Adam McKay reportedly passes on directing Ant-Man
Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International)


At the risk of irritating comic-book fans, I'm going to state the following: Maybe, just maybe, the difficulties in landing a director for Ant-Man are a sign that we don't really need a movie about this particular superhero.
Following Edgar Wright's abrupt departure from the project last month, Adam McKay has reportedly decided to pass on directing Disney's take on the Marvel superhero. Considered a front-runner because of his relationship with Paul Rudd (Rudd is set to star in Ant-Man, and McKay directed Rudd in Anchorman), McKay was nevertheless just one of several contenders, Variety reports. Fawson Marshall Thurber (We're the Millers) and Ruben Fleisher (Gangster Squad) have reportedly also met with Marvel executives.
Perhaps, though, the problem is that Marvel isn't selling the experience correctly to potential directors. They could take a note from Saturday Night Live's "Nicolas Cage," who sat down with Rudd on the season finale to discuss Ant-Man's merits (Skip to 1:05 for the pertinent points: "One: hot lunch is served daily. And two: In between takes, soups are provided."). --Sarah Eberspacher
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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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