Ant-Man Gets New Director, Writer, and Official Synopsis

It's tough to avoid a "that escalated quickly" joke, but in this case, it's appropriate. After a rocky couple of weeks that saw director Edgar Wright depart Marvel's Ant-Man movie amidst talk of re-writes and studio interference, followed by a parade of talented comedic directors linked to the chair, the saga has come to an end. Anchorman's Peyton Reed will direct Ant-Man, with Adam McKay doing some writing.

The official announcement came via Marvel's website, and also included our first real confirmation of Ant-Man's plot.

When Marvel's "Ant-Man" hits theaters July 17, 2015, director Peyton Reed will help shepherd the hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a cast led by Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, with writer Adam McKay contributing to the film's script.

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.

There's a few fun things we can pull out of this. Peyton Reed's name emerged as a frontrunner rather late in the game, and it's likely that Adam McKay will be "contributing" to the script already in place by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. However, it's that script which reportedly led to the trouble in the first place, with Wright displeased after a round of studio mandated revisions done without his approval. And, let's not forget that Adam McKay publicly turned down the director's job last week.

Also, right there in the first line, Marvel is doubling down on that July 17th, 2015 release date. Looks like we'll see Ant-Man on schedule after all...

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