Despite its troubled development and production process, Marvel's Ant-Man is — with each tiny slice of new footage released ahead of its debut — effectively building admirably large hype for a seemingly unorthodox take on the Marvel blockbuster. Paul Rudd, a.k.a. Mr. Affable Everyman, is clearly the right choice for a film with such a playfully self-aware sense of tone — and a handle on that tone's strengths and limits.
Over the past week, two new Ant-Man TV spots found their way onto TV's enemy (our dear internet), providing some previously unseen glimpses and a respectable dose of giggles. Though previous Marvel films have struggled with the mastery of humor, perhaps Rudd's obvious penchant for such things can guide Ant-Man to the comedic finish line.
Ant-Man embraces its own silliness starting July 17.