This is the source. I am not sure if they created this art.
1. Is Scott a martyr or a reformed deadbeat?
In the first film, Scott became a criminal because his employer was corrupt. Or that’s how it seemed. How that spurred him to become a criminal, we’re not sure. It felt more like a Robin Hood situation.
Later, when he can’t find a job because of his record, Scott steals to survive. Stealing is wrong, I know. But the film highlights WHY he does this. They present it sympathetically. Ex-cons do have a hard time thriving after prison. For many, the struggle forces them to go back to old habits.
But there are times when Scott is treated as if he’s the average criminal. Hank, in particular, treats him like that. He implies Scott deserves a chance at redemption. It clashes with the sympathetic angle that was first presented. Even his friends are treated with more sympathy and forgiveness throughout the franchise than Scott, our main character.
2. Is Scott an idiot or very intelligent?
Scott has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He’s the one who came up with the idea of time travel, and it wasn’t just a pipe dream. He’s shown clearly working through the science of it in his head. In the first film, he was insightful enough to help Hope understand why her father chose him for the mission instead of her. He may not be a genius, but this man is no idiot.
But he is constantly being treated like one. Sometimes, the script makes him do stupid things. For the lulz, I suppose. But it’s jarring. It was more prevalent in Ant-Man 2. Hope and Hank are constantly talking down to him. I remember it pulling me out of the film so much. This was done in the first film, but not as annoying as the second one. Which leads me to my last point.
3. Hank and Hope are incredibly unlikable
The way they talk down to Scott throughout the series is disenchanting. Honestly, I don’t remember the specific scenes. I only remember feeling annoyed. Hank comes off as particularly self-righteous.
This is my opinion of the character and why I have disengaged with the franchise. It turns me off so much I didn’t want to re-watch the films for this little blog post. So it’s written from memory. I will write more thought-out posts in the future.
