Michael Douglas Says He Asked Marvel to Kill Him Off in ‘Ant-Man’ Movies: ‘You Can’t Get Out of It’

In a recent podcast interview, Michael Douglas revealed he had once requested to be written out of the "Ant-Man" series. The actor discussed his decision during an appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. Host Josh Horowitz questioned Douglas about reports that he had asked Marvel to have his character Hank Pym killed off following the release of the second "Ant-Man" film in 2018.

Douglas confirmed the account, stating, "I would have been killed off after the second one, but they wouldn't let me." He added a humorous remark, noting, "We did 'Ant-Man' and Paul Rudd was a wonderful actor — a lovely group — but then you can't get out of it." The acclaimed actor initially joined Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2015 with "Ant-Man," playing Hank Pym, the first Ant-Man.

He mentored Scott Lang, portrayed by Rudd, in the role of the second Ant-Man. Douglas indicated his interest in joining the MCU stemmed from curiosity about green screen movies. "I said, 'I’ve never done a green screen movie,'" he recalled. "I [told] all my agents, 'I’d like to do one of these green screen movies to see what they’re like, since it’s amazing.

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.'" Beyond "Ant-Man" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp," Douglas has appeared in two other Marvel films. He was present in 2019’s "Avengers: Endgame" alongside a majority of the MCU cast as of that point and in "Ant-Man: Quantumania" in 2023.

It remains uncertain where else he might appear in the franchise or how long his desire for an exit from the universe might persist.