The renowned actor, Michael Douglas talked about the ending of one of his fan-favorite characters, Hank Pym. Douglas plays the role of Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and was introduced in the first installment of the Ant-Man film series. Talking about his MCU character, Douglas revealed that he has a “fantastic way” to end his character’s journey in the storyline, and went ahead to express his wish to get his character dead in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Michael Douglas shared his desirable death for his MCU character, Hank Pym
Michael Douglas appeared on The View, as retrieved from EW, to promote his Apple TV+ series Franklin. On being questioned if he wanted Pym, his MCU character, to die in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Douglas expressed his wish for his character’s death. Douglas’s request for a grand exit from the Ant-Man series, with seriousness for his character’s death and desire for a memorable conclusion to Pym’s journey.
He shared, “This actually was my request for the third one. I said I’d like to have a serious [death], with all these great special effects. There’s got to be some fantastic way where I can shrink to an ant size and explode, whatever it is. I want to use all those effects. But, that was on the last one. Now, I don’t think I’m going to show up.”
Michael Douglas had one condition for his comeback as Hank Pym
During the red carpet for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania back in 2023, Douglas revealed that he would only return in the MCU films when he is assured of his character’s death. Talking about his one condition for a comeback, Douglas shared with The Hollywood Reporter, that he will only make an appearance in Marvels “as long as I could die.”
Despite Douglas’s willingness to return under specific circumstances, the future of the Ant-Man franchise remains uncertain, thanks to the underperformance of its latest installment. The latest installment, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania faced challenges during its box office run, failing to provide a satisfactory performance. The film further received mixed reviews from critics.
Alongside another disappointing Marvel release, The Marvels, Quantumania struggled to meet expectations, raising questions if the makers will invest in the fourth installment of the film series or not. Additionally, the departure of Jonathan Majors, who was introduced in the Quantumania film and portrayed the emerging antagonist Kang the Conqueror, further complicated the franchise’s trajectory, questioning the storyline of its upcoming releases.
Though amid all these disappointments, Marvel executive Stephen Broussard hinted at positive discussions regarding the fourth Ant-Man film. Despite the underwhelming performance of Quantumania, Broussard’s made it clear that Marvel remains committed to exploring new avenues within the Ant-Man universe.
Broussard shared, as retrieved via ComicBook.com, “We’re already thinking about it. It’s like, every movie’s its own battle and you bear the scars of making it and wanting to make it great. But hope springs eternal and you start to put yourself back together after the journey of making the movie. You’re like, ‘Yeah, what if we did X and what if we did Y?’ Like the wheels start turning, you can’t help yourself. I don’t want to say anything about specifically what those are, but yeah, you can’t help yourself. Those conversations, those whispers have already started to happen between myself and Peyton and Kevin.”
Michael Douglas’s revelation offers a glimpse into his creative vision for Hank Pym’s character in the Ant-Man series. As discussions about the franchise’s future continue, Douglas’s condition for his involvement underscores his willingness to withdraw from the series after a grand end.
