Adam McKay Looking To Direct Marvel Movie

Back in the hectic days of summer, Adam McKay was named as one of many possibilities to replace director Edgar Wright on Ant-Man. Ultimately, McKay didn't wind up taking that gig — Peyton Reed did – but he did stick around to help with rewrites. And now it seems McKay is angling for the chance to direct a Marvel movie of his own.

In a new interview, McKay hinted he may have a new job with Marvel in the works. Though this being Marvel, he was naturally pretty light on specifics. In any case, hit the jump for the Adam McKay Marvel quote.

I just did a big rewrite on Ant-Man with Paul Rudd and had such a great time working with them that we're kicking around ideas. But yeah, maybe I would take on one of the characters so we haven't locked in anything, but discussions are definitely going on.

At this point in his career, McKay is mostly known for directing comedies starring Will Ferrell, e.g., The Other Guys, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and the two Anchorman movies. A big superhero movie would be a change of pace for him, even after his work on the Ant-Man screenplay.

But Marvel has a way of finding talent in unexpected places. Few would have pegged You, Me and Dupree directors Joe and Anthony Russo as obvious choices for Marvel, but they knocked it out of the park with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now they're set to return for Captain America 3 and are rumored frontrunners for Avengers 3 and 4.

McKay is a comic book fan who knows his way around the Marvel universe, and he's already proven he can work well within the Marvel Studios system. So it'd make sense for the studio to want to give him a shot. For his part, he seems eager to step outside his usual Ferrell comedy wheelhouse. Earlier this year, he boarded the financial drama The Big Short. Maybe a Marvel project is just what he needs to take his career to the next level.

As for which superhero McKay might tackle, it's tough to say. Aside from Avengers 3 and 4 (which have not confirmed any director), Thor 3, Black Panther, and Inhumans are all in various stages of development at Marvel, and rumors of Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and/or the Hulk standalones persist. On top of all that, Marvel is working on several TV superhero TV shows, and McKay is an experienced TV producer.

What superhero would you like to see McKay tackle?