An interesting Comic-Con Ant-Man news snippet that’s taken a while to surface – let’s say it just woke up in a San Diego Convention Center cupboard with a dishevelled look and an empty bottle of Romulan ale in its tiny hand – comes in the shape of director Peyton Reed's thoughts on the movie’s new direction. Of course, no-one is privy to exactly how the new script will deviate from Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish’s drafts, but Reed did confirm the presence of Scott Lang’s daughter and future Young Avenger, Cassandra Lang, in his version, and gave a few more details on the theme.
“The thematic arc really is a sort of passing-of-the-torch movie,” Reed told IGN. “[Paul] Rudd’s character is an ex-con, a thief. It’s also got the structure of a heist movie. And there’s also a real personal dynamic to the movie, too. In the comics, Scott Lang has a daughter, and that’s part of the movie, too."
Ant-Man, of course, made a low-key appearance at Comic-Con, chary of the fanboy negativity that has surrounded it since Wright’s departure. But that storm of disapproval never materialised and with Adam McKay redrafting the script and shooting shortly underway in Atlanta, Marvel must be hopeful of re-stoking some of that early excitement for the project over the next 12 months. The studio's official synopsis reads: “Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.”