Look Out for the Little Guy by Scott Lang

Written with trusted writing partner Rob Kutner, Scott Lang tells his life story–and that of the Avengers–in Look Out for the Little Guy.

I know what you’re thinking. Is this book a Mac and Me tie-in novel? When they first announced the book last year, I was like, sure, it’s a book by Scott Lang but are you sure it isn’t really a way to plug the E.T. rip-off movie? After all, Paul Rudd helped play a role in making the film a cult classic with all of his appearances on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show. The answer is no, it’s not. This is a really quick and fun read about Scott Lang’s adventures. If I’m being honest, I read it in the course of a day during Passover. It speaks to the brilliance of Lang and Kutner’s writing along with having Rudd’s voice in my head while reading. When I can “hear” an actor’s voice in my head while reading a book, they tend to go faster. I digress.

Look Out for the Little Guy by Scott Lang.
Look Out for the Little Guy by Scott Lang. Courtesy of Hyperion Avenue/Disney.

Lang, as you all know, went from criminal to superhero. He discusses the events that landed him in prison. If not for going to prison, he would never have met Hank Pym or Hope Van Dyne. Without these events, he would never have become Captain America’s secret weapon when they duked it out at the airport in Berlin. A few years later, Lang would be saving their asses upon coming out of the Quantum Realm and suggesting a time heist to bring back half of the universe.

Lang and Kutner do expand on some of the scenes in the many films about Ant-Man and his Avenger colleagues. There are the two years between Captain America: Civil War and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Lang writes about what he did for two full years in between. In short, he makes the best of an otherwise awful opportunity. For instance, Lang expands on encountering Nat and Steve upon making the trek to Avengers Compound in Upstate New York. However, he never says how long his trip was from San Francisco to New York. What we do know is that his daughter, Cassie, briefs him on the tragic events of five years earlier.

Lang writes an entire chapter on the initial tests to see if the time heist would work. Without Tony Stark, time ended up running through Lang instead. What might have been fun for audiences to watch on the big screen was not so much the case for everyone’s favorite Ant-Man. While he discusses being able to go back in time with Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner, Lang never discusses seeing Steve in uniform during the Battle of New York in 2012. Of everything that Lang writes about, this is a major missed opportunity. You know what I’m talking about. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s Ass.”

There’s another thing that one realizes upon reading this book. The Pym-Van Dyne family is terrible when it comes to communicating. Never mind their trust issues with Scott Lang for taking the uniform over to Berlin. He would become persona non grata to them following the airport fight and arrest. At no point did they ever reach out to him during the two years. It wasn’t until writing this book that Hope shares her feelings with Scott. And as we all know, Janet would never discuss her 30 years inside the Quantum Realm. She could have prevented a catastrophe if only she could have opened up! All this is to say that the Lang, Pym, and Van Dynes are in serious need of therapy. Therapy is not a bad thing but hey, if it leads to having better communication, I’m all for it.

Scott Lang’s memoir, Look Out for the Little Guy, makes for a quick, brilliant, and funny read thanks to Rob Kutner’s brilliant co-writing skills. The book captures the same tone that makes the Ant-Man films so much fun to watch. Of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when you team Lang up with an Emmy-winning comedy writer.

Look Out for the Little Guy is available wherever books are sold.

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Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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