'Ant-Man 2' release date, plot rumors: Sequel coming? Who's next for the hero to take down?

Paul Rudd in "Ant-Man" Marvel

Reports say that "Ant-Man" had a rather lackluster performance in the box office. Its opening ticket sales ranked second lowest among the Marvel films, with "The Incredible Hulk" at the bottom spot. Despite this, director Peyton Reed is ready for more action with the pint-sized hero.

"I'd love the chance to do a second movie and further the voyage of these characters and do another 'Ant-Man' adventure where it's not an origins story and we're free to just take those characters and go wherever we want to go," the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly.

Marvel is yet to make "Ant-Man 2" official though but Reed believes that "everybody would be inclined to make it happen as soon as possible." There are more stories to play with and lay out involving the other characters.

For starters, fans see so much potential in expanding the story of Evangeline Lily's character Hope Van Dyne. By the end of the film, she took on the identity of the Wasp, which is considered one of the most dearly loved characters in the comics.

As for the possible villains Ant-Man will take on, Movie News Guide  reports that there are three potential baddies that will make for a great battle in "Ant-Man 2." The first one is the Black Ant aka Eric O'Grady, a SHIELD agent originally tasked to watch over Pym's tech.

He ended up gaining control of the gizmo after a Hydra-related mayhem. Screenrant thinks his transition to Black Ant and his rise to power should play out nicely in "Ant-Man 2." The same goes for William Cross who also goes by the name Crossfire. The inclusion of the cybernetic mercenary in the sequel should do a good job at tying up "Ant-Man" to the "Avengers."

Lastly, there's Jocasta, Ultron's robot mate. In the comics, Ultron attempted to bring Wasp's life force in order to animate her. With Wasp already established in the first movie, Marvel wouldn't have a hard time bringing the character in. But as Screen Rant pointed out, she will likely be better off being introduced as a hero and sort of an omen to the coming of a new villain as destructive as Ultron.

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