Red One Has Much More In Common With A $1 Billion Marvel Franchise Than Expected

Warning: this article contains some spoilers for Red One



Red One is a new kind of Christmas film that combines action sequences, holiday myths, and Christmas spirit for a unique and entertaining holiday watch. Red One has a star-studded cast led by Dwayne Johnson and MCU star Chris Evans as the unlikely team of Callum and Jack. The two are tasked with rescuing Santa Claus from the winter witch Gryla while encountering other mythical Christmas creatures along the way. While Red One is packed with action sequences and witty lines, at its heart, it still holds a heartwarming message for audiences to enjoy.


Despite its well-known cast and unique plot, Red One has failed to become a box office success. Reviews of Red One have highlighted that the movie feels uneven, and the jokes don’t always play too well, despite some positive moments. However, though Red One has not been overly successful, it has a surprising amount in common with one widely successful $1 billion Marvel franchise.


Red One Steals Ant-Man’s Powers From The MCU

Callum Can Shrink Himself Much Like Ant-Man

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

Within Red One, Dwayne Johnson’s character Callum, who is head of North Pole Security, has the ability to alter his own size and the size of toys. Callum can shrink himself down to better fit into smaller spaces just like Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) can in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Conversely, he is also able to alter the size of toys and make them real. This can be seen in a funny scene in which he turns a Hot Wheels toy into a real car as a means of escape for him and Jack.


Red One Santa Claus and Callum walking at the mall

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These skills are very similar to Ant-Man’s powers in the MCU. Ant-Man is able to shrink himself down, as well as occasionally grow to the size of a giant. Likewise, throughout the MCU, Ant-Man is also seen shrinking down with his weapons, implying that he does have at least some power to alter the size of objects around him as well. Though Callum’s powers may not include the ability to alter everything, being able to turn toys into functional, life-size objects certainly has its uses.

Chris Evans’ Red One Character Is A Lot Like Ant-Man

Jack’s Personality Is Similar To Scott Lang


Just as Red One gives Callum similar powers to Scott Lang, Chris Evans’ character Jack O’Malley has a very similar personality to Paul Rudd’s character. In Ant-Man, Scott Lang is a thief who agrees to break into someone’s house, only to find he has stolen the Ant-Man suit. While Lang is a criminal, he is also a good man at heart and someone that the audience wants to root for. Additionally, his witty dialogue makes him funny and sarcastic so that scenes never become too serious, and Paul Rudd pulls this attitude off perfectly.

After being convinced to help save Santa, it becomes clear that Jack possesses the same good heart as Scott Lang, which will eventually allow him to do the right thing.


Within Red One, Chris Evans’ character Jack perfectly mirrors Rudd’s Scott Lang. Jack is a hacker whose criminal history is also following him at the beginning of Red One when he accidentally gives Gryla the coordinates that allow her to kidnap Santa Claus. After being convinced to help save Santa, it becomes clear that Jack possesses the same good heart as Scott Lang, which will eventually allow him to do the right thing. What’s more, the two characters have very similar styles of witty banter that keep their respective movies light and funny.

Red One Isn’t Nearly As Successful As Ant-Man

Red One Does Not Have The Same Broad Audience Appeal As The Marvel Movie


While there are some definite similarities between Red One and the Ant-Man movies, Ant-Man is overwhelmingly the more successful of the two. Though reviews have enjoyed the mythical aspects of Red One, the story overall has not been reviewed too favorably. While audiences may enjoy the movie once, it’s likely not going to become a Christmas classic or even something to be rewatched at all. In contrast, the original Ant-Man had a self-contained plot that proved further interesting because of how it could contribute to the MCU overall. Fans are likely to continue rewatching the series as the MCU expands.

Dwayne Johnson in Red One looking down

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Beyond the story, Red One has also fallen far behind Ant-Man in critical reception and financial success. While Red One has currently grossed $117.1 million on a budget of $250 million (via The Numbers), the first Ant-Man movie grossed $519.3 million on a budget of $130 million (via Box Office Mojo). Ant-Man currently holds an 83% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and boasts two successful sequels as well as appearances in other MCU movies. Though some audiences have enjoyed Red One, it unfortunately seems unlikely that it will come to be as successful or well-loved as its MCU counterpart.

Sources: The Numbers, Box Office Mojo, & Rotten Tomatoes