Actor Michael Pena is hitting the big time, first alongside a one of the biggest movie stars, and then with a tiny, tiny co-star.

Although the always-watchable character actor, known for roles in Gangster Squad, 30 Minutes or Less and American Hustle, remains tight-lipped about his role in Ant-Man, he couldn’t be more excited about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe opposite Paul Rudd as the shrinkable superhero.

During a brief red-carpet conversation with Spinoff Online, Pena revealed his longtime comics fandom, and name-checks his A-list co-star Brad Pitt in this fall’s World War II drama Fury.

Spinoff Online: You got your Marvel movie!

Michael Pena: Yeah! I think it was at Comic Con two years ago we were talking about that? You were the dude that said, “What's your dream role?” And I said, “I'd like to play Cesar Chavez, and then I'd like to be in a Marvel movie.” And both came true. There's not too many times when that happens, so I'm really, really stoked.

First Look at Paul Rudd as "Ant-Man's" Scott Lang

What's got you excited about your role in that one?

I can't tell you. I'd have to kill you! But it's just being in a Marvel movie – I read comic books, and I literally have just a bookcase full of just comic books.

What’s your all-time favorite comic book?

Preacher. Garth Ennis, he's a fantastic writer.

Give me a Brad Pitt story from working with him on your upcoming film, Fury.

Me, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman were all conversing with the actors, and then Brad, I think, had some paparazzi there he was trying to shake, so he came a little bit later. And I swear to God, it's like the guy came in on a Segway, you know what I mean? It's like, “Oh, it's Brad Pitt!” You know, long hair; like, “What's up, guys?” It's like, “Hey, man, what's up?” He's like that big brother you want to have – and even though we're all actors and whatever, he's like a crazy movie star. Then you get it. You get it that he's a crazy movie star.

Guys being guys, did you tease him about that very distinctive haircut he sports in the movie?

We gave everybody shit. Everybody gave everybody shit, literally. I think Logan Lerman is a champ because we teased him so much. He really took it. Because that was the part, and literally, you could see onscreen, we'd be fucking with him and he'd be just getting so mad! And it was perfect, perfect for the scene. I mean, we all had interesting haircuts on that one.

Fury opens Oct. 17. Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man also stars Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly and Corey Stoll. The Marvel film arrives July 17.