Michael Douglas Confirms He's Done With the MCU After Four Films — GeekTyrant
Michael Douglas is officially hanging up the lab coat. After playing Hank Pym in four Marvel movies over nearly a decade, the actor says he's stepping away from the MCU.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Douglas made it clear that his Marvel movie chapter has come to a close. When asked whether he might return as the original Ant-Man, he responded:
'I don't think so. I had the experience, and I was excited to do it. I'd never done a green screen picture before. I did The Kominsky Method because I wanted to work with Chuck Lorre and try some comedy.
'But I'm enjoying my hiatus and enjoying my life. It was overwhelming running the production company and acting at the same time.'
Douglas first appeared as Hank Pym in Ant-Man (2015), playing mentor to Paul Rudd's Scott Lang. He reprised the role in Ant-Man and the Wasp , briefly Avengers: Endgame , and most recently, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in 2023. His character brought a sharp, cranky charm to the series.
But, with Quantumania underperforming and the future of the Ant-Man solo series uncertain, Douglas seems content with calling it a day. At 80, he's earned the right to pick his battles and focus on things that bring him joy outside of the Marvel machine.
Still, his departure leaves a bit of a gap. Paul Rudd is confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday , but with Evangeline Lilly and Kathryn Newton's futures still unannounced, it's unclear how much of the Ant-family we'll see again.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
23 minutes ago
- Newsweek
'Wicked' Star Cynthia Erivo Calls Out Critics of Her New Role
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Cynthia Erivo remains one of the most talented performers working today. One letter shy of an EGOT, Erivo most recently garnered critical acclaim for her iconic performance as Elphaba in "Wicked," which earned her a second Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress. Now, with "Wicked: For Good" releasing later this year, Erivo is ready for her next project: "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Hollywood Bowl. More Entertainment: Fan-Favorite 'Schitt's Creek' Star Joins MCU The Tony Award winner will be taking on the role of Jesus Christ opposite Adam Lambert as Judas. Erivo's casting has received complaints from conservative critics over, and it seems that she really doesn't care about that. INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19: Cynthia Erivo performs with Gustavo Dudamel & LA Phil at the Coachella Stage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2025 in Indio, California. INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19: Cynthia Erivo performs with Gustavo Dudamel & LA Phil at the Coachella Stage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2025 in Indio, Coachella In an interview with Stephen Daw of Billboard, Erivo addressed the claims that her performance as Jesus in the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical was "blasphemous," pointing out that there was no reason she shouldn't be able to play the character. "Why Not?" Erivo asked with a chuckle. "You can't please everyone. It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off. So hopefully they will come and realize, 'Oh, it's a musical, the gayest place on Earth.'" More Entertainment: Stephen King 'Carrie' Remake Officially Reveals Main Cast Erivo received similar criticism when she was cast as Elphaba, with many critics claiming she was a "woke hire." "I had to audition, just like everybody else. And I'm glad I had to do that," Erivo said, per Afua Hirsh of Elle. "I have the credentials for it. I've done the work. But I'm glad they got to be sure about the choice. It allows me to take this, and to know that I had to work really hard for it." In fact, she believes her experience as "the other" informed her performance as the future Wicked Witch of the West. "I was conscious that I didn't want to erase the thing that I am underneath the green," Erivo said. "For me, it was about using my own experience as the 'other,' as someone who exists in that way. So, that's partially the reason why Elphaba has braids, as opposed to straight hair. It's the reason why she has long nails." Erivo will be performing in "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Hollywood Bowl from Aug. 1-3, 2025. "Wicked: For Good" hits cinemas on Nov. 21, 2025. More Entertainment: Original 'King of the Hill' Voice Actor Dead After Fatal Shooting 'A Minecraft Movie' Hits HBO Max for Free Streaming in June: What to Know For more entertainment news, head on over to Newsweek Entertainment.
Geek Tyrant
an hour ago
- Geek Tyrant
Frank Grillo Talks About Why His DC Character Has Been So Much More Fulfilling Than His Marvel Role Ever Was — GeekTyrant
Frank Grillo is one of the few in the club of those who have played characters in both the DC and Marvel Universes. He played Brock Rumlow, a.k.a. Crossbones, in the Marvel movies Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). He returned to voice the character in the series What If…? , and appeared in Avengers: Endgame . Though his appearance was brief, he's kept himself busy in other franchises, namely DC, and he's a lot happier with this arc over there than he ever was at Marvel. During a recent appearance on the Tulsa King panel at Fan Expo Dallas, moderated and hosted by ScreenRant, Grillo looked back on his time with the MCU, while sharing why he is having a better time being part of the DCU franchise. After discussing the MCU's Crossbones, Grillo explained what the upside is to playing a character like Flag Sr. in the DCU while working together with James Gunn: 'Rick Flag Sr... It was unfortunate because Crossbones isn't onscreen that much, and this is years ago. People love that character, and Marvel seems to have reused every other character except Crossbones. 'Now he's popping up in Spider-Man comics and Daredevil comics because he's a great villain, so I was expecting to have a lot of fun with it. But unfortunately, he perished kind of quickly. But I love working with James Gunn. ''I did the voice for Creature Commandos, and then I'm in Peacemaker, which is coming up in August. And before that, it's Superman with Rick Flag. So, it's different; it's more of an adventure than the Marvel stuff was.' Grillo's Flag Sr. makes his live-action debut with Superman in July, before returning in Peacemaker season 2.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Fan-Favorite 'Schitt's Creek' Star Joins MCU
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The Marvel Cinematic Universe has served as an excellent way for television stars to make a highly visible transition to the big screen. This has been proven true for multiple actors, including Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Emma Corrin, and Joseph Quinn in the upcoming "Fantastic Four: First Steps." More Entertainment: Star Wars Icon Says He's Done With The Franchise Now, a fan-favorite star from the hit comedy series "Schitt's Creek" will officially be joining the MCU. 'Schitt's Creek' broke a number of Emmy records 'Schitt's Creek' broke a number of Emmy records Pop TV According to a report from Adam B. Vary of Variety, Emily Hampshire, known for playing Stevie Budd in "Schitt's Creek," has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ series "Vision Quest" as E.D.I.T.H. Marvel's "Vision" series has cast 'Schitt's Creek' star Emily Hampshire as E.D.I.T.H., the Stark Industries artificial intelligence introduced in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home.' She joins Paul Bettany in the — Variety (@Variety) June 4, 2025 E.D.I.T.H., which stands for "Even Dead, I'm The Hero," was first introduced into the MCU in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" as the sunglasses gifted to Peter Parker (Tom Holland) by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The glasses were later given to Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) by Parker before being retrieved once his nefarious plans were known. After Parker was revealed to be Spider-Man, the glasses were confiscated and haven't been seen since. More Entertainment: 'The Boys' Antony Starr Calls Out Fans 'Glorifying' Homelander Hampshire will be joining a cast led by Paul Bettany as Vision, who was last seen in the hit series "WandaVision." Also returning is James Spader as Ultron, who was last seen in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Other members of the cast include T'Nia Miller as Jocasta, Ruaridh Mollica as Tucker, and Todd Stashwick as an assassin who is hunting Vision. More Entertainment: James Gunn Responds to 'Superman' Rumor Hampshire has been acting professionally since 1994, when she made her debut in "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" Since then, she has starred in such projects as "Boy Meets Girl," "Snow Cake," the "12 Monkeys" television series, and "Ruby Gloom." Hampshire has also had voice acting roles in "Braceface," "Anne of Green Gables: The Animates Series," and "6Teen." However, Hampshire is most well-known for her performance as Stevie Budd in "Schitt's Creek." The best friend of David Rose (Daniel Levy), Hampshire became beloved by fans for her dry sense of humor and no-nonsense attitude. She won countless awards for her performance, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. More Entertainment: Stephen King 'Carrie' Remake Officially Reveals Main Cast Fact-Check: Is Flick Offers a Real Way to Make Money on Netflix—or a Scam?' For more Marvel, television, and entertainment news, head on over to Newsweek Entertainment.
