The fanboys will have their torches out next year when Marvel finally unveils Ant-Man, mainly because of the departure of fan-favorite director, Edgar Wright. All of the platitudes in the world aren't going to convince people that Peyton Reed is a worthy replacement until they see it for themselves, and apparently some of the cast needed to be won over, too. While talking with Buzzfeed, Evangeline Lilly revealed that she was a big fan of what Wright had planned initially, and had to be convinced to stay when Reed came aboard...
Lilly: “We all, I think, signed on very enthusiastically with Edgar. We were excited to work with Edgar. We were fans of Edgar. So when the split happened, I was in the fortunate position where I had not signed my contract yet. So I had the choice to walk away, and I almost did. Because I thought, Well, if it’s because Marvel are big bullies, and they just want a puppet and not someone with a vision, I’m not interested in being in this movie. Which is what I was afraid of.’
“I finally got the script literally the day before I was supposed to go in for fittings…I saw with my own eyes that Marvel had just pulled the script into their world. I mean, they’ve established a universe, and everyone has come to expect a certain aesthetic [and] a certain feel for Marvel films. And what Edgar was creating was much more in the Edgar Wright camp of films. They were very different. And I feel like, if [Marvel] had created Edgar’s incredible vision — which would have been, like, classic comic book — it would have been such a riot to film [and] it would have been so much fun to watch. [But] it wouldn’t have fit in the Marvel Universe. It would have stuck out like a sore thumb, no matter how good it was. It just would have taken you away from this cohesive universe they’re trying to create. And therefore it ruins the suspended disbelief that they’ve built.”
Another reason she agreed to stay on, despite a nagging urge to quit acting altogether, was the presence of Paul Rudd...
Lilly: “Initially, I was like, no way. No way. And then they said, ‘Paul Rudd’s playing the lead.’ And I was like, ‘Oh sh*t. I love Paul Rudd. I really want to work with him!’ So I was like, ‘OK, well, send me the script. I’ll read it and I’ll consider it.’ And then I started watching Marvel [Studios] movies, which I hadn’t done before. … I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to movies — like, the popcorn-munching movies, I never go see them. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought, these are actually incredible — they’re making fantastic films.”
After a bit of confusion we finally learned around Comic-Con that Lilly would be playing Hope van Dyne, but we've been kept in the dark about her co-star Judy Greer's role. Today she revealed to HeyUGuys that she'll be playing Scott Lang's ex-wife, Peggy Rae, who in the comics he frequently fought for custody of their daughter...
Greer: “I’m Paul Rudd’s estranged ex-wife. We have a daughter together and our relationship is, well, estranged, but I feel like my character is still rooting for him to succeed. I guess that’s about as much as I can say.”
Ant-Man opens July 17th 2015.
