Michael Douglas, the interpreter of Dr. Hank Pym in the Ant-Man saga, recently expressed his wish to see his character die in the next Marvel films. During an appearance on The View, the veteran actor admitted to having asked the writers to end Hank Pym’s life in a spectacular way, making full use of special effects. A request that has so far remained a dead letter, but which could well materialize if a fourth part were to see the light of day.
A disastrous fate for Hank Pym?
Asked about his past statements, where he said he would not return for a Ant-Man 4 that on condition that his character is killed, Michael Douglas confirmed that it had indeed made this request to the creative teams at Marvel Studios.
“I said I’d like to have a serious death, with all these amazing special effects“, he explained. “There must be some fantastic way to shrink to the size of an ant and explode, or something. I want to use all these effects.”
Unfortunately for the Oscar-winning actor, his proposal was not accepted for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniareleased in 2023.
A choice which could be explained by the difficulties encountered by the VFX artists during the post-production of the film, accusing Marvel of overloading them with work without increasing their budget.
Nevertheless, Michael Douglas does not lose hope of seeing his wish granted in the future: “It was for the last movie, but now I don’t think I’ll come back.”
Ant-Man 4: a compromised sequel?
If the words of Michael Douglas suggest that he will not reprise his role as Hank Pym in a possible Ant-Man 4the very future of the franchise seems uncertain.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, despite its success at the box office, suffered numerous criticisms, pointing the finger at its sometimes disappointing storyline, pacing and special effects. A disappointment which could call into question the production of a fourth part.
Yet, Stephen Broussardvice president of production and development at Marvel Studiosassured in February 2023 that discussions were already underway with the director Peyton Reed and the boss of MCU Kevin Feige regarding a potential sequel. Plans which have since been abandoned according to certain rumors, following the critical failure of Quantumania. At present, neither Disney neither Marvel have not officially confirmed or denied this information.
Another character who should have died?
If the idea of seeing Hank Pym succumb in a deluge of special effects can appeal Michael Douglassome fans would have preferred to witness the disappearance of another key character from the saga Ant-Man : Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd.
His heroic death, protecting his loved ones against the threat of Kang the Conqueror, could indeed have left an impression and reinforced the dramatic impact of the film.
A sacrifice which would also have helped propel his daughter Cassie to the forefront, encouraging her to follow in her father’s footsteps as a superhero. Finally, the loss of Scott Lang at the hands of Kang would have sent a strong message to the Avengers about the dangerousness of this new multiversal adversary. A missed opportunity for Quantumaniawho preferred to offer Scott a triumphant return to his family.
Despite these speculations, it is not excluded to see again Michael Douglas reprise his role as Hank Pym in future productions Marvelwhether in the cinema or on Disney+. In any case, the actor seems ready to get back on track, provided that the writers finally grant his deadly request. The bets are open !
