Ant-Man Writer May Return for Marvel's Sequel

Ant-Man was one of the big surprises of this summer, overcoming early production troubles to become a critical and commercial hit. A sequel--Ant-Man and the Wasp--is due in 2018, and writer Adam McKay might be returning for it.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his new movie The Big Short, Mckay was asked if he would be back from the Ant-Man sequel. "I was talking to [Paul] Rudd about it the other day," he said. "We'll see what happens, but that would certainly be fun. I loved working with Marvel.

"I have a couple of projects in development. One of them is more dramatic, one's more comedy, still with a little bit of political teeth to it. And there's a TV show idea I’ve been kicking around."

There was some speculation that the late departure of writer/director Edgar Wright from the production last year, plus the fact that the character of Ant-Man isn't as high-profile as many of Marvel's heroes, might spell trouble for the movie. McKay was brought on to rewrite Wright's screenplay, with Peyton Reed hired to direct. However, the film has ultimately gone on to make more than $454 million at the global box office.

Ant-Man and the Wasp was not originally on Marvel's Phase Three schedule, and was added last month. Reed has signed on to direct once more, and the film will see Paul Rudd's miniature hero team up with Evangeline Lilly as his equally diminutive sidekick. In the meantime, Rudd will play the character in the next Captain America movie, next year's Captain America: Civil War.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is set to hit cinemas on July 6, 2018.