When I arrived to the Ant-Man press event, I expected to be speaking with Director Peyton Reed and was excited to be chatting with him about Ant-Man again but I wasn’t expecting to speak with Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios!

Thankfully, I had interviewed both of these creative geniuses before (Kevin) (Peyton) or I might have been nervous! Instead, I listened intensely about what they had to say about Ant-Man and Marvel and then got a picture with them! Oh yeah!

Leanette Fernandez with Peyton Reed & Kevin Feige

*After taking this pic I actually chatted with Kevin Feige about how I loved Ant-Man and the way it was different than others in that there is a personal story angle that we can relate to. I am not sure how it came up but we then proceeded to chat about Abby Fortson, and how just like her his 6 year old daughter had lose her 2 front teeth. Just goes to show that they are creating films with families in mind.

15 Ant-Man Facts I learned from Director Peyton Reed and President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige

(the last 2 are all the way at the bottom because they contain spoilers but that part has clearly been indicated)

Exclusive Ant-Man Interview with Peyton Reed & Kevin Feige

Director Peyton Reed

  • Ant-Man is the kind of movie that he wanted to do for a really long time and it’s a big departure from the types of movies he typically directs.
  • He developed Fantastic Four for a time and that’s where I first met Kevin. He did not end up doing that movie but it was something that he really wanted to do and he actually came in and pitched on Guardians of the Galaxy. When Ant-Man came about and the opportunity came up, he really jumped at the chance. Plus, he had known Paul Rudd for a while and they had never had a chance to work together, so it just made sense.
  • In the context of Marvel movies, Ant-Man being a smaller, more intimate Marvel movie that kind of revolves around family really appealed to him.
  • He wanted to make it sort of a tight, fun movie that is hopefully a repeat movie going experience that makes the audience feel good.
  • Spent a lot of time with Jake Morrison, the Visual Effects Supervisor, to discuss the realism that they wanted because being that it would hopefully be the definitive “shrinking movie” for 2015, it had to look as photorealistic as possible.
  • When he started working on Ant Man, he would just pour through the old comic books and find images that he loved as a kid, or that appeal to him now that he thought would have to find its way into the movie.
  • The heist movie idea was a fun structure to work in.
  • Loved the idea of having Ant Man, who’s not quite prepared, face another Marvel character.
  • Creating the ants and making them seem like real ants, giving them specific qualities and characters was a big challenge. but he loves that a kid can see the movie and he’s like, “Oh a carpenter ant, how could that happen?” They go on Wikipedia or they read a book about them and it’s all based on facts because that would’ve appealed to him as a kid.
  • He’s a big Bullet Ant fan.

President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige

  • Usually comic images that he loves find their way into movies.
  • They want to make movies that they would want to go see.
  • They want to see roles with powerful women because they all have powerful women in their lives. That’s the way of the world.

**SPOILER**

Kevin Feige: “When it comes to Hope, the big question was, “Well, why isn’t she in the suit?” She could easily be in the suit. She is clearly in the movie that we’ve made, more capable than Scott Lang is to be in the suit and it became the cruxt of her issues with her dad and her issues with the way the relationship they had growing up and why it becomes a big reveal in the movie. This is why I’m so adamant about it, leading up to the moment at the very end of the movie where he gets over those issues and she says, which I think is one of my favorite quotes of any of our films, “It’s about damn time.” [LAUGHTER]

Peyton Reed: Both figuratively and literally she’s finally allowed to spread her wings and it’s because her dad finally realizes that she has value and he’s sorta able to let go and accept that she’s a powerful person.

Want more Ant-Man interviews? Check out my interviews with Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd & Evangeline Lilly and Ant-Man’s Antourage (Michael Pena, T.I. & David Dastmalchian). You can also check out my exclusive Ant-Man Set Visit Interviews with Paul Rudd, Director Peyton Reed, Judy Greer and Abby Fortson?

Ant-Man Synopsis:

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Ant-Man is officially in theaters so and see it…with your family!