Evangeline Lilly suggests Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man' was far different from Peyton Reed's version.
With Edgar Wright on-board, Ant-Man was easily one of the most anticipated movies in recent years. Paul Rudd in the lead role was an intriguing and creative casting decision and support from Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas hinted that Wright and his collaborators were cooking up something special.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang in Ant-Man
However, it became immediately apparent that Wright and Marvel were not meshing and the British filmmaker's vision for Hank Pym's story clearly wasn't in-line with the studio's ingredients for a money-maker.
Now, in an interview with Buzzfeed, Lilly - who remained working on the project after Wright's exit - confirmed that the disconnect between Marvel and the director's vision for the project was the main reason for his exit.
"I thought Edgar's idea to blend the [Hank and Scott] stories was brilliant," she said, "You're going to have fans up there who insist that you tell the story of Hank Pym, and fans up there who will be more on the Scott Lang side of it. . I think we are going to come close to pleasing them all."
More: Five things to know about Ant-Man before the movie buzz begins
"[I was] shocked," Lilly explained of hearing that Wright had left the project. "And mortified, at first. Actually, I wouldn't say mortified. You know, a creative project is a moving target. You never end up where you start. But 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 revealed that she buckled and almost left the project before reading the new script.
"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."
Ant-Man, now directed by Yes-Man helmsman Peyton Reed, is set for release on July 17 2015. It follows the story of con-man Scott Lang who must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
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