Ant-Man Star Michael Douglas Says He's 'Had the Experience' of Marvel, Now Unlikely to Return as Hank Pym
Ant-Man star and veteran actor Michael Douglas has said he's probably done with the MCU, after making four big-screen appearances as shrinking scientist Hank Pym.
Ant-Man star and veteran actor Michael Douglas has said he's probably done with the MCU, after making four big-screen appearances as shrinking scientist Hank Pym.
Douglas has appeared in all three Ant-Man movies released to date, culminating in 2023's poorly-received Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, after also appearing in Avengers: Endgame.
But as Avengers: Doomsday begins shooting, will Marvel fans see Hank Pym one last time? According to Douglas, it's unlikely.
"I don't think so," Douglas told Deadline, when asked if he would return for another Marvel project. "I had the experience, and I was excited to do it."
Douglas has largely retired from acting, with Marvel projects being his only big-screen appearances in recent years. At the same time, Douglas has continued work as a producer, for which he holds more than a dozen credits.
"I'd never done a green screen picture before," Douglas continued, of his work on Marvel films. "But I'm enjoying my hiatus and enjoying my life. It was overwhelming running the production company and acting at the same time."
Douglas has previously spoken of his desire for Hank Pym to be killed off in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, rounding out the character's arc while providing higher stakes for Paul Rudd's incarnation of Ant-Man. Marvel bosses, however, decided otherwise.
Quantumania's box office performance has left the future of the Ant-Man series looking less than assured, but Rudd himself has already been confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday.
As for the rest of the Ant-Man family — Pym, Michelle Pfieffer's Janet Van Dyne, and Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne — maybe don't hold your breath. In June 2024, Lilly announced she would be stepping away from acting to focus on her family, making an Avengers: Doomsday appearance by her character Wasp unlikely too.
So, what will be in Avengers: Doomsday? Well, earlier this week the internet got a glimpse at footage that appeared to have leaked from the set of the film, showing a return of a surprising location from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
