Despite some very unfortunate and public troubles close to start of shooting, Marvel Studio's Ant-Man is finally on it's way. But there may have being quite a few of you scratching your heads at the teaser trailer which debuted yesterday, mainly at who these people are, and why is that one guy actually riding an ant. So take some time out to let us guide through the who's who of the major characters to the fore of Marvel's Phase Two capper.
Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)
With three Ant-Men to choose from, the second man to don the heroes integral size changing belt, Scott Lang, is the best choice for a big screen adventure, with his origin story spinning out of audience friendly quest for redemption. A burglar who served his time in jail, Lang returns to a life of crime, stealing the Ant-Man costume to make his job that much easier, to save the life of his daughter Cassie (she later becomes a fellow size changing hero, calling herself Stature). With the job done, Lang intended to return the suit and equipment to original Ant-Man Henry Pym, but Pym, seeing the good Lang did in his quest to save his daughter, let him keep them, just as long as he continues to help people. This story seems to remain pretty much intact for the movie.
As Ant-Man, Lang's primary power is to change size, mainly shrinking down to the size of an ant, but still keeping his normal strength (the belt also allows the ability to become gigantic, but I have a feeling that may be kept for any potential sequels). Another power, which will lead to some of the stranger moments in the movie, is the ability to telepathically communicate and control insects. Mainly used on ants, this power comes from his helmet, which as well the cybernetic telepathic enhancements, also includes a sound amplification system that allows him to communicate with people when he's at microscopic side.
Dr. Henry Pym (Michael Douglas)
The first person to don the Ant-Man helmet, Henry "Hank" Pym is largely known to comic book readers as a founding member of The Avengers. Creator of the Pym-Particles which give Ant-Man his powers, looking too much into Pym's history might explain why he's relegated to a mentor role here. With spousal abuse, schizophrenia, and depression all mixed together in his long history, it's understandable that maybe he's not the best choice to headline a Marvel Studio's blockbuster, but having him present to pass on the mantle to Lang does keep the legacy aspect important to the character. But, if rumours are to believed, we might get some brief flashes of Douglas as Pym in his prime with possible flashbacks to the 1960's, and his dealings with the SSR (who, as we all know, eventually become S.H.I.E.L.D.). It would explain John Slattery reprising his role as an older Howard Stark from Iron Man 2.
Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly)
A creation for MC2, a series of tales imagining an alternate (and non-canon) future for the Marvel Universe, Hope Pym is the daughter of Pym and Janet Van Dyne, also another Avengers founder known as the size changing Wasp. In the MC2 universe, she was the villainous Red Queen, but here she seems to be stripped of any bad guy leanings, with the trailer showing her training Lang in hand to hand combat. But she clearly isn't happy with her father, taking her mother's maiden name, suggesting that, even though she might not appear, the relationship between the original Ant-Man and the Wasp will be just as important as it is in the comic books.
Darren Cross/Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll)
Despite the character being around since 1962, Ant-Man hasn't had much in the way of solo books, instead being a supporting, sometimes leading, player in various teams, from the Avengers to the Fantastic Four. This means bad guys are pretty thin on the ground, so, for the movie, we get two villains mashed together. First up, Darren Cross was the first villain Lang came up against, tracking the doctor he needed to save Cassie's life to Cross's company Cross Technological Enterprises, who was kidnapped by Cross to help his life threatening heart condition which also gave him super powers. He didn't survive his first meeting with Lang. Yellowjacket is actually a cockier super hero persona taken by Pym, which eventually turned more villainous as Pym suffered a mental breakdown. For the movie, Cross develops his own next generation size changing suit, dubbed Yellowjacket, to take on Ant-Man.
