While ever hopeful geeks crossed their fingers that "Ant-Man" could be shot in time for a 2014 release, possibly with lensing to begin once "Thor 2" wrapped, that won't be the case. But the good news is that the film does have a release date, so let three years of speculation begin.
The comic studio has slated Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man" for November 6, 2015. And that's it. But of course, there are all kinds of questions. First and foremost is if Ant-Man will appear in any Marvel properties beforehand. With "S.H.I.E.L.D." gearing up on the small screen, it could be a good place to launch the character. Though if a name actor takes the role, you don't want to waste their contract on TV apperances. But with nano-technology driving the plot of "Iron Man 3," it seems some kind of base is being laid down to introduce Henry Pym. And with "The Avengers 2" arriving six months earlier in 2015, one wonders if Ant-Man will pop his head in there to help market the next Marvel entry.
So is "Ant-Man" the launch of Marvel Phase Three or the continuation of Phase Two? With Joss Whedon on the Marvel staff through June 2015, you can bet he'll have his hands involved with "Ant-Man." Much more to come and ruminate open over the next 36 months. Hooray. So when are we gonna see that test footage? By the way, if it's not already a no-brainer (and it should be), Disney also announced that "Thor: The Dark World" and "Iron Man 3" will be available in 3D when they are released next year.