Every Marvel movie takes the time to incorporate tie-ins to the older movies. More than winks, they’re typically pieces of real character development that help the larger universe feel like a living, breathing place. That Ant-Man would include these nods is no shock, but it turns out one of those Easter Eggs might represent something far more important.
Screen Crush got a shot of Paul Rudd walking around San Francisco on set this week. In the foreground, he looks as handsome as ever, but in the background, there’s something far more interesting: a poster for Pingo Doce soda. You remember, Pingo Doce soda. From The Incredible Hulk…
Right. Right. That drink that got Gamma blood in it. You remember now. There are three different things that could be going on here. Let’s explore them…
Option number one is the least interesting. So, let’s knock that out right away. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is walking around during modern times and simply passes a poster on the street. For inexplicable reasons, Pingo Doce soda has decided not to rebrand after killing people, and this is just a cute little nod to a Marvel movie the whole world is less excited about. That’s certainly possible.
Option number two is way better. In it, Rudd’s character is walking around during a flashback that overlaps the same time period as The Incredible Hulk. Given he’s incredible intelligent, maybe he’s even friends with Bruce Banner. We could get a Mark Ruffalo scene where the two of them go bowling together or maybe they just sit around and stump each other with Calculus questions. Regardless, that would add a touch of familiarity to Ant-Man, and it could give the studio a great relationship to exploit moving forward.
Option number three is a wildcard. In short, the entire film could take place in the past. Maybe just before the events of The Incredible Hulk, maybe way before that. Either way, these characters could spend the bulk of Ant-Man giving us a new perspective on major events we’ve seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This movie could be backstory for everything and allow us to rewatch our favorite flicks in completely new ways.
I’m not really sure if we haven’t enough evidence to pick a lane yet. There have been rumblings about a young Michael Douglas, but that could easily be for a minor flashback or origin scene. We just don’t know. Fortunately, there are millions of Marvel fans who want nothing more to do than speculate. So, take it away…
