Michael Douglas’s Disregarded Ant-Man 3 Request Held the Key to MCU’s Redemption

Michael Douglas wished Hank Pym was killed off in Ant-Man 3, and his wish could have fixed a few problems affecting the current state of the MCU.

Michael Douglas recently shared the one request he had for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and it would have fixed a few of the MCU’s current problems. Douglas first played Hank Pym in 2014’s Ant-Man. He is a genius scientist who passed down his Ant-Man persona to Scott Lang after Scott stole his suit. Douglas has delivered an excellent performance as the character, but he would like to move on from the MCU. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Douglas said he had one request for Ant-Man 3 that wasn’t granted.

“This actually was my request for the third one. I said I’d like to have a serious [death], with all these great special effects. There’s got to be some fantastic way where I can shrink to an ant size and explode, whatever it is. I want to use all those effects. But, that was on the last one. Now, I don’t think I’m going to show up.”

Hank Pym survived his encounter with Kang in Quantumania, but Douglas had the right idea. He’s been in the MCU for a while now and has served his purpose as an inventor and a mentor to Scott. While it would have been sad to see, Hank’s death in Ant-Man 3 would have solved a few problems that the MCU currently faces.

Hank Pym’s Death Would Have Made Kang More Intimidating

The MCU used Quantumania to establish Kang as the central villain of the Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, Kang the Conqueror landed with a whimper with audiences, and part of that is how he went out. He was defeated by Hank’s army of ants and then eventually killed by Scott and Hope Van Dyne. While he and his army killed many of the Quantum Realm’s inhabitants, he didn’t kill any of the main heroes and subsequently didn’t seem threatening to audiences.

If Hank had been killed by Kang or sacrificed himself to defeat Kang, it would have made the army of incoming Kang variants more intimidating. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos beat up Hulk and killed Loki right away, showing audiences that Thanos is a powerful foe who could be too much for the Avengers. Since Hank and none of the other heroes died fighting Kang, there’s no reason for audiences to think that the Avengers couldn’t easily take him or his variants down. Ant-Man 3 should have had at least one death, and Hank’s would have been a perfect choice.

Quantumania’s Ending Needed More Impact

Since Quantumania was setting up Kang, the ending needed to leave viewers worried about the looming threat. By killing Kang so easily, it left the film feeling like any other MCU film. The film could have ended with Hope and Scott stuck in the Quantum Realm, but that’s quickly undone. The film tries to create an impact through Scott’s inner monologue where he wonders if Kang is really gone, but it’s immediately cut by a joke. Ant-Man 3‘s post-credits scene also didn’t do much to concern viewers, as there is little known about this army of Kangs.

If Hank had died at the end of Ant-Man 3, the film would have had the emotional ending that it needed. It would have given Quantumania more weight and a moment that audiences would remember. It also would have given the heroes more of a connection to Kang and made him more of a dangerous force within the MCU. A lack of emotional weight and impact is a common issue in Phase 4 and Phase 5, and killing off Hank would have fixed this marginally.

The MCU Needs To Start Giving More Characters Endings

Outside of Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, there are many MCU characters whose stories are incomplete. Even if they have been a part of the universe since the beginning, their arcs haven’t wrapped up. At a certain point, Marvel needed to start giving more characters closure, and Hank’s death could have been a good opportunity to conclude his story. He doesn’t have much of a role left to play in the MCU anymore, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could have wrapped up his story nicely.

Additionally, the MCU is too big now. New characters are being added in every project, which means some old characters need to make their exit. While Hank’s absence wouldn’t make much of a dent in the ever-expanding MCU, it would mean there is one less character that Marvel needs to worry about. It’s tough to watch likable characters die, but the MCU needs to start ending more character’s stories, and Hank’s death would have given Michael Douglas a good send-off.