Paul Rudd will play the lead role in Edgar Wright’s film adaptation of Ant-Man, it has been confirmed.
Marvel have revealed that Rudd has signed on to play Hank Pym in the forthcoming comic book flick, after recent reports suggested that the Anchorman and Knocked Up actor had taken over from Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the favourite for the role.
As Collider reports, Marvel’s Kevin Feige said: “When Edgar Wright came to us with the idea of Paul Rudd, we felt a huge sense of relief because the first step in creating any Marvel Studios film is finding the right star.
“We knew early on that we had found the right person in Paul. When he not only agreed to do it but became as enthusiastic as any actor we’d ever met with about doing work, we knew we’d found the right guy. We couldn’t be more excited for our audiences to see what he’s going to do to bring Ant-Man to life.”
The character of Ant-Man made his Marvel comic book debut in 1962 but has never appeared on screen before. In the books he is the superhero alter ego of Dr Hank Pym, a scientist who invents a shrinking serum that makes him insect size. Once miniature, he is able to solve mysteries and take out bad guys.
Speaking previously about his plans for the film, Wright said he was eager to bring his own sensibilities and idiosyncrasies to the Hollywood project. “I think there will be some elements of my previous movies in there, and I think that’s why Marvel wanted me to do it in the first place,” he stated. “I don’t think they hired me to do something completely anonymous. So it’s fun – it’s got lots of new elements. I’m excited about it.”
As well as directing, Wright co-wrote the film’s script with Joe Cornish, also his collaborator on the screenplay for The Adventures Of Tintin. Ant-Man has been scheduled to open in US cinemas on July 31, 2015 – just two weeks after the Batman v Superman movie – but its UK release date has yet to be confirmed.