Michael Douglas has opened up about wanting to be killed off in a hugely popular role, and that he made the official “request” ahead of filming.
The actor starred as Hank Pym in the Marvel universe and was one of the lead characters in Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania but asked the film bosses to kill off his character.
He told Variety: “Getting killed off] actually was my request for the third one,” Douglas said. “I said I’d like to have a serious [death], with all these great special effects. There’s got to be some fantastic way where I can shrink to an ant size and explode, whatever it is. I want to use all those effects. But, that was on the last one. Now, I don’t think I’m going to show up [for a fourth].”
He previously told red carpet reporters that he would only do a follow-up Marvel movie “as long as I die”.
While it has yet to be confirmed whether Ant-Man will be back for a fourth instalment, Paul Rudd opened up about the situation, telling Insider: “None of this is my call, so I try not to think about it too much. So you’d have to ask the Marvel brass that one.”
Michael is currently starring as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ show Franklin. The show is based on Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff’s book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, and follows how Benjamin Franklin travelled to France on a democratic mission.
The official synopsis reads: “In December 1776, Franklin is world famous for his electrical experiments, but his passion and power are put to the test when — as the fate of American independence hangs in the balance — he embarks on a secret mission to France.
“At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced an absolute monarchy to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmanoeuvred British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with England in 1783.
“The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin’s most vital service to his country, without which America could not have won the Revolution. Diplomats and historians still regard it as the greatest single tour of duty by an ambassador in our nation’s history.” Not just a genius scientist then!”
While discussing his ‘third act’ while chatting about the show, Michael told CBS News: “This has been a great time for me, but I've been very fortunate. Catherine [Zeta Jones] and I have been together, it'll be 25 years come this year.”
Joking about welcoming children Dylan and Carys in his 50s, he added: “"With Catherine Zeta-Jones? Yeah! Yeah. I think we could do that. Twist my arm!”