Edgar Wright Leaves "Ant-Man" Film Due to Creative Differences

[Darrell D.]

Well between this and DOFP being so well received, the MCU is facing its first real challenge.

Except they are coming off of Cap2, which was well received critically and financially.

With this news, I have to ponder if Paul Rudd is enough to make me want to see a movie about Ant-Man. I....just don't know.

[Austin316]

It's possible that Wright didn't want the movie to be that integrated into the MCU and wanted more of a standalone thing.
He's a very indie director with his own unique vision.

I could totally see that being the case.

While I completely see that possibility in terms of Wright as a director, I can't believe the "minor" (bit of sarcasm there) issue of an integrated universe wouldn't have cropped up in the 8 years that he's been attached to the project.

[Carabas]

I don't get what the big deal is. This is hardly the first time that Marvel has had creative differences with its directors and lost one of them.

[kalorama]

While I completely see that possibility I can't believe that minor issue of an integrated universe wouldn't have cropped up in the 8 years that he's been attached to the project.

Whose to say it didn't? Just because now was when the conflict reached a tipping point doesn't mean that now is when the conflict first arose. It could well be that one of the reasons why the project has gestated for so long was because the two sides were trying to work out their differences and it just took this long for them to reach the conclusion that their differences were irreconcilable. The time between when a couple realizes they don't want to be married anymore and the point where the divorce becomes final is usually several years long.

And having to reconcile what was developed as a standalone story to fit into an integrated narrative framework featuring a half dozen highly-successful films is likely not a "minor issue" if you're the one tasked with tying all those threads together.

[Kalen O.]

While I completely see that possibility I can't believe that minor issue of an integrated universe wouldn't have cropped up in the 8 years that he's been attached to the project.

Its hardly a minor issue when the whole point of an integrated universe is that it connects each film together at multiple levels. And of course its likely to have been an issue all along, but the variable to consider against the eight years Wright's been working on the project is the Marvel U's rate of growth. Its one thing to be abstractly aware of plans for an integrated universe, while not necessarily anticipating how fast it would grow or how thorough that integration would be. Especially worth considering is the fact that this has not been Wright's only project for eight years, or even his focus, and so he might not have kept thorough tabs on everything else that Marvel was doing. So when the time came for him to make this movie his total focus, he's playing catch up with the rest of the Marvel U and perhaps trying to muddle through, but increasingly becoming convinced this is not what he signed up for, culminating in him ultimately parting ways with them.

[Austin316]

I don't get what the big deal is. This is hardly the first time that Marvel has had creative differences with its directors and lost one of them.

Well, 1) No one as popular as Wright among the core audience 2) Not during production 3) Not someone who's been attached to the project for 8 years.

[Batmankoff]

It's possible that Wright didn't want the movie to be that integrated into the MCU and wanted more of a standalone thing.
He's a very indie director with his own unique vision.

I could totally see that being the case.

This explanation makes sense, but the timing of this news seems really weird to me. They've got to be extremely close to shooting by now. Wright and Cornish have probably reworked the script to Marvel's liking several times by now and I'm sure the heads of Marvel Studios have had input on every step of the production so far. If Wright didn't want to do the whole shared universe thing, I think he would have left the project a long time ago.

I'm guessing it had something to do with the production schedule. Maybe Wright felt rushed. Matthew Vaughn left X-Men: The Last Stand shortly after it started shooting because he felt there was no way he could make the movie to his satisfaction in the time Fox gave him.

[Austin316]

Its hardly a minor issue when the whole point of an integrated universe is that it connects each film together at multiple levels. And of course its likely to have been an issue all along, but the variable to consider against the eight years Wright's been working on the project is the Marvel U's rate of growth. Its one thing to be abstractly aware of plans for an integrated universe, while not necessarily anticipating how fast it would grow or how thorough that integration would be. Especially worth considering is the fact that this has not been Wright's only project for eight years, or even his focus, and so he might not have kept thorough tabs on everything else that Marvel was doing. So when the time came for him to make this movie his total focus, he's playing catch up with the rest of the Marvel U and perhaps trying to muddle through, but increasingly becoming convinced this is not what he signed up for, culminating in him ultimately parting ways with them.

Sorry, I meant minor sarcastically, as in, it's a major issue and always was and so it wouldn't be something to crop up so close to shooting. I did edit my post, obv not quickly enough.

[xMatt]

I don't get what the big deal is. This is hardly the first time that Marvel has had creative differences with its directors and lost one of them.

But this is a film that

a) Doesn't already have a successful film(s) behind it (like Iron Man and Thor)
b) This particular director, who has strongly supported the project, has been working on for years
c) Isn't very far away from starting production

[Alvarez]

This explanation makes sense, but the timing of this news seems really weird to me. They've got to be extremely close to shooting by now. Wright and Cornish have probably reworked the script to Marvel's liking several times by now and I'm sure the heads of Marvel Studios have had input on every step of the production so far. If Wright didn't want to do the whole shared universe thing, I think he would have left the project a long time ago.

I'm guessing it had something to do with the production schedule. Maybe Wright felt rushed. Matthew Vaughn left X-Men: The Last Stand shortly after it started shooting because he felt there was no way he could make the movie to his satisfaction in the time Fox gave him.

That makes a lot of sense.
It also could have been one of those last minute things where he realized that he just didn't wanna do it.

Who knows for sure though, everything is speculation at this point.

[Supernature]

So he basically got fired for wanting to make his movie unique, and not in the exact same vibe as all the other generic Marvel movies ?

He did the right thing if you ask me. In case a movie tanks either commercially or critically, the first person to get blamed is the director. I wouldn't want to see my resume tarnished by something that isn't even my vision either.

[Alvarez]

So he basically got fired for wanting to make his movie unique, and not in the exact same vibe as all the other generic Marvel movies ?

He did the right thing if you ask me. In case a movie tanks either commercially or critically, the first person to get blamed is the director. I wouldn't want to see my resume tarnished by something that isn't even my vision either.

You do realize that everything that's being said in this thread is purely speculation and not the cold hard facts? Right?
No one knows exactly why he left yet... so don't jump the gun.

[Austin316]

You do realize that everything that's being said in this thread is purely speculation and not the cold hard facts? Right?
No one knows exactly why he left yet... so don't jump the gun.

Yeah, it's easy to blame the "big evil corporation" but it could have just as easily been Edgar Wright's fault. Or it could have been no ones fault and simply a difference of opinion, which, as anyone in the creative industry knows, is par for the course.

[Supernature]

You do realize that everything that's being said in this thread is purely speculation and not the cold hard facts? Right?
No one knows exactly why he left yet... so don't jump the gun.

My comment was speculation as well

But honestly, when someone leaves a project after having worked on it for nearly a decade over "creative differences", it doesn't sound like it was his fault to me.

[JKtheMac]

Hmm. Apart from huge dissapointment I cant help thinking the previous precedence of Thor 2 is a bad omen. Although that film did OK financially it is just a mess of a film it has no real final act, a totally forgettable antagonist (which is crazy considering the comic character and the talents of Christopher Eccleston) and a plot that needs explaining to almost eveyone I know that has watched it.

If that happens to a property like Ant-Man, who lets face it is relatively unkown to non-readers, this film will sink like a stone. They should just pull the plug now and forget the whole thing.