When the first plot synopsis for "Ant-Man" was revealed last year, it said that protagonist Scott Lang was a con-man. However, a new version from January labeled him a "master thief." This may not sound like a big difference, but it's possible that this was an issue mulled over behind-the-scenes. As with many other major tentpole films, "Ant-Man" recently underwent some reshoots, with reports saying that Marvel made one big change to Paul Rudd's character that better reflects the material originally written for him by Edgar Wright.
Umberto Gonzalez of Latino Review reports that Marvel is restoring Scott Lang to his initial position as an intelligent criminal and including a plotline from Wright's draft that was originally cut. Badass Digest also reports that the success "Guardians of the Galaxy" generated caused the studio to rethink Lang's "roguishness." It now appears that Lang will be a true-blue criminal as opposed to a morally flexible con-man. This may lead to an extra scene that shows Lang engaging in some less than legal activities.
Repositioning Lang as a thief stays more true to the original comic book character, which will surely delight hardcore fans of the source material. It also gives Lang a better reason to recreate his superhero introduction. In the comics, Lang broke into the lab of original Ant-Man Dr. Hank Pym (portrayed by Michael Douglas) and stole his shrinking suit so he could rescue a doctor that was helping his sick daughter. This will make for a more interesting redemption story.
"Ant-Man" will hit theatres on July 17.