It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
is in a weird place after the Infinity Saga concluded, but funny enough, I think Ant-Man could be the key to fixing things again if the MCU were to revisit Edgar Wright’s original idea. When the MCU first began in 2008, it featured one lesser known hero, Iron Man, who completely took the world by storm, and a popular character, Hulk, whose movie was lackluster. Intriguingly, that appears to be a theme for the MCU.

While the big name heroes like Spider-Man have managed to perform at a high level, a lot of the biggest hits from the MCU have been underdog stories. Guardians of the Galaxy was a great example of this, and even Ant-Man, which opted to shift the focus off of the classic hero, Hank Pym, and onto the lesser known Scott Lang. But now, with the MCU approaching another reset as the Multiverse Saga winds down, it’s time to look forward and think about how the MCU will continue beyond the Multiverse.

Edgar Wright’s Idea For An Ant-Man “Prologue” Story Could Actually Be An MCU Lifesaver Right Now

The MCU Needs To Look Back In Order To Move Forward

In line with this idea, I think that Marvel needs to focus on stories and characters who have the potential to carry the movies forward, and maybe, by implementing writer and director Edgar Wright’s idea to look back, it could help refresh the movies again. At least on the side of the Avengers heroes. Edgar Wright was initially attached to Ant-Man for the MCU, and his ideas became the foundation for the movie. But, a key part of the story, looking back at the height of Hank Pym’s heroics, was left out.

So you actually do a prologue where you see Pym as Ant-Man in action in the 60’s, in sort of “Tales to Astonish” mode basically.

Edgar Wright laid out some of the plans for his movie in an interview at San Diego Comic Con many years ago (via Wayback). While things have moved on a lot since Ant-Man’s debut, the developments have left Scott and Hank in an odd place after their battle with Kang, and Kang’s expulsion from the MCU. So, making a movie that looks back and highlights similarities between Hank at the height of his power, and Scott with the progress he has made could be a good way to reset the characters, and even establish Scott as a viable new leader for the heroes.

An Ant-Man Prequel Could Solve Several Issues After Quantumania At Once

Ant-Man Is In A Weird Place In The MCU

After all, in the comics, Ant-Man has frequently been a leader to the Avengers. But with where things ended up in Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, it feels like the characters are stuck in a weird spot, though they were originally going to be a big part of Avengers 5 when the movie was still тιтled Avengers: Kang Dynasty. Why not take these characters and do something different, looking back at Hank’s origins in the MCU, and contrasting his progress to Scott’s.

Up to this point, Scott has been a real goofball, but he has been a part of the story since he appeared in Captain America: Civil War on the side of Steve Rogers. Scott is also one of the older heroes, and one that does not possess any superhuman abilities, which makes him a good candidate for being a leader who supports his team, rather than one that forces them to submit. Scott is currently an underrated and underutilized hero, and making the connection between him and Hank Pym in his heyday could correct that.

With More Original MCU Heroes Gone Now Than Ever, Fixing The Ant-Man Series After Quantumania Could Be Huge For The Franchise

Ant-Man Could Have An Incredibly Bright Future In The MCU

After Avengers: Endgame, a lot of the original Avengers disappeared. There are still a handful of heroes, and several new characters have been introduced, but they don’t all have the required experience, or the required rapport with the fanbase, to make them a viable leader. While ideas about Doctor Strange, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, or Spider-Man stepping up to lead the team have all been floated, their developments have been marred with flaws and challenges, from struggling to embrace the role of being a hero, to literally erasing their existence from other peoples’ minds.

But Scott Lang started out as a down on his luck thief. Lang’s journey has seen him grow from strength to strength, learning, improving, and getting to the point where he became one of the few heroes who could actually challenge Kang and win. But no one thinks of him as a leader, because the character is usually played for comedy. If the Edgar Wright idea was implemented, it would make the story a more grounded outing for Ant-Man, and allow the audience to see just how much he has grown, potentially positioning him as a candidate to lead the Avengers forward.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

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  February 14, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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