Ant-Man's Evangeline Lilly talks about the shocking departure of Edgar Wright from the Marvel Studios film and its effect on her.
The most notable aspect about Marvel Studios’ upcoming Ant-Man film is currently how bumpy its road to the big screen has been. Considering that it was one of the first Marvel movies that the studio began pre-production on when they signed Edgar Wright to direct in 2007, it is undoubtedly strange that when it finally has its 2015 premiere that Wright will no longer be attached to a film that will only bear his name with a story credit.
This transition between Wright and Peyton Reed in the director’s chair has obviously had an effect on the cast as well, most of whom first joined the project in part due to Wright’s presence. Indeed, actress Evangeline Lily talked about just that to BuzzFeed when asked about Wright’s exit.
“I was shocked and mortified at first,” Lilly said upon first thinking back to his departure. “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.”
Lilly said that she refused to do fittings for the project or to sign on the dotted line until she saw the finished script that Marvel would turn in after Wright’s departure. And she explained her happiness with the end result.
Lilly says, “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.”
After which, Lilly said she met with Reed and never looked back.
It certainly is an intriguing insight into what Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man might have looked like and why the fissure happened in the first place. Perhaps it is also an example of a potential downside to blockbuster television as well. Whatever the case may be, fans still have a chance to see what the finished project will look like when Ant-Man buzzes into theaters on July 17, 2015.
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