Marvel's Ant-Man is one of the most unique and exciting films in the MCU. The film was released and instantly became a fan favorite despite a long and arduous production process that seemed to spell doom for the film.
Director Edgar Wright was attached to the project from its inception but a series of complications saw him eventually depart the film. Though it was finally finished, fans always speculated about how Ant-Man would have been with Wright at the helm, and it truly is one of the biggest "what if?" moments in the MCU.
Edgar Wright's Casting
Paul Rudd's portrayal of Ant-Man garnered a lot of praise for Marvel by stepping out of the box of a conventional comic book hero and casting a likable goofball in the role of Ant-Man. What is interesting to note, though, is that Paul Rudd was always Wright's choice for the part and he actively fought for Rudd despite the studio offering other choices. The other main roles including Hank Pym, and Hope Van Dyne had also been cast while Wright was attached to the project.
Existed Before The MCU
Long before the MCU was even an idea, Wright and his partner Joe Cornish began working on a treatment for an Ant-Man film for Artisan Entertainment in 2003. At the time, Artisan owned the film rights to several of Marvel's smaller properties and was attempting to exercise their option by hiring Wright and Cornish to develop a script. Amazingly, as the rights to the character changed hands, Wright remained attached to the project all the way up to the point that Ant-Man was returned to Marvel Studios.
Wright Did The Hard Work
Though fans may never know how different Wright's vision would have been, it is clear that his script provided the bulk of the film's story. Though his departure resulted in massive re-writes, the core of the story was provided by Wright and Cornish. The small details were reworked but the main plot revolving around the equipment heist, as well as the mentor relationship between Pym and Scott come directly from the original writers. The overall tone may have changed but there is no doubt that Wright's fingerprints were all over the final product of the film, even if he didn't direct it.
Wanted The Film To Stand Alone
One of the defining features of the MCU is the interconnectivity of the films and how they all tie into a larger narrative. Edgar Wright wanted something entirely different for Ant-Man however and intended for the film to stand alone. In an interview, Wright said "I like to make it standalone because I think the premise of it needs time. I want to put the crazy premise of it into a real world".
Wright was hoping to let the premise breathe so that the idea of Ant-Man's abilities could be fleshed out. Citing the original Iron Man film, Wright praised it for its simplicity and the way that it introduced the character to the world before throwing him into bigger stories.
Wright's Mid-Credits Sequence
Marvel Studios is notorious for their many post-credits and mid-credits scenes that serve a variety of purposes. Though Ant-Man's post-credits sequence was not devised by Wright, the mid-credits sequence actually was. The mid-credits scene establishes the Wasp character and shows her getting her new prototype suit. The intention was to always include that scene and it was designed to show Van Dyne's arc into becoming the Wasp. Whether or not Wright wanted the scene to go during the credits is unclear, but it certainly was from his script.
Luis' Montage
Michael Peña's performance as Luis was one of the funniest characters in the MCU and the montage of him rattling off advice is absolutely hilarious. Edgar Wright is known for his many humorous films and he has often employed montages for comedic effect. Surprisingly though, Luis' montage was not part of Wright's original script and was actually devised as part of the re-writing process after Wright departed. It is impossible to know whether the film would have been more or less funny with Wright at the helm, but the inclusion of the montage was a great addition to the film.
No Fight With Falcon
The scene where a newly minted Ant-Man accidentally runs across a fight with an Avenger is a polarizing moment in the MCU. Some appreciated the inclusion of familiar characters while others saw it as blatant fan service. What is known about the film though is that the scene was not part of Edgar Wright's version of the film.
Though it was devised as a heist film from the start, Wright never intended for any characters from The Avengers to appear. Because of the desire to keep the film self-contained, no fight with The Falcon was ever planned.
Hope Van Dyne Downplayed
Though Evangeline Lilly's character was part of the story from the outset, her role changed after Wright departed. The intention was to always set her up as The Wasp, but she was much less of a presence in Wright's version of the film. Once the film went into re-writes after Wright departed, Evangeline Lilly stated in an interview that "I got a chance to sort of say, 'Hey, why don't you beef up my character and give her a really full arc?".
This question changed the direction that the film went in and clearly gave her much more to do in the film. Though the full extent of Wright's version of her character is unknown, she was not as much of a presence in the original draft.
No Quantum Realm
One of the most exciting and visually striking moments of the film was when Ant-Man is trapped in the Quantum Realm. The new location gave the filmmakers the opportunity to add to an already visually rich film and explore a fascinating new world. Shockingly, Edgar Wright's version of the film did not contain the Quantum Realm at all. Edgar Wright joined the project because he was a fan of the Ant-Man comics, which makes it doubly interesting that the Quantum Realm was not considered for his draft of the story.
The Marvel Re-Write
Edgar Wright has made a career as a director by writing his films as well as sitting in the big chair. Though he had stuck to the Ant-Man project through all the years of changes, there was a final straw that pushed him away from the project for good. Late in the game, Marvel Studios presented Wright with an entirely re-written draft that he had nothing to do with. This move behind his back was what caused him to depart from the film because he felt he was simply becoming a director-for-hire.
In an interview, Wright lays out his grievances with the Marvel process when he said "I wanted to make a Marvel movie but I don't think they really wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie". The split was unfortunately permanent and they were not able to reconcile their difference.