Ant-Man star Evangeline Lilly and director Peyton Reed were featured in the newest issue of Empire Magazine, where the two revealed some intriguing tidbits about the changes made to Edgar Wright’s original screenplay.

Thanks to the good folks over at Comic Book Movie, we know a bit more about the reasons why Edgar Wright chose to depart the upcoming superhero flick, after the guy spent years developing the movie for Marvel Studios. One of the things Empire points out to is that the script would have seen Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) take on the "Nano Warrior" as a villain — but the basis of the movie, Lang being guided by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) as a kinda/sorta mentor — was still in the story.

While there were reports Wright’s Ant-Man didn’t take place in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), it actually did. The script featured some cameos from established MCU characters, and Wright had apparently even written an after-credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Oh, what could have been. Joss Whedon recently said of the Shaun of the Dead writer's script: "I thought the script was not only the best script that Marvel had ever had, but the most Marvel script I’d read. I had no interest in Ant-Man. [Then] I read the script, and was like, Of course! This is so good!"

Some of the changes that were ultimately made included a new(ish) villain — Nano Warrior was (thankfully) renamed Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll, The Strain), a car chase was apparently scrapped (we already had a couple of awesome car chase scenes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and a number of characters were cut. It was Dave Callahan (The Expendables) and Eric Pearson’s (Agent Carter) changes to the script/story that ultimately led to Wright’s departure. The man who came after Wright to helm the Marvel flick, Peyton Reed, opened up about taking Wright's place as director:

"Was it a strange situation? Absolutely," says new Ant-Man director Peyton Reed. "One of my concerns upfront was, 'Someone else has developed this movie for a really long time. Can I come in and make it my own?' And that has absolutely been the case. For one thing Marvel have let me explore the dark side of Hank Pym, this tortured, guilt-ridden guy. I love that this is a mentor/pupil story, but with a [frick]ed up pupil and a really [frick]ed up mentor."

Reed even went on to reveal that he had a conversation with Wright via email after accepting the gig: "We both acknowledged the general werdness of the situation. It's all very odd, but it's been really nice to communiate with him."

However, it’s actually Evangeline Lilly (The Hobbit), who describes her character of Hope Van Dyne in the movie as a "kind of a bitch ... a very had woman on a journey towards becoming a decent person," who reveals some truly intriguing details about the changes made to the screenplay by star Paul Rudd and Adam McKay:

"I met with Paul in a little restaurant in New York City, and he talked me through how the movie was changing. I think the most defining difference between the two scripts was that Edgar's didn't take itself as seriously. It was fun and silly and brilliant irreverent - a romp from beginning to end, in classic English fashion. Whereas where we've gotten to is so much more American. There's tons of levity, but just as much emotion."

The magazine also mentions that Anthony Mackies’ Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, might actually put in an appearance alongside other unnamed Avengers (cameo time!), but Peyton Reed remained mum on the subject, only saying: "That's classified information. That's buried. It's possible."

What do you think? Are you more curious than ever to know what Edgar Wright's original screenplay was like? And who do you think will show up in Ant-Man on July 17?

(via Comic Book Movie)