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Ant-Man and the Wasp Almost Included a Goliath Flashback
At one point, Goliath was set to appear via a flashback scene in Ant-Man & The Wasp. Laurence Fishburne played the character Bill Foster, whose alter-ego is Goliath in the comics. Fishburne’s portrayal in the film was of a much older Foster, who had hung up the superhero mantle years before the movie began. There was a quick name-drop in the film, but Foster was never shown in the Goliath costume.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to use the current Ant-Man, Scott Lang, in place of the original, Hank Pym. Instead, Pym (Michael Douglas) appeared as a mentor to Lang (Paul Rudd), having retired from the role of Ant-Man. Along with Pym, the MCU has also made the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, and Goliath much older than the current generation of heroes. It's seemed unlikely that the MCU would see Goliath at all, at least not with Foster in the suit. However, there were once plans to feature the character onscreen in Ant-Man & The Wasp.
In a recent episode of The Empire Film Podcast, director Peyton Reed opened up about the original blueprint for Goliath in the film. Originally, Foster told his backstory, and the scene featured a young version of Pym and himself in which Foster achieved the 21-foot record he brags about in the film to Lang. Reed claims that the scene was cut because “it felt, just narratively, it just was too much of a left turn.” Reed felt that while it would have received applause from more traditional Marvel fans, it might have been confusing to the general audience. He also adds that in the future, the door could be open to feature Goliath onscreen.
It seems that there's at least a genuine interest in showcasing Foster’s Goliath in some capacity, even though Reed thought it might have been a distraction from the story of Ant-Man & The Wasp. It certainly would resonate with Marvel fans. Even though Goliath is not exactly a household name when it comes to superheroes, he's a classic Marvel character, and has played a major role in comic events like “Civil War,” in which the character perished. While Lang already has the same abilities as Goliath, it would be fun to see Foster join him and Wasp in action.
Then again, perhaps the MCU could keep the trend of retiring certain older heroes, and keep Foster strictly on the sidelines as a mentor. In the comics, Foster’s nephew also became a version of Goliath following Bill’s death. Maybe future Ant-Man films could adapt this storyline in a way that fits the theme of old heroes passing the torch onto new heroes. Marvel Studios has kept Phase 4 under wraps, so anything is possible for potential sequels to Ant-Man & The Wasp.
