Marvel gave us our first look at Phase 3 of its Cinematic Universe with this trailer for Ant-Man. The trailer introduces us to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a father looking for redemption who gets recruited to try out the Ant-Man suit, an outfit capable of shrinking a human down to the size of an ant. The trailer debuted during the two-hour premiere of ABC’s TV mini-series, Agent Carter. The series, starring Hayley Atwell in a reprisal of her role as Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger, may drop some hints of events to come in Ant-Man as Carter is expected to make an appearance in that film.
The trailer itself mostly contains buildup for the first use of the suit in action, with minimal explanation or clues about the plot beyond Scott’s redemption arc. We do, thankfully, get a nice shot of Scott riding an actual ant through the air. We also see Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, in charge of coaching and preparing Scott for his eventual transformation into a superhero. Given Pym’s age in this film, he could be the connection between Agent Carter and Ant-Man.
Edgar Wright’s departure from this film last summer threw the production into turmoil only year before its scheduled theatrical release. Peyton Reed (Yes Man, The Break-Up) has since taken over directing duties, with Adam McKay and Paul Rudd handling the script. Ant-Man will likely be another oddball for the MCU, as Wright had originally planned a more self-contained feature before the Avengers plot turned into a runaway phenomenon. Marvel is likely expecting another summer of box office dominance with Avengers: Age of Ultron, though if Ant-Man turns out to be the studio’s first serious misfire, it could leave a sour taste with audiences.
Ant-Man will reach theaters on July 17. Agent Carter will air Tuesday nights on ABC during Agents of Shield‘s mid-season hiatus.
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