Most actors would jump at the chance to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days but we’ve just learned that Michelle Pfeiffer had to be wooed in order to join ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp‘. While one might think that this was due to her previous role as Catwoman 26 years ago for DC, it actually is pretty common for Pfeiffer to have to be talked into roles and then convinced to not leave them! Even the lure that Marvel Studios has these days which can draw other iconic actors to the film such as Michael Douglas and Laurence Fishburne wasn’t enough to lock her in.
It didn’t help director Peyton Reed that he had envisioned her for the part even in the first movie. So when the two finally met, Pfeiffer was very upfront that her process on every single movie was to try and back out of it at the last minute. According to the actress, “That’s just my M.O.”
With an advanced warning that Pfeiffer might try to get out of doing ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp,’ Reed shared:
“Yeah. I thought about it. And I said to her, “Is this your way to say you want me to woo you more? Is that part of the thing?” She’s like, “No, legitimately — yes, I want you to woo me more, but legitimately it’s that kind of thing [that I try to back out of roles].” … Then after meeting her, it became more and more, “Now I’m convinced if she doesn’t do it, I’m going to be a wreck.” We gave her some comics. I said, “You can scour the internet and do all the research you want, but it’s only going to get you so far because the comics and that character started in the early ’60s. A lot of the stuff in the comics is really two-dimensional, if not one-dimensional, and we want to do something different. We talked about what it could be, and I wanted her input throughout in terms of the character, without giving too much away. But for me, it was a thrill to be working with her because she is incredible.”
As to what he did to convince her to take the role? Reed explains:
“She came over and sat in one of the conference rooms, just the two of us at Marvel and kind of talked through who Janet Van Dyne was in the comics and who she might be in this movie.”
Apparently whatever they discussed was enough to have her sign on the dotted line!
Are you eager to see Michelle Pfeiffer play Janet Van Dyne this weekend in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’? Will she be another staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward? Share your thoughts below, True Believers!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
