Peyton Reed, who has directed all three Ant-Man films, has revealed his plans as a director and where the MCU fits in. He also discussed why he's interested in Nova but not the X-Men.
With a long history in TV, Reed had only directed four films before Ant-Man, none of which were superhero or action movies. His background in lighter films like Yes Man starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel, and The Break-Up, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, seems to have worked in his favor. While the Ant-Man films aren't lacking in action, Scott Lang's quirky attitude make him stand out from other more serious members of The Avengers.
During an interview with Collider, Reed was asked if he'd be interested in directing a fourth Ant-Man movie. "[...] when we were doing the first Ant-Man there was certainly no guarantee we were going to get to make a second one. And even after the second one, there was no guarantee...we knew if we're gonna get to do a third one, it's gotta be something altogether different. We gotta show the audience something different," Reed said. "For me, it was the Quantum Realm, of being able to create that whole world, worlds within worlds, and answer those questions...And also, to kick off Phase 5, to introduce Kang the Conqueror with Jonathan [Majors]. So I was focused on that thing. Now that the trilogy is done, who knows?"
Reed gave a similar answer when asked if he'd consider doing another Marvel about a different superhero: it's not off the table, but it's not his only plan. Throughout the interview, Reed emphasized his love of trying new things as a filmmaker and his desire to broaden his scope. "Yeah, I think so, I mean it would have to be the right thing. I'm not an X-Men guy. Jeff Loveness, he's an X-Men guy. I love the X-Men, I love watching X-Men movies. I don't want to make an X-Men movie," Reed said. "[...] would do a Nova movie. I love [The Man Called Nova]. That seems cool."
Reed's specific interest in wanting to direct an MCU movie centered around Nova is interesting. In the comics, Nova (also known as Richard Rider) is the Nova Prime, the highest rank within the Nova Corps, a group of intergalactic enforcers who draw power from the Nova Force. While the Nova Corps did appear in Guardians of the Galaxy with Glenn Close portraying Nova Prime Irani Rael, the organization has never been front and center in the MCU. Reed likened Nova to Ant-Man since he sees them as underdog characters who don't get as much attention as Iron Man, Captain America, and The Hulk.
Although Avengers: Infinity War implies that Thanos destroyed the Nova Corps in his search for the Power Stone, the MCU now operates within the multiverse. From Spider-Man: No Way Home to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, audiences have already tasted what's possible when messing with the multiverse. By exploring alternate versions of heroes to reintroducing characters who were thought to be done with their time in MCU, the possibilities within the multiverse are endless.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in theaters.
Source: Collider