A week has now passed since Marvel dropped the bomb that Edgar Wright would no longer be directing Ant-Man, and fans are not any step closer towards figuring out what is going to be happening with the 2015 release. If this recent shortlist is to be believed, however, the studio may at least have some people in mind to get the movie into shape.
Although rumors having been flying left and right this week as far as not just who will be directing this movie but whether or not the movie would be making its July 2015 release date, The Hollywood Reporter believes they got the scoop on who the studio has on their shortlist to take over the movie.
Those names are Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy), Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and Rawson Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story).
As all of these directors are well-experienced in action-comedy directing, it is evident that Marvel wants to keep the movie's sense of humor, even if they disagreed with Wright as far as his approach towards the film.
Sources say that no decision has officially been made, but THR believes that McKay has the edge here, since he has already worked with star Paul Rudd in the past with the Anchorman films. Apparently Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) was also supposed to be on the list, but a source has denied that he has been approached, as he is currently working on a Christmas movie set to shoot in August which will re-team him with his 50/50 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.
McKay comes off of this December's Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and has a variety of different projects in the works, both as a director and as a producer. Additionally, Fleischer is coming off of last year's Gangster Squad and is supposed to make a sleepover movie Overnight for Disney (this connection to Disney may be in his favor here if he would want the job), as well as a film called Spy Hunter.
Coming off of We're the Millers, Thurber, he is supposed to be directing a sequel to that film, as well an adaptation of the Choose Your Adventure series. Because neither of those scripts are ready, it is possible that he may be Marvel's best choice here in terms of availability. Of course, it is possible that McKay and Fleischer may move their schedules around if they are selected for this film.