Marvel Studios has no shortage of projects in various stages of development, although Ant-Man has been stuck in development longer than the rest. This long-awaited project may finally be moving forward, though, with news that director Edgar Wright filmed a test reel earlier this month.

The story centers on Hank Pym, a scientist who devised a way to shrink his size and control an army of ants with a special helmet he constructed. Last month, the writer-director said he hopes to shoot this superhero movie sometime next year, after he wraps on The World's End with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The filmmaker co-wrote the Ant-Man screenplay with Joe Cornish (Attack the Block).

These early reels are often used to gauge a response from the studio, about a filmmaker's style or the overall look of a particular project. Directors such as Zack Snyder (300), Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles), and Guillermo del Toro (At the Mountains of Madness) made similar reels to help their projects get the green light.

We'll have to wait and see if Edgar Wright's reel will lead to the new Ant-Man feature.