I see what you’re doing, Edgar Wright and Marvel. You’ve tossed up a red herring to detour us film enthusiasts/journalists/comic book fans/etc. with your minor story details surrounding the upcoming Ant-Man adaptation. And you know what? I’m all for it. I was definitely all for Paul Rudd starring in the film, as you led me to believe he would be portraying Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man and the creator of the Pym Particles that allow various superheroes to control their sizes. Then you go ahead and announced today that Michael Douglas will, in fact, star as Hank Pym while Rudd will be portraying the second Ant-Man, Scott Lang? Bravo!
Douglas will be joining the growing ensemble of Marvel-affiliated actors in Ant-Man. I could have sworn that the only “Ant-Man” to appear in the film would be Pym with Rudd playing the role. Now, the Academy Award winning actor will be portraying an older Pym opposite Rudd’s younger Lang. In the comic book mythos, Lang stole the Ant-Man suit from Pym, which could play into the film’s proposed heist premise.
In regards to Douglas’ casting, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige had this to say:
With Hank Pym’s rich history in the Marvel Universe, we knew we needed an actor capable of bringing the weight and stature to the role that the character deserves. We felt incredibly relieved when Michael Douglas agreed to step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits, and couldn’t be more excited to see what he will do to bring Hank Pym to life.
[via Marvel]