank Pym (played here by Michael Douglas). Pym will need his assistance, too, if he is to foil the malevolent plans of former protégé Darren Cross, who plans to utilize the physics-defying tech for military purposes and winds up engineering a suit of his own in Yellowjacket.
In the trailers we’ve glimpsed thus far, the encounters between Cross and Lang will play out in both planes of realities, whether it’s traditional fisticuffs or locking horns as two of the smallest characters we’ve glimpsed in cinema since Honey, I’ve Shrunk the Kids – middling sequels nothwithstanding.
With Evangeline Lilly, Judy Greer, John Slattery, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Wood Harris and Jordi Mollà in supporting roles, Ant-Man will make its debut in theaters come July 17. Only then will we know for sure if Marvel’s latest screen hero is up to snuff.
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
