Michael Douglas Will Only Return To Marvel Under One Shocking Condition
Michael Douglas will only return as Ant-Man's Hank Pym for more MCU movies if his character dies.
Michael Douglas has been in the MCU since 2015, playing Hank Pym in two Ant-Man films, an Avengers movie, and an episode of the animated series What If…? Now he’s appearing in another major MCU entry with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. At the premiere of the latest Ant-Man film, he even provided his conditions for showing up in Ant-Man 4 saying, “As long as I could die.”
While Michael Douglas ends his answer with a chuckle, it would certainly be understandable if he’s ready to wrap up his MCU run. Four films and a TV show is a long time to play one character, and it’s one of the reasons that many actors choose to avoid signing up for a Marvel contract. If Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania provides a satisfying end to Hank Pym’s arc, there’s no reason that Douglas wouldn’t be able to call it a day.
This might be a slightly spoiler-ish comment from Michael Douglas too, as it sort of implies his character will survive Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While that’s not necessarily a big spoiler, it is an interesting tidbit to learn. With Jonathan Majors’ Kang taking center stage as the villain, it certainly seems like this Ant-Man film will have the highest life-or-death stakes yet.
Whether or not we see Michael Douglas as Hank Pym in another Ant-Man film, we’ll definitely get to see him at least one more time in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film is kicking off the next phase of the MCU, and there should be some pretty big developments that affects the ongoing storyline. Kang is set to be the next Avengers-level threat, so we should definitely be getting a sense of his villainous potential in this movie.
Along with Michael Douglas and Jonathan Majors, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kathryn Newton. Peyton Reed returns to direct the script by Jeff Loveness. Along with facing off with Kang, the film will see Scott Lang and the rest of the Ant family exploring the Quantum Realm.
Michael Douglas’ comments do leave us to wonder if there’s a possibility that he would be willing to return as Hank Pym outside of another Ant-Man film. It would take up less of his schedule if he just makes some guest appearances or had a smaller role in some big crossover films. Specifically, it would make sense to see Hank Pym in the 2025 film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Since the Ant family is facing off against the first properly villainous version of Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it would make sense if they may offer insight into some of his weaknesses. It definitely seems like these characters would play an important role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty when his threat level becomes great enough to face off against the assembled Avengers. The Avengers will likely need all the help they can get, including the genius-level intellect of Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym.
In any case, you can see what the immediate MCU future is for Michael Douglas in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film hits theaters on February 17. Make sure to stay tuned for more MCU news.
