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Ant-Man’s full trailer has made its debut online, offering a detailed look at Marvel Studios’ upcoming blockbuster in all of its pint-sized glory.
The clip clocks in at just under two minutes, but that’s ample time to get a feel for Peyton Reed’s take on the superhero theme.
Tonally, Ant-Man appears to fit in with the previous Marvel films. There’s a gritty edge to Michael Douglas’s narration, complemented by the dramatic score that plays throughout.
Humour also appears to play a prominent role in the movie, which is probably why Paul Rudd was selected to play protagonist Scott Lang.
He shows off his comic pedigree late into the clip by dropping the line “Is it too late to change the name” when asked to inherit the Ant-Man mantle. It’s a well-timed quip and the stark tonal shift helps the comedy hit home. So far, so promising.
Douglas plays Dr Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, and his voiceover presents Ant-Man as a tale of redemption. Lang is given the opportunity to turn his back on a life of crime, play the hero and win the admiration of his daughter.
The student-mentor relationship between Douglas and Rudd will no doubt be central to the plot, an interesting shift for Marvel since the studio traditionally sticks with origin stories when introducing a hero to the big screen.
Although this is an origin tale of sorts, exploring the roots of the second-generation Ant-Man, expect an entirely different dynamic to the likes of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor.
The trailer also offers a look at House of Cards’ Corey Stoll in the role of the villainous Darren Cross, who looks both menacing and dapper sporting pristine suit and shaven head.
We’re yet to catch a glimpse of him as his alter ego, Yellowjacket, but based on the quality of his House of Cards performances, there’s no reason to think he won’t hit this one out of the park.
Fleeting seconds of screen time are dedicated to our leading lady, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne, and the early evidence points to another kickass Marvel heroine in the vein of Agent Carter, who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
There isn’t too much action to speak of in the trailer, which could have used an awe-inspiring moment or two to ramp up our anticipation, but that isn’t to say the final product will lack them.
Seeing Rudd in costume, shrinking down to tiny proportions and riding on the back of a flying ant comes close enough to making our spines tingle for now.
Ant-Man is shaping up to be another Marvel fan-pleaser, its blend of action and comedy likely to make it tonally closer to Guardians of the Galaxy than the studio’s other offerings, which is no bad thing.
The movie opens in UK cinemas on 17th July, but expect a few more glimpses of Rudd’s micro-hero in subsequent trailers before then.