I had so much fun interviewing the stars of “Ant-Man and the Wasp” on my trip to LA for the press junket.  I also got the chance to interview the brains behind the movie: direct Peyton Reed!  He gave us the scoop on everything you’ve been wanting to know!

In regards to the end of the movie…

It was not always planned! Director Peyton Reed said that the timing of Ant-Man and the Wasp was complicated because of its timing with Ant-Man (the first one!) and Civil War, saying it was impossible to forget what Scott Lang did in that movie. “We weren’t always sure how we were going to fit in with regards to infinity war,” Reed said.

The Quantum Realm

Many people who watched Ant-Man and The Wasp quickly connected the quantum realm to Dr. Strange! Reed said this was no accident, he wanted to embrace the “psychedelic atmosphere” of the Marvel comics, which has been present since the 1960s! 

“It [The Quantum Realm] had not really been explored in the MCU [Marvel Comic Universe] yet.” – Reed

The quantum realm was based off the first movie, but the team wanted to show the audience “a little bit more”.  Reed said the quantum realm has different dimensions, and “hopefully they will all sort of serve different purposes in the future.” “It [the quantum realm] also had to fit into the rest of our movie, which compared to come of the other Marvel movies, a little more grounded. It takes place in our world, not outer space or something like that. So it had to have a reality to it as well. It was a huge challenge to visualize the quantum realm but really really fun,” Reed said.

The Music!

There is a lot of Morrissey in the upcoming soundtrack. Reed said he got inspiration from his own experiences to use Morrissey in the film. “For a very brief time, I played drums in a Morrissey and Smiths cover band called Louder Than Bombs. We played a couple shows around LA, just for fun, and then quickly learned that many people compared us to other cover bands and they were way better,” Reed said.

Reed learned about how Morrissey has a huge following with the Latino community in LA,

 “…because of his particular singing style and also how he writes and embraces LA culture, it really occured to us as something that Luis would know about and be into.”

In the film, Luis’ grandmother plays nothing but Morrissey and the writing team loved that Luis was able to mention that in the film! “We had to get his [Morrissey] permission to use his songs and knowing how mercurial he is as a human being, I wasn’t sure [if he’d agree to use the music], but he seemed to like the idea and he said yes,” Reed said.

Cassie Lang, Future Hero?

In the comics, Cassie Lang eventually becomes a hero called Stinger and has similar powers to her dad, Ant-Man. We asked the question on everyone’s mind, will Cassie become a hero in Marvel movies? “I know we definitely wanted to start to lay some groundwork for that possibility. I don’t know what specific plans there are,” Reed said.

Either way, Reed could not say enough great things about the youngest star of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Abby Ryder Fortson (read our interview with her here!). “It was fun to work with Abby 3 years later now! I always love in movies when you see how she has grown,” Reed said.

Reed definitely said that Cassie Lang is mischievous and a tough kid! He brings up the scene where she goes head to head with Agent Wu to protect Scott (Ant-Man). He even brings up one of his favorite scenes with Scott and Cassie,

“I really like the idea of doing that intimate scene where she is talking to Scott about needing a partner and in her mind, its her. And him having to say of course you could do it, but I would be a terrible father if I allowed you to do it.” -Reed

Reed says he loves the evolution of the Scott and Cassie relationship, noting that Fortson being so talented and focused is part of what makes it so special.

“She is such a focused young actor. And I think Paul [Rudd] is part of it, they have a really nice chemistry together and he is able to relax her, its a nice dynamic.” -Reed 

Scott and Cassie aren’t the only father-daughter duo, however! Reed also mentions that Hank and Hope and Phil Foster and Ava help further the father/daughter relationship theme in the film.

What is Next?

Peyton Reed was extremely tight-lipped when asked about future Marvel Comic Universe plans, saying with a chuckle, that he makes movies to be as stand-alone as possible.

“I have to be so careful [about what he says]. I don’t want to be the person who says the wrong thing and then its all over the internet. I think Kevin [Fiege] has a larger plan but that plan is extremely fluid.” -Reed 

Reed says he focuses on his movies, his characters, and doesn’t stress about the overall plan, “I know things I want to do with the characters and the stories I want to tell.”

Make sure to take a look at the teaser trailer!

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ANT-MAN AND THE WASP arrives in theaters everywhere on July 6th!

Be sure to check out my previous Ant-Man and the Wasp interviews like this one with Paul Rudd on the set of filming the movie!