Greetings, and Happy Labor Day!

It appears that the Marvel Movie Universe just grew (or shrunk, depending on your point of view.) According to a recent blurb by Entertainment Weekly, the long-awaited superhero solo film starring Henry Pym or Ant-Man (among other aliases), perhaps the most unsung of the Avengers founding members, will indeed be moving forward. Shaun of the Dead director, Edgar Wright has already been attached to direct. (Which has been known for some time, now.) The statement by EW that has created this firestorm across the news sites read: "Pixar is said to already be eyeballing an Ant-Man movie."

"Woah, woah, WOAH, did we just read Pixar?!"

Yes, you did. This, perhaps, is the first real "post-Marvel buyout" bit of news. However, don't let Disney/Pixar's production involvement fool you, as it seems unlikely that Disney and Pixar would go down the whole Incredibles route with a strictly animated feature. Seeing as this Ant-Man film is slated for 2012, around the time that hype-machine behind The Avengers will be in full effect, it would be inconceivable that this film would deviate from the live-action format shared by its peer films, which are also tied into The Avengers. This will likely be a live-action film, which will showcase Pixar's digital animation for Ant-Man's various size transformations. (This seems to be the general consensus among news writers.)

Meanwhile, it still has not been confirmed as to WHERE we will see the debut of Henry Pym in the Marvel Movie Universe. There was speculation that Pym and future/ex wife Janet van Dyne (aka The Wasp) would have a low-key appearance as scientists of some kind in Iron Man 2. (Which, considering the assembling of the Avengers has already been teased in IM1, would make sense.) However, there have also been contrary rumors implying that even up to The Avengers film itself, we would go "Pym-less." If such a notion were to be true, it may lend credence to the idea that Pixar was moving forward with a strictly animated feature. (I sincerely hope that is NOT the case.)

Regardless of whatever format in which this film will ultimately be, most indicators (confirmed by ScreenRant's informative write-up) seem to make clear that this will be a less serious kind of superhero film. In essence, it will be a comedy, but not a genre parody like Edgar Wright's previous films. Also, the solo film will not likely feature any other Avengers members. (Although the presence of The Wasp seems critical, so it will be interesting to see how that holds.) 

While EW's "eyeballing" comment may have been a playful pun whose punchline we do not yet know, it also has a ring of truth. This one has been in the developmental rumor mills for a while at this point, and to be honest, up until now, I really didn't see it happening at all. Now that it seems to be a reality, I'm pretty excited for a live-action Ant-Man.

I actually think Henry Pym does not get enough credit for being a genuinely fascinating character. He essentially utilized his own genius and used science to create his own superpowers. (As opposed to the typical "radioactive accident" origins of the 60's.) As Ant-Man, he can shrink himself and sabotage you from the inside, or as Giant-Man or Goliath, he can just grow and smash you like a bug. (An ant?) His many personae have created a multiple personality disorder that sometimes resonates when he cavorts as his cocky alter-ego, Yellowjacket. There are just so many facets to work with, here. This could be a genuinely cool film with enough comic relief to make it a fun experience for a wide variety of moviegoers. (Which equals big money, btw.)

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