Marvel Studios’ Phase Two films (Iron Man 3Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter SoldierGuardians of the GalaxyThe Avengers: Age of Ultron) have only just begun releasing, yet plans for Phase Three are well under way. With rumors of a Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel film, the only confirmed film on Marvel Studios’ slate is Ant-Man, written and directed by Edgar Wright (The World’s End), with a tentative release date scheduled for July 31st, 2015. 

Pre-production on the film is set to begin this month, and with it comes rumors of who’ll wear the Ant-Man mantle. It’s being reported that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Don Jon) and Paul Rudd (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) are the only actors being heavily considered by the studio. It’s already known that Wright’s portrayal of the Ant-Man origin will be much more light-hearted in tone than previous Marvel films, and the two actors both have extensive backgrounds in comedy.

While JGL is one of my favorite actors, and his young age is perfect for Marvel Studios to build a franchise around, Rudd would be a better fit for the role. He’s older and wiser, yet would fit the role a lot better with his deadpan delivery.  Realistically, who else would be able to pull off a superhero whose abilities include shrinking down to ant size and communicating with them via a helmet? Plus, this would free up JGL to portray the aforementioned Doctor Strange, which is a bit out of his wheelhouse, but believable enough to have him fit the Marvel Studios stable.

[via /Film]