Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man has been moving along at an exciting pace.  The film has found its two leads in Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, and now the superhero adaptation Ant-Man has been moved up to July 17, 2015.  The date was recently vacated by the Warner Brothers, DC Productions film Batman vs. Superman, which has been pushed back to May 6, 2016.

This feels like good news for Ant-Man.  The film was originally slated for a November 6, 2015 release before being bumped up to July 31, presumably to challenge the staying power of Batman vs. Superman. The new date puts the film in a more premium slot and leaves it poised to soak up all the business that may have slipped into DC’s Bat Cave.  It’s main rival will now be Pan, which is set to release on the same date.

Ant-Man is an interesting Marvel property.  The choice to have Paul Rudd lead the film highlights how untraditional the hero is.  The actor has shown both dramatic and comedic chops lately, and Edgar Wright has failed to produce a bad film yet, although none of his films have wowed at the box office.  We have over a year to speculate on whether Marvel’s bet on Ant-Man will pay off.  The cast and crew certainly seem appropriate for the material, but will audiences connect with it on a blockbuster level?  Judging by the prime summer release, Marvel seems to think so.