During a long and distinguished career that stretches back over 50 years and has brought such accolades as two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes and an Emmy, Michael Douglas never showed much interest in big budget blockbusters. That’s all changed in the last few years, though, with the veteran having become a valuable addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hank Pym.
In fact, when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania comes to theaters in February 2023, four of his last six feature film credits will have come as part of the MCU, and Chinese blockbuster Animal World didn’t even score a big screen release in the United States. Douglas’ twinkling charm and gravitas have made him an excellent foil for Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, even if Hank keeps pissing of the fans every time he shows up in What If…?.
Yesterday marked the actor’s 77th birthday, and Quantumania director Peyton Reed paid tribute to the second-generation star on social media, while teasing that he’s got big things in store for Douglas’ latest project.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in production, and it’s shaping up to be an integral part of Phase Four, if only for the presence of Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. The first two installments aren’t exactly regarded as top-tier MCU, but the trilogy-capper has all the tools and ingredients to rectify that in a major way.