Posters

ANT-MAN Poster Arrives

By Jim Batts | July 24, 2014

Marvel’s ANT-MAN hits theaters next summer July 17, 2015 and as this is the week of Comic-Con, Marvel has unveiled the first poster for the film.

If you’re in San Diego, stop by the Marvel Booth (#2329) to pick up this epic concept poster art for ANT-MAN by Andy Park.

For more on the history of this super hero, read HERE.

The film is directed by Peyton Reed (BRING IT ON) and writer Adam McKay is contributing to the script.

Although the character of Ant-Man is somewhat overshadowed by Spider-Man and the mutants of X-Men he predates all of them and is one of the cornerstones of the ever-expanding Marvel universe. A few months after the debut of the Fantastic Four, the forerunner of Marvel, Atlas comics, published “the Man in the Ant Hill” in Tales to Astonish number 27. The title was frequently the home of invading giant “beasties” and monstrous creatures, but this story from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby centered on scientist Henry Pym who found a way to shrink down to the size of ants. This one shot tale (perhaps inspired by the 50’s classic THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN) is now considered a “proto” series story by many comics historians. When the Fantastic Four became a surprise hit, Lee was eager to expand the superhero roster and returned to Pym. This time the scientific genius got the full costume treatment including a skin tight red and black protective jumpsuit made of unstable molecules (so it would shrink with him) and a white metalic helmet complete with antennae which aided in controlling the size shifts and enabled him to communicate with ants (often using them for transport). The series running in Astonish was somewhat inspired by Quality Comics’ Doll Man character from the 1940’s, who retains his normal strength although he has no control over insects as does the DC Comics’ character introduced in 1961, the Atom. Actually this version (Ray Palmer) was an updated take on the 40’s Atom, Al Pratt, a short-statured man possessing great physical prowess.

After several issues battling commie agents and super-villains, Pym was joined by beautiful jet-setter Janet Van Dyne, who, thanks to another Pym invention, became the Wasp. She too could shrink down to bug size, but she would sprout wings (and zip about) and shoot bioelectric blasts (“the Wasp’s sting”) from her hands. The two became a crime-fighting team much in the mode of Fawcett Comics’ Bulletman and Bulletgirl and DC’s Hawkman and Hawkgirl (as opposed to the usual adult hero/kid sidekick team first begun with DC’s Batman and Robin). Henry (Hank) and Janet soon became romantically involved and were engaged (sort of a super Nick and Nora Charles). The two were also founding members of the Avengers back in issue one with Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. Shortly after, Pym adjusted the particle formula once more to enable him to increase his size and adopt the new name, Giant-Man. It’s actually his massive arm that reaches out of the submarine to grab the leg of the floating frozen Captain America in Avengers number four. The duo continued their own series in Tales to Astonish (sharing the book with the Hulk), until they were replaced in issue 69 by new series of Sub-Mariner stories. But they continued on in the Avengers comic with Pym eventually becoming Goliath and Yellowjacket (who married the Wasp) until returning to Ant-Man in order to repair the android avenger, the Vision in a visually stunning sequence drawn by Neal Adams that evoked FANTASTIC VOYAGE. This spurred another solo series (with the Wasp, of course) that ran briefly in the early 70’s in Marvel Feature.

Ant-man got a new series in Marvel Premiere number 47 in 1979, but a different person was wearing the helmet. Stark Industries tech Scott Lang broke into Henry Pym’s lab to take the growth formula (and uniform) in order to rescue the only doctor who can cure Lang’s critically ill young daughter. When Lang returned the equipment, Pym insisted he keep it and fight evil in his old persona (so Hank could devote more time to his inventions). This is the version of Ant-Man in production at Marvel Studios with Paul Rudd as Lang and Michael Douglas as Pym.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in August.

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