After one of the more troubled and extended processes of any superhero movie not involving Nicolas Cage as Superman, “Ant-Man” hits theaters today. That means, as it probably should, that the Disney publicity machine is moving at highest gear, and it’s near impossible to escape the swathe of clips, interviews, and promos out there (though how much of an effect it’s having remains to be seen: the Thursday late-night screenings are strong, $6 million or so, but suggest that we’re heading for the lowest-grossing Marvel movie in four years unless things pick up).
In one of the cannier bits of marketing that Marvel have come up with this time around, they’ve unveiled a viral clip that sees Leslie Bibb reprise her role from "Iron Man," the very beginning of the MCU, as reporter Christine Everhart live-interviewing Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) from prison, filling in some of his Robin Hood-ish backstory (and hinting at links to the rest of the Marvel universe, and hinting in the crawl at where things are heading with “Civil War.” It’s not particularly funny, but fans will definitely enjoy it. [Live For Films]
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Not as much, we hope, as they’ll enjoy Rudd’s appearance on "Conan" last night. Long-time watchers of the show will know that every time Rudd appears with a new movie to promote, he ends up showing a clip from forgotten McDonalds-flogging “E.T.” rip-off “Mac & Me,” a joke that’s only gotten funnier over time. Does he follow through here, or are the Disney corporate overlords finally putting an end to it? You’ll have to watch the clip to find out. [EW]
Elsewhere, director Peyton Reed talked to ComicBookMovie.com, and clarified some of the differences between his version and the one Edgar Wright would have made, and, surprisingly, some of the Wright-iest elements seem to have come from later drafts, including *spoiler* Michael Peña’s narration and the venture into the ‘microverse.’ The latter, like the appearance of another Marvel character in the movie, is also one of the moments that crosses over with the Marvel universe as a whole, so it’s perhaps unsurprising. The director also indicates that the sequel might involve the hunt for classic Marvel character Janet Van Dyne, saying that it “would be fun to explore” that direction.
Finally, Reed also gave Collider a guide to where you might find some of the Easter Eggs in the movie, and additionally appeared on USA Today’s podcast, The Mothership, for an extensive interview. Take a listen below, and check out “Ant-Man” in theaters today.
