Edgar Wright, known for directing standout films like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho, and The Running Man, was originally set to direct Marvel’s Ant-Man. However, he decided to walk away from the project.
Wright wanted to create an original film, but Marvel expected a movie that fit within its established cinematic universe. As a result, the studio chose a different director who aligned more closely with their vision, though much of Wright’s script was still used.
Ten years after leaving the project, Wright discussed his choice in an interview with The Playlist:
“You’re not still losing sleep over that, are you?”
“I didn’t regret my decision to leave at all,”
“I had started working on that film long before even Iron Man came out. By the time it came around, they had established the brand, the continuity, and even a certain way of making a movie. So the chance to do something really different was going away.”
Since then, Wright has avoided the superhero genre altogether.
Edgar Wright walked away from directing Ant-Man to preserve his creative vision and has no regrets about choosing originality over fitting into the Marvel formula.