Why did they choose Scott Lang over Hank Pym for the film?

I don't think we'll ever truly know. How and why these decisions are made are a complete mystery to me. But when you enter Hollywood you enter a very strange land that is barely connected to our world with people who are barely connected to the human race. They live in nice, safe, protected cocoons made of ego and money. Why do one thing and not another? Even if they told us we'd probably never understand.

Scott lang is the modern ant man and they already have two super smart guys on the avengers team,, they really didn't need the third guy...

@maccyd: As long as she wears a costume similar to WW's no one in the mainstream will be able to tell the difference.

Beata

Lang is way more associated with Ant Man and has had held the mantle a lot longer. Hank Pym was only Ant Man for roughly two years all the way back in the early 60s before he became Giant Man, then Goliath, then Yellowjacket. Honestly, it would be like if they made a Flash film that starred Jay Garrick. Any important storylines that Avengers had that featured Hank Pym, like the Ultron story, featured Hank as Goliath....

Personally, I think the story is a lot more intriguing, Lang had to utilize his skills as a thief to steal the Ant Man technology to save his daughter.....a much more humanized story then Pyms, whose origin story is played out like a 1950s B-movie. Also, Lang had much better stories as Ant Man.

Yeah, but why would they do it in the first place?

he slapped his wife for some reason they didn't retcon it years ago.

@maccyd: Why did the JL Pilot have Guy Gardener as GL, but casted an actor that looked more like Kyle Rayner?

And better yet, why create a lame villain called the "Weatherman" instead of just usijg Mr. Twister or Weather Wizard. No one really knows how or why studios decide to change things.

In Antman's case, it was for creative reasons.

Beata

He's more relatable.

@maccyd: technically Hank is still a wife beater. It may not have been the intent of the writer, but the artists mistake made it so.

@maccyd: Hadly. Seeing as how Donna was only Wonder Woman for a few months whereas Scott was Ant-Man for nearly 30 years. How long was Hank Ant-Man again? Like3 or four year? With the occasional relapse every couple of years?

I find the excuse "because they already have two scientists on the team" kinda dumb. They wont be able to keep both actors forever especially RDJ. Hank Pym would have been terrific choice to replace one of them in story.

Wife Beating Myth.

I was wondering that too

So he can die heroically allowing them to bring Stature/Cassie Lang into the "Avengers" movie.

@dernman: everybody seems to have forgotten that Scott is a scientist as well apparently

@phoenixofthetides: she's like 8 in the movie soooo

@avenging_x_bolt: Not sure when the movie is set, though. If it is set in the past, and he joins the Avengers later on, she can be worked into the story as a young teenager.

@phoenixofthetides: i doubt the mcu Avengers would draft a young teenager into the unit but who knows. I don't want Scott to be fridged though :p

Because he hit his wife once years ago, while he was literally insane. Marvel has no backbone.

@phoenixofthetides: can Scott just retire and then Cassie could continue the legacy ala MC2

@avenging_x_bolt: I haven't. It's another reason that it makes the argument silly. Granted he's on a lower level and it's not as intrinsic to the character as it is with Hank so it's easier to overlook.

scott has a purpose

@dernman: good point.

What if the villain is Hank. It kinda looks like the villain is wearing yellow. Like one of Pyms aliases is Yellow Jacket.

Because no one wants to see Hank "Pymp"-slapping Jane, no matter if it was a mistake or not.

Besides, I'm fine with Scott Lang, anyway.

@those_eyes: I'm really glad you got that one.

There's always a Young Avengers movie...possibly in the future.

I think the question isn't why Scott over Hank

its why Rudd over Douglas.

@kritikalmassx: meh. I just don't see them fitting into the MCU. Maybe a future movie with them as adults but that's it.

Isn't it simply because Edgar Wright wanted to make a heist movie out of a superhero movie?

On a personal note I feel it was good of him to show Janet the proper respect by not alluding to her abuse and instead just ensuring she would never be an Avenger.

@ironspiderchan45: the main villain is indeed Yellowjacket but it's Darren Cross rather than Hank. There are rumors that Hank might be a suprise villain in his original Ant-Man suit.

Hank is in the movie just as an old guy who passes the Antman title to Scott.

because nobody respects Hank Pym

Domestic abuse is a behaviour pattern, Hank only "hit" her once, which doesn't count. According to your above statement, Reed Richards, Peter Parker and possibly a few others are wife beaters.

Hank's multiple aliases are essentially Ant-Man. The only reason Scott Lang retained the Ant Man title for so long compared to Pym, is they had Pym to showcase the size increasing abilities at the same time, which they don't have the luxury of here (there's no evidence that Pym has used his Giant Man/Goliath alias in his MCU career yet).

@avenging_x_bolt: oh thanks for telling me

@maccyd: Hank alternate identities are not "essentially Ant-Man" each identity is born of a different meaning and displayed a unique personality. They're all Hank Pym stories but not all Ant-Man stories. I'll grant you the wife beating point though.

To be fair, they divorced after, so he wouldn't have as much opportunity to hit her.

Although I agree that Reed Richards used to be very sexist with his comments and hit his wife as well. Not sure why no one said anything about him.

I see this too. Lang is the rough guy who turns good with a cute little daughter, Pym is a super intelligent nerd who's always in the lab. Out of the two extremes, I would say our society is nowhere close to Pym.

Don't know but they lost me there. Lang is just a cheap clone of Hank as Antman.

I'd imagine it's because Lang is closer to the majority of the MCU hero males; people who can wisecrack.

Pym is a man with brilliant talent who's let down by self esteem and mental health problems. Mental health is a very common issue that is rarely explored seriously by Hollywood, nevermind in superhero films.

@maccyd: it's true that he only actually hit her once but he had been increasingly cruel to her and had come dangerously close to harming her at least once before. It's not a wonder why people would still be wary of him.

Anyway, I suppose it shouldn't matter. He had done worse things but it was in a place of insanity and has made up for all of them.

@corvin: how is that even remotely true?

@jeanralphioisback: Lang was never a "rough guy" who turned good. He was always a good guy who did a bad thing to try and help the people he loved.

Your summations of both characters could use a little work.

@maccyd: truth

@avenging_x_bolt: On a slightly positive note, Peyton Reed has hinted that the film will explore Pym's self esteem issues and "darker" side.

@maccyd: yeah, I'm actually really excited for that. It seems that a lot of Hank stories are going to be re-released as well in the coming months as well as a bat trowels tie in and what appears to be a mini series or one shot detailing the mcu's Hank Pyms early adventures

@avenging_x_bolt: Imagine the Iron Man movie as a Warmachine adventure without Tony Stark, without any explanation who and how made the armor. Imagine the first Batman movie with Terry as Batman. This film should introduce the original character first, the brilliant and crazy genius Hank Pym who discovered the Pym Particles, who invented the suit and became a hero. Not some thief who stole it. Anybody could become Antman by stealing the suit. The suit with its powers belongs to Hank, if later he gives it to someone I say okay but not like this. Furthermore it also means bye bye Janet, though we never had the chance to know you anyway. Let's meet your daughter instead (as Wasp) who is more likely a criminal if I recall correctly...