After 8 years of developing the Marvel movie, Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright didn't make Ant-Man because

Edgar Wright Explains Why He Didn't Direct Ant-Man

Director Edgar Wright, known for Shaun of the Dead, spent eight years developing Marvel’s Ant-Man before leaving the project in 2014. The final version, starring Paul Rudd, was eventually directed by Peyton Reed, though Wright still retained story and screenplay credits.

“The idea of doing it at the time excited me, because you want to put your own spin on it,” Wright told Variety. “But between pitching the idea and doing it, the whole franchise had blown up. The thing that attracted me about it had gone away.”

Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man will next appear in Avengers: Doomsday, alongside Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.

Wright’s Upcoming Project

Wright’s next film is an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Running Man, featuring Glen Powell as Ben Richards. The story follows Richards as he enters a deadly game show in hopes of earning enough money to help his ailing daughter, while evading assassins for thirty days.

No Plans for a Shaun of the Dead Sequel

“There are a lot of franchises where the sequels don't really earn their keep because all the story has been told in the first movie,” Wright explained. “When a character has gone through a massive change, it's very difficult to have a second installment.”

Author’s Summary

After years developing Ant-Man, Edgar Wright parted ways with Marvel to pursue new projects like The Running Man, emphasizing his preference for originality over sequels.

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GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ — 2025-11-07

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