It has been a long road, but Marvel’s Ant-Man is officially happening. Today the world was treated to the first still from principal photography featuring Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. In the comics Lang is a thief who steals the Ant-Man suit from it’s creator Hank Pym, to be played by Michael Douglas, in an attempt to save his sick daughter. The film is rumored to lift some of this origin, while forming a stronger mentor and student dynamic with Pym. Here is the first look at Rudd as Scott Lang:
The photo seems quaint at first look, but with a closer inspection there are some telling character elements revealed. Rudd is downtrodden and more gritty than we are used to seeing Rudd or any other Marvel protagonist up until this point. We also see that Lang took a beating to get whatever is in the bag. This is an interesting starting place for a character that is to one day (presumably in the third film) become an Avenger and fight for the world. Filming was to shoot in Atlanta previously, perhaps that is still the plan and San Francisco is the where the film takes place. Or Lang could simply be delivering that bag to someone by the Golden Gate bridge early on in the picture. Here is the official press release from Marvel:
Marvel Studios began principal photography today in San Francisco, California, on its newest Super Hero franchise Marvel’s “Ant-Man.” The film brings one of Marvel comics’ original founding members of The Avengers into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The production also shoots on location in Atlanta, Georgia, which serves as the base for the film’s production.
Set for release in the United States on July 17, 2015, the film is directed by Peyton Reed (“Bring it On,” “The Break-Up”) and stars Paul Rudd (“I Love You Man,” “Role Models”) as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, and Michael Douglas (“Behind The Candelabra,” “Wall Street”) as his mentor Dr. Hank Pym and Evangeline Lilly (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Lost”) as Hope Van Dyne, daughter of Hank Pym.
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Sources: Slashfilm, USA Today