Edgar Wright’s Journey with Ant-Man
Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead, almost directed Ant-Man but left the project after developing it for eight years. He departed in 2014, while Peyton Reed took over as director for the released film starring Paul Rudd. Wright retained his story and screenplay credits.
"The idea of doing it at the time excited me, because you want to put your own spin on it," Wright told Variety. "But between pitching the idea and doing it, the whole franchise had blown up. The thing that attracted me about it had gone away."
The Future of Ant-Man and Edgar Wright’s Upcoming Projects
Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man is set to return in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, alongside Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.
Edgar Wright’s next film adapts Stephen King’s novel The Running Man, starring Glen Powell as Ben Richards. The story centers on Richards entering a deadly game show to earn money for his sick daughter, facing assassins in a 30-day survival challenge.
Edgar Wright on Sequels and Franchise Challenges
"There are a lot of franchises where the sequels don't really earn their keep because all the story has been told in the first movie," Wright explained. "When a character has gone through a massive change, it's very difficult to have a second installment."
This skepticism explains why Wright is reluctant to make a sequel to Shaun of the Dead.
Summary
Edgar Wright left Ant-Man due to creative shifts in the franchise and remains cautious about sequels, focusing now on new storytelling projects like The Running Man.