It’s been a full week since Marvel announced Edgar Wright‘s departure from “Ant-Man,” the big question still lingers: who is going to take over the movie? It’s just over thirteen months until the movie is scheduled to drop into theaters, and while fanboys have been hoping for names like the screenplay’s original co-writer Joe Cornish (no chance) and “Guardians Of The Galaxy” helmer James Gunn (who recently denied rumors he was getting the gig), a fresh crop of contenders has surfaced and they are not the names you might be expecting.
THR reports that Adam McKay, Ruben Fleischer and Rawson Thurber are among those meeting with Marvel about potentially directing “Ant-Man.” Let’s remember, whoever gets this job is really taking the ball and running with it (especially if Marvel is holding that summer 2015 release date), and he’ll basically need to put his head down, listen to instructions and crank it out. So let’s break these down a bit shall we?
From a comedic perspective, McKay seems like a good choice to capture the irreverent tone Wright and Cornish put on the page (even if now sanded down through rewrites) and he has shown he can handle big setpieces too (thanks to efforts like “The Other Guys“). That being said, McKay likes to improvise and keep things loose on set, and there may not be enough time here for his approach, with Marvel looking to put their heads down and get this done.
Thurber, who is coming off last summer’s sleeper hit “We’re The Millers” and is the man who brought “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” to the world, also has shown he can do funny. However, he doesn’t have the experience of big screen spectacles. And while Marvel usually provides an able, seasoned team around their newbie directors (see the Russo brothers and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier“), they may not have the luxury of time for that here.
Of the three, Fleischer makes the most sense. He’s done comedy and action together with ease (“Zombieland,” “30 Minutes Or Less“) and more crucially, he needs a comeback vehicle after the flop “Gangster Squad.” If any one of the three will focus and do what’s told of them, it’s Fleischer, and it could be the bounce back he needs after two straight misses.
And while we’re here, there are also rumors floating that Marvel executive Louis D’Esposito might get the job. He’s produced nearly all the Marvel movies and directed a One Shot, but even though he’s an in-house choice that could be safe, fans would probably be less than pleased with the selection coming after Wright (not that Marvel really needs fan approval).
Thoughts? Let us know below. “Ant-Man” is still slated to arrive on July 17, 2015.
