Why Patrick Wilson Left Marvel's First Ant-Man Movie

For the successful reputation that Marvel Studios was known for, particularly during its first three phases, it can be easy to forget that the road from "Iron Man" to "Avengers: Endgame" was not always smooth. Sure, fans often like to discuss the trajectory of the entire Infinity Saga as if it were all masterfully executed, but we sometimes forget about the bumps along the way. Some of those bumps include Phase 1 actors like Terrence Howard and Edward Norton dropping from their roles, filmmakers-for-hire dropping from projects due to the dreaded "creative differences" with Kevin Feige, or, at least in one case, a film being pulled from the slate altogether (looking at you, "Inhumans").

During its golden age, Marvel Studios developed a reputation as a studio whose cinematic output was, at the very least, competent. Sure, some of that leads to formulaic plots, but the dynamic characters portrayed by talented actors helped make these films feel fresh to audiences who most often never opened a comic book in their lives. One of the films that succeeded amidst production issues was the first "Ant-Man" film. Director Peyton Reed and the film's cast, led by Paul Rudd, crafted an entertaining origin story that evoked the Marvel Cinematic Universe's trademark heart and humor. Although the film turned out decent, it is hard not to explore the "What If...?" scenario where original director Edgar Wright was allowed to seek his vision, which would have also included Patrick Wilson in the cast.

Edgar Wright was attached to "Ant-Man" as early as 2003, when he and Joe Cornish wrote a treatment for the project when it was under Artisan Entertainment in a co-production deal with Marvel. Wright would remain attached to the project, updating his script following his promotional tour for "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and looking to direct the film after completing work on his third and final entry in his Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, "The World's End." Wright was involved in casting actors Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, and Patrick Wilson.

Patrick Wilson was cast in the role of Jim Paxton, a San Francisco Police Department officer and fiancé of the protagonist Scott Lang's ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer). However, production on "Ant-Man" was delayed following the departure of Edgar Wright. Peyton Reed would step in as the film's new director, while Adam McKay and Paul Rudd worked together to punch up the script. McKay and Rudd would share a screenplay credit with Wright and Joe Cornish, the latter duo who would still receive story credit. With the new script, characters that were set to be played by Matt Gerald and Kevin Weisman were removed, and the production delays led to Wilson dropping out of the film due to scheduling conflicts.

To this day, Patrick Wilson has yet to take part in an MCU film. However, despite dropping out of "Ant-Man," Wilson still has a prominent place in the history of comic book cinema. One of his most notable roles was as Daniel Dreiberg, AKA Nite Owl II, in Zack Snyder's 2009 film adaptation of the DC Comics graphic novel "Watchmen." Wilson would also be a fixture of the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, portraying Orm, AKA Ocean Master, in James Wan's "Aquaman" and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

This July, it will mark 10 years since the release of Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man." Much of the film's success is thanks to its cast, particularly Paul Rudd serving as an effortlessly likable and charming protagonist whose status in life is refreshingly distinct from the roster of Avengers at the time. At the film's heart, it's a heist adventure film and a story of redemption for both Scott Lang and Dr. Hank Pym, the latter of whom is wonderfully brought to life by Michael Douglas. The unique narrative framing of meeting the original Ant-Man in a flashback, followed by meeting up with the MCU's official Ant-Man in a master and apprentice style dynamic, was a refreshing approach, and the film is filled with inventive visual techniques that utilize the scale in both epic and humorous ways.

However, as solid a film as Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" turned out to be, it is clear that Edgar Wright would have turned in something significantly more memorable. There are action sequences in the film that clearly borrow influence from some of Wright's inventive visual style, but serve as nothing more than an imitation of his style. Over a decade removed from Wright's departure, it is clear that Marvel Studios really wanted "Ant-Man" to fit within the established aesthetic and vision of the MCU, and although their collaboration with Wright started out in a good spot, by the time the shared universe was established, Kevin Feige was surely king. Hence, Reed delivered an MCU film, whereas Wright would have given us a film that was clearly of his distinct vision – it just happened to take place in a larger cinematic universe.

It would be exciting to see Edgar Wright bring his talents to another film franchise because his sensibilities that were on display in his genre masterpiece, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," showcase more style and substance than the majority of the MCU's entire output. In the years following his departure from "Ant-Man," Wright would direct "Baby Driver," which became his first major box office hit, and "Last Night in Soho." Wright's next film is a new adaptation of "The Running Man," which stars Glen Powell in the same lead role that Arnold Schwarzenegger played in the 1987 film. "The Running Man" is set to hit theaters on November 7, 2025.

"Ant-Man" is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. It is also available to stream on Disney+.