And the long national nightmare that has been Marvel's search for an Ant-Man director is finally over. After Edgar Wright dropped out of the film he'd been attached to for eight years rather than deal with a ton of rewrites, every stone was overturned to find his replacement. Most recently it was Peyton Reed (Bring It On) who was said to be the latest frontrunner, and now the job is his.
Reed, whose latest film was the Jim Carrey/Zooey Deschanel comedy Yes Man, will take over on Ant-Man, but perhaps the biggest surprise is the announcement of Adam McKay (Anchorman) giving the script a rewrite. McKay had been Marvel's top choice as director but publicly took his name out of the running. It's worth noting that in Marvel's press release they don't mention Edgar Wright or co-writer Joe Cornish, a blatant statement of their intention to move in a completely different direction than Wright had intended.
Marvel's official statement on Reed's hire comes with a brand new synopsis, as well:
When Marvel’s “Ant-Man” hits theaters July 17, 2015, director Peyton Reed will help shepherd the hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a cast led by Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, with writer Adam McKay contributing to the film’s script.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), 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.
The problem Marvel faces now is fan enthusiasm, which isn't going to be replenished by hiring Reed, a director most aren't familiar with and isn't highly regarded.
