Michael Douglas wanted to be killed off in ‘Ant-Man’, but marvel had other plans

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas has revealed that he wanted to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after the second ‘Ant-Man’ film, but the studio had other plans for his character. The actor, who played scientist Hank Pym in the superhero franchise, said he had hoped to be written out of the story earlier, only to find that exiting the series was not as straightforward as he had expected.

Douglas shared the anecdote during an appearance on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz. Reflecting on his time in the franchise, the two-time Oscar winner joked about his unsuccessful attempt to bring his character's journey to an end. 

“I would have been killed off after the second one, but they wouldn’t let me,” Douglas said jokingly.

Michael Douglas on joining the Marvel franchise

Douglas made his MCU debut in 2015's ‘Ant-Man’, playing Hank Pym, the scientist who originally developed the technology behind the superhero's shrinking abilities. The film also introduced Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, who takes on the Ant-Man mantle, and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, Pym's daughter.

The actor returned for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ in 2018 and the third instalment, ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’, in 2023. He also appeared in a cameo role in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019.

Despite enjoying the experience of working alongside Rudd and the wider cast, Douglas admitted that committing to a major franchise came with unexpected limitations.

“We did Ant-Man and Paul Rudd was a wonderful actor, a lovely group, but then you can’t get out of it,” Douglas said.

He also joined Horowitz in joking that he should have paid closer attention to the terms of his agreement before signing on for the films. People reported that it had contacted Marvel Studios for comment.

Why Douglas wanted to try green-screen filmmaking

Douglas' decision to explore superhero films came during a period when he was looking to move beyond familiar territory in his career. Following his recovery from cancer in 2011 and his work on HBO's biographical film ‘Behind the Candelabra’, the actor began considering projects that offered a different kind of experience.

His interest initially led him towards comedy, including the Netflix series ‘The Kominsky Method’, created by Chuck Lorre and co-starring Alan Arkin. He later became curious about the technical process behind big-budget films that rely heavily on visual effects.

“I told all my agents, ‘I’d like to do one of these green screen movies to see what they’re like,’ you know? Because it’s amazing,” the two-time Oscar winner said.

“It’s nothing, just a green screen and they show you the pictures of what it’s gonna look like when it’s all finished,” he added.

However, the reality of working on such productions proved more demanding than he had anticipated. Alongside the technical challenges, Douglas discovered that being part of an established cinematic universe could also make it difficult to step away from a role.

Michael Douglas prioritises family over acting

Although Douglas continues to take on select projects, his professional priorities have shifted in recent years, with more of his time devoted to his family. His most recent starring role was as Benjamin Franklin in an Apple TV+ miniseries released in 2024. He has also filmed a small part in Oliver Stone's upcoming film ‘White Lies’.

Speaking to People, Douglas explained that his changing approach to work had not necessarily meant slowing down, but rather choosing how to spend his time differently.

“I haven’t slowed down but I spend my time very differently now. I’ve traded the adventures for making movies for adventures with my family,” he said.

The actor added that family holidays had become an important part of his routine, with an annual trip planned to give them time together away from their professional commitments.

“For the past few years, I’ve made sure to plan at least one big family trip every year,” he added.

Douglas also spoke warmly about his wife, actor Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their respective roles in organising and documenting family holidays.

“She has declared [him] the world’s best travel agent, and she is the momarazzi, recording every last detail for posterity,” he said, according to People.

Douglas' memoir, ‘One Helluva Ride’, is also available to readers.