Original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris’ appearance at the show’s 50th-anniversary special has Marvel fans revisiting a fascinating piece of superhero history, as the star holds the distinction of being the first actor ever to portray Ant-Man in live-action. Morris, who broke ground as SNL’s first Black cast member in 1975, played the size-changing superhero in a 1979 sketch that saw the character attending a superhero party where The Flash patronizingly pretends to be impressed by Ant-Man’s powers. This pioneering comedic take on the Marvel hero came decades before Paul Rudd would bring Scott Lang to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the connection later acknowledged through Morris’s cameo appearance in 2015’s Ant-Man.
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Marvel Studios paid tribute to this piece of entertainment history by casting Morris in their big-screen adaptation of Ant-Man. The 2015 film features Morris as a taxi driver witnessing Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) first accidental shrinking experience, a scene that gained additional meaning when fans discovered the connection to Morris’s original sketch. The cameo marked a full-circle moment for the character’s live-action history, bridging the gap between Morris’s comedy sketch from an era when superheroes were rarely seen on screen and the modern age of blockbuster comic book adaptations.
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Morris’ career spans over five decades. During his tenure on SNL from 1975 to 1980, he created numerous memorable characters while helping to establish the show’s foundation for tackling pop culture through comedy. His performances, including classical music numbers and recurring characters like Dominican baseball player Chico Escuela, demonstrated versatility beyond simple comedic roles. This range would serve him well throughout his career, leading to significant parts in series like The Jeffersons, Martin (as Stan Winters), The Jamie Foxx Show (as Junior King), and 2 Broke Girls (as Earl), maintaining a steady presence in television comedy for nearly five decades. At the same time, his early superhero spoof unexpectedly connected him to one of cinema’s biggest franchises.
Garrett Morris’ Legacy Beyond Ant-Man
Morris’ role as SNL‘s first Black cast member opened doors for future generations of performers. After departing SNL in 1980, Morris continued to break new ground with roles across various television genres, from sitcoms to drama series, further establishing his legacy. The recent recognition of Morris’s contributions, including his 2024 Hollywood Walk of Fame star, highlights how his pioneering work continues to resonate with modern audiences. His appearance at the anniversary special, which drew nearly 15 million viewers to become NBC’s most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast in five years, offered a chance to celebrate not just his role in SNL‘s legacy but his broader impact on American entertainment.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now streaming on Disney+, while classic Saturday Night Live episodes, including Morris’s pioneering performances, are available on Peacock. Have you seen Morris’ Ant-Man sketch before it resurfaced due to the SNL special? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments!
