Ant-Man and The Wasp director Peyton Reed is well aware of the expectations and dangers that go into sequels, and kept these in mind during production of the follow-up to Ant-Man. In a chat with Marvel Entertainment, Reed explained how he made sure that doubling up on the action and humor did not blot out the emotional content in the story.
Ant-Man and The Wasp is the sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man, which Reed also directed, from a screenplay and story that began partially with Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs The World) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), among others. Ant-Man was a considerable success, grossing more than $500 million at the box office, and Paul Rudd’s humorous turn as Scott Lang / Ant-Man added some additional levity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All eyes are on how Reed follows up his big blockbuster, and now he’s explained his process.
In an interview with Marvel Entertainment at the press premiere of the new film, Peyton Reed spoke about his approach to bringing back the characters in Ant-Man and The Wasp. Paul Rudd returns to star alongside Evangeline Lilly in the follow-up, which heads to theaters next month and sees the director delivering his first career sequel.
Reed went on to relate some of discussions he had with Rudd, considering that the first film saw an actor most known for comedies and dramedies playing the part of an action hero for the first time:
Well it’s interesting because, you know, I just approached it from…we’re all moviegoers, and we know what we like and don’t like in sequels. So, really, it was just like, let’s try and make it funnier, let’s try and make it more nuts and, you know, kinda keep the things that hopefully people liked about the first movie. Like the, you know, the father/daughter stories, and the emotion and stuff, so. That’s really how we approached it.
Considering the plenitude of excitement and support that arrives alongside Ant-Man and The Wasp’s release, the care that’s been put into the production of the sequel seems apparent. Additionally, the film is the first to follow the considerably dour events in the finale of Avengers: Infinity War, a matter which prompted producer Kevin Feige to describe the Ant-Man sequel as a “breath of fresh air.” It’s worth noting that Ant-Man and The Wasp reportedly takes place prior to the newest Avengers film, though its exact placement in the chronology remains somewhat vague.
“Now that we know he’s an action hero, it’s like…we’ve got to make [him] even funnier in this movie…And the same with Michael Douglas, I promised Michael—I know you’re Dr. Hank Pym, and you’re kind of crabby a lot of the time, but let’s give you some jokes, let’s give you some action.”
More: Evangeline Lilly Can’t Wait To Play The Wasp Again In Another Marvel Movie
Source: Marvel Entertainment
