Ant-Man's Importance Within The MCU Revealed!

Events within the MCU have reached a tipping point - With the Earth now a potential target from intergalactic threats and its primary line of defense S.H.I.E.L.D. in tatters after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier uncovered Hydra's infiltration of the peacekeeping agency, the Avengers take over responsibility of protecting the Earth from threats within and without. But after the events from the forthcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron in which Tony Stark and Bruce Banners attempt to revive a dormant peacekeeping program leads to the birth of one Earths greatest threats, support for superheroes both publicly and politically will be shaken, inevitably leading to the governments of Earth trying to police such heroes, bringing about the events of next years Captain America: Civil War.

It will be amidst this time of unpopular heroes that they will be needed more than before as the titan Thanos slowly turns his attentions toward Earth, and it is in this time when the Avengers and their peers are so unpopular that a new breed of heroes will rise to protect the weak. The final movie in phase 2 of the MCU, Ant-Man is one of these heroes, that wil pave the way for those that will follow; Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Miss Marvel etc. Ant-Man will also continue the theme that will carry on into Captain America: Civil War - the struggle to contain superheroes domestically when they are needed globally, the reluctance to accept hat such heroes are needed, and the ignorance of the fact that the Earth is no longer alone.

While the Avengers are striving to defend the Earth, Hank Pym's ideals are more old fashioned and more selfish, but it will be through his protege Scott Lang that he will come to realise the importance of superheroes in a new, intergalactic world, as Kevin Feige recently explained to Slashfilm...

"It is not [an after-thought]. The truth is the phases mean a lot to me and some people but…Civil War is the start of Phase Three. It just is. And Ant-Man is a different kind of culmination of Phase Two because it very much is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

"You meet new characters and you learn about Hank Pym and his lineage with the MCU over the years. But at the same time, it also picks up the thread of Age of Ultron in terms of heroes – major heroes, Avengers – coming from unexpected places. Whether it’s prison in the case of Scott Lang or being a very disgruntled Sokovian Twins as Wanda and Pietro are inAge of Ultron. And in that way it connects a lot. Also, Hank Pym’s attitude towards Avengers, towards S.H.I.E.L.D, and kind of the cinematic universe in general, is much more informed afterAge of Ultron events, and in a certain way, before the events of Civil War."

While Ant-Man may not be the huge, explosive blockbuster Avengers: Age of Utron will be, it will be a more thought provoking, narratively important instalment within the MCU. Then of course there are the possibilties of more general tie ins to the other films; primarily of which - is the 'dormant peacekeeping program' Stark and Banner revive an old project of Pym's? Mabe the new action packed trailer, due out tomorrow will give us a glimpse. In the meantime enjoy the recently released movie still of Ant-Man fighting villain Yellow-Jacket...