Joss Whedon skillfully established the Marvel superhero team in his well-written script for The Avengers. While each character had their time and space to shine, not everything from Whedon’s script made it into the final product. One particular deleted scene from The Avengers potentially hints at Ant-Man, a character not introduced until three years later.
The reference in the deleted scene about “a big guy that gets all little” can be interpreted as a possible Ant-Man reference. The scene is made more awesome by the extended presence of Harry Dean Stanton, who only had a quick cameo in the final cut.
The Avengers Deleted Scene May Have Teased Ant-Man Years Before Paul Rudd’s Debut
The theatrical version of The Avengers was 143 minutes long, but the film had more footage than that. The deleted scenes of the film were released in the Blu-Ray/DVD version, and fans got to see many extra bits that deepened the character arc of each superhero. Interestingly, there were some (possible) references that hinted at what was coming next after the film.
In the final cut of the film, fans got to see Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk causing chaos and falling to the Earth from the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. After Bruce Banner emerges from the rubble, he meets with the security guard character played by the late Harry Dean Stanton. Although the character doesn’t have much to say in the final cut, the deleted scene adds a new dimension to his character. In his conversation with Banner in the deleted scene, the experienced guard asks Banner:
“So which one is it? Are you a big guy that gets all little or a little guy that sometimes blows up large?”
Many interpret this as a reference to Bruce Banner’s identity issue – whether he’s the Hulk or the human. However, the possibility of that theory is weak considering the further films in the MCU didn’t explore such a theme for the Hulk. One other possibility, a bit of a stretch, is that it might be a nod to the Ant-Man movie that had entered the development phase back then under Edgar Wright.
Paul Rudd’s movie took three more years to hit theaters after The Avengers, during which Wright left the project due to issues with Marvel. Peyton Reed replaced him, and the film became a surprise hit, grossing $519 million at the box office.
How Did Harry Dean Stanton’s Character Know About Ant-Man?
He didn’t. At least, the security guard character didn’t know about Paul Rudd’s character. However, Scott Lang is not the only Ant-Man in the MCU’s world. Scott Lang inherited the suit from Hank Pym, who used to be Ant-Man. It is very much possible that Stanton’s character may have heard about Michael Douglas’s character’s stint as Ant-Man.
The Ant-Man reference is not the only scene cut from the film. A potential love interest for Steve Rogers, a character arc for Maria Hill, Loki’s internal conflicts, and many more possibly interesting subplots were removed at the editing table. While there’s disappointment among fans about missing some of these scenes, the final cut did justice to the story and the characters.
Also Read: 2 Actors Who Almost Became MCU’s Hawkeye Before Jeremy Renner Stole the Show in The Avengers
The Avengers is now available for streaming on Disney+.
