Rapper T.I., who played Scott Lang/Ant-Man’s friend Dave in both Ant-Man and Ant-Man And The Wasp, will not be returning for the third installment of the franchise, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The news arrives amid a report from The New York Times , which disclosed that lawyer Tyrone A. Blackburn is asking California authorities to investigate the numerous sexual abuse and assault allegations against T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris. Four women had come forward alleging that the couple drugged and sexually assaulted them, including two instances of rape. Blackburn also noted that the allegations span over a decade, surfacing in 2005. T.I. and Harris’ lawyer denied the allegations, saying, “These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system.”
But in the midst of the allegations coming to light, THR managed to confirm that T.I. will not return for Marvel’s third Ant-Man movie. It was speculated that this is due to the sexual assault allegations, but insiders close to the third Ant-Man installment told Variety that T.I. was never slated to return for the movie. That said, it’s likely that we won’t the rapper in future MCU projects, either.