The Ant-Man (Trailer) Cometh

I continue to ponder what Marvel film is going to be the bridge too far, the would-be blockbuster that busts no blocks, but finally exhausts the audience’s patience. I thought it might have been Guardians of the Galaxy, but that turned out really well, and became one of the MCU’s signature entries. So the search begins anew for the motion picture that strips Marvel of its Midas touch.

Will it be Ant-Man? Has America’s appetite for ant-themed cinema truly recovered after being sated, seemingly forever, by A Bug’s Life and Antz?

Long gestating under the watchful eye of the now-departed Edgar Wright, the Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas infused project has an uphill battle. No outer space shenanigans, no characters with heavy name recognition. Just a guy who can get really, really small. The above first trailer doesn’t offer up a lot, though the key iconography is all there: a hero riding bugs, Evangeline Lilly with a very Wasp-y hairstyle, and Douglas looking every bit like one of the great tinkerers of the Marvel Universe. And the tag — “Is it too late to change the name?” — playfully parries the silliness of the whole thing. Which gives one hope that yes, they get it. Which in turn likely signifies that Marvel will have yet another success on their card.