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The Music, Imagery, and Sting of The Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie with Director Peyton Reed

I was honored to be invited to the #AntManandTheWaspEvent, a Disney press junket for Marvel Studios Ant-Man and the Wasp movie, Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, and Disney Junior’s Fancy Nancy. As a guest, my expenses were covered in return for a series of articles about my experiences and reviews of the programming.

 

When Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed entered our interview room we were all still in shock. After having laughed through the 2 hours and 5 minutes running time of the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie, the midcredit scene rocked our world. We were not prepared for what happened. We wanted answers! We wanted to know more about the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie, that post-movie midcredit shocker, and what’s next for the Marvel Studios Avenger series. Director Peyton Reed may not have told us everything, but what he did share kept us hanging on. I think we all left the room with our own theories of what will happen next in Avengers 4. Take a look at what I learned in my interview with Peyton Reed and comment below with your own theories.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed walks in the room

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed walks in the room and we had all kinds of questions for him. Photo Credit Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com

 

About Marvel Studios’ new movie Ant-Man and the Wasp

From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink. In the aftermath of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a super hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp was released in U.S. theaters on July 6, 2018.

Take a look at the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie trailer to see what you can expect.

 

It’s always fascinating to sit down with a director. I enjoy hearing why they took certain measures with a film, how different effects were created, and what they hope will happen as a result of their film being released. Considering the questions and excitement that surround the Marvel movies, I was especially eager to be a part of the interview session with Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed. I wanted to know how his answers would match up with my theories. I found out that and much more about the making of the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie and what’s still to come.

 

Director Peyton Reed Interview

 

The Music of the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie

Who knew that Peyton Reed had played drums in a Morrissey/Smiths cover band? Turns out that history played a role in the music that was selected for the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie. 

 

For a very brief time, years ago, I played drums in a Morrissey/Smiths cover band called “Louder Than Bombs”. We played a few shows here in Los Angeles just for fun and then quickly learned as people came to see the show like Wow, you guys, you’re kind of like the other Smiths cover band, Sweet and Tender Hooligans. I was like wait another cover band? We went and saw that cover band who were way better than our cover band. I learned that Morrissey who’s from Manchester had a huge following in Los Angeles. 

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed laughs

Just imagine Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed playing the drums in a Morrissey cover band. Photo Credit Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com

 

I started to write and embrace LA culture. It occurred to us as something that Luis would know about and be into and particularly the idea that his Grandma only plays Morrissey. It just seemed like one of the kind of crazy things that Luis would mention in the course of his conversation. And that as one of the things  — we were talking about how we were gonna do it in this movie. How are we gonna do a version of what we did with Luis in the first movie that doesn’t repeat it.  So when the writers came up with the idea of the truth serum thing … Yeah, but Morrissey, we had to get his permission to use the songs. He seemed to like the idea so he said yes.

 

The Imagery of the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie

When you see the Ant-man and the Wasp movie, if you haven’t already, you’ll notice there is a mix of the real world, high tech in the real world, and a bit of magic and illusion as we’re taken to different realms like in Dr. Strange and Infinity War. Viewers go from our reality with every day colors to a psychedelic realm that has me wondering how many answers are in these mysterious realms. Directory Peyton Reed explained why that is.

 

There was a concerted effort in the first Ant-Man and in Dr. Strange to start embracing that psychedelic aspect of the Marvel Comics, which has always been part of the Marvel Comics since the ’60s, but had not really been explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are different dimensions and hopefully, they’re all gonna sort of serve different purposes in the future. With regards to our movie, it was something where we were trying to figure out what we were going to show and how we were going to deal with the plots around it. We had to key off what we saw in the first movie, but we wanted to show the audience a little more.

 

The Ant Man and the Wasp in the quantrum realm

Ant Man and the Wasp movie concept art shows the quantrum realm.

 

It was really fun to sort of design what that could look like, dramatically, how it would work. Then it also had to fit into the rest of our movie which is, compared to some of the other Marvel movies, a little more grounded. Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place in our world not in outer space or Asgard or something like that. It had to sort of have a reality to it too so it was a huge challenge to sort of start to visualize the concept around it but also really fun.

 

The Rise of Cassie as a Hero

We talked some with Paul Rudd about his relationship with Cassie and what might become of it. Comic book fans know that in some Marvel Comics Cassie Lang becomes an Avenger. We had to get Director Peyton Reed’s take on the situation and ask if he was laying the groundwork for that with some of the scenes in the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie.

 

I think that everybody aware from the first Ant-man and now in the Ant-man and the Wasp, who Cassie Lang is in the comics and that she does become a hero. I think we wanted to definitely start laying some groundwork for that possibility. I don’t know what specific plans are but I really liked the idea. It’s been fun to work with Abby.  I always love in movies when you see particularly a little kid and how she has sort of grown. I like the idea that you have these glimpses where she goes toe to toe with Agent Wu.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie father and daughter Cassie and Scott

Marvel Studios ANT-MAN AND THE WASP..L to R: Cassie Lang (Abby Ryder Fortson) and Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) ..Photo: Ben Rothstein..©Marvel Studios 2018

 

She covers for her Dad and she’s got that side of Scott, that’s a little mischievous and everything, but she’s a tough kid. I really love the idea of doing that intimate scene where she’s talking about maybe you need a partner and in her mind, it’s her and him having to say that of course you could do it but I’d be a terrible father if I allowed you to do it. I think that’s one of the things that I liked the most in the movie is that Scott, the evolution of the Scott/Cassie relationship. It helps that Abby is so good. She’s such a really focused young actor and it’s sort of rare.

 

Can you imagine Paul Rudd and Abby Fortson fighting together as Avengers to defeat Thanos in Avengers 4? It could happen. What do you think?

 

The Sting of the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie midcredit scene

I don’t want to spoil what the midcredit end scene was, but I will say it is dramatic. Prepare to just need a few minutes to digest that shock. Let it sink in as the credits roll and you’ll be rewarded with a funny scene at the end of the credits. We have to give Director Peyton Reed a bit of beef about that shocker. Here’s how he responded.

 

It was not completely planned in the beginning. We knew we were gonna have to deal with that thing (what happened in Infinity War) at some point in some way.  Actually, we weren’t sure at the beginning. We knew that our movie was going to take place. (Our movie was) sort of not only a sequel to Ant-Man but also to Civil War because we couldn’t ignore what Scott Lang did in that movie. We weren’t always sure how we were going to fit into the larger timeline with regards to Infinity War. Somewhere during the process, this idea occurred to us of like ‘Oh, well we could do — we could do something like that.’ It seemed to work for us tonally, and sort of allows us to do our very stand alone movie but also have it fit into the larger Marvel happenings.

 

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie Scene

The mid-credit end scene is going to GET YOU! Marvel Studios ANT-MAN AND THE WASP..Giant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018

 

Can Director Peyton Reed keep a secret?

We couldn’t let Director Peyton Reed go without asking him for spoilers for Avengers 4. He claims to have dodged our question, but I don’t know. Do you think he did? Or are there answers in his answer?

 

I have to be so careful.  Wasp is gonna shoot me in the neck, with a gun absolutely. I don’t know if it’s a real threat but to me, the whole idea of the Spoilers thing is … there are certain things that you want to keep secret and there’s an exhilaration as an audience to experience something. It’s so rare now to see a movie that you know nothing about. It’s kind of a lost art.

 

Even as a kid, I had a love/hate relationship. When “The Empire Strikes Back” came out, the novelization came out two weeks before the movie opened and I couldn’t wait. I read the novelization and I learned the revelation about Darth Vader. It didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of actually two weeks later seeing the movie. But still, so anyway. There are certain things I think that are predetermined that we’ve all talked about. Then there are things that we’ve talked about, that could possibly happen or wouldn’t it be cool if?

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed acting like he doesn't know

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie director Peyton Reed ‘claims’ to not know what’s going to happen next. Do you believe him? Photo Credit Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com

 

I think one of the fun things about the Marvel Universe is I think Kevin has a larger plan but that plan is extremely fluid. People always ask like what did you have to do in this movie to pay off the other thing and his general philosophy at least with the Antman movies has been make them as stand alone as possible. Anything you guys decide to do, whoever the directors are in the next movie, they’re gonna have to deal with the ramifications, which is kind of nice. There’s a fluidity and I think it’s the idea of whatever makes for the best character arcs and the most interesting and maybe surprising thing, wins.

 

I know I’m dodging your question but I think it is sort of leaving things open ended. I know things that I want to do with those characters and stories that I want to tell and how we progress the characters.  It excited me putting Wasp at center stage and really telling that story. This whole movie is really about are they gonna be? Does she need him as a partner? Are they gonna be able to work as a partnership? I feel like this movie really answers that question. But then it’s like well what next? The possibilities are really endless.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp Director Peyton

Director Peyton Reed in front of the green screen reviewing a scene. –
Marvel Studios ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
Director Peyton Reed BTS on set.
Photo: Ben Rothstein
©Marvel Studios 2018

 

 

Like us Peyton said he wants to see what happens next to the characters. Don’t you? What do you think of the characters Peyton Reed directed in the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie? What characters do you want to see take center stage in Avengers 4?

 

Ant man and wasp movie poster

 

Need more convincing to take the kids to see Ant-Man and the Wasp? Check out our 7 Reasons You MUST SEE the Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie with Your Kids.

 

7 Reasons You MUST SEE the Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie with Your Kids

 

Get ready to watch Disney Marvel Studios Ant-Man and the Wasp at your local theater starting July 6, 2018!

 

Our  series is packed with interviews. You can get caught up with our anytime by clicking on 

 

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