Marvel's Ant-Man star Paul Rudd became a real-life Avenger to a lonely kid and offered him a giant-sized gesture he will never forget.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the story began when 12-year-old Colorado preteen Brody Ridder was alienated by most of his fellow middle-school classmates who refused to sign his yearbook. Ridder's mother Cassandra took to social media to express her displeasure about the cruel act by posting the almost empty page of the yearbook. "My poor son. Doesn't seem like it's getting any better," said Cassandra in the caption of her Facebook post. "2 teachers and a total of 2 students wrote in his yearbook despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it."
Ridder's bullying story went viral and was covered by the Washington Post. The article caught the attention of Rudd, best known for his performances as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and as Mr. Gooberson in last year's franchise revival Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Rudd sent Ridder an autographed Ant-Man replica helmet which Cassandra shared a photo on her social media. But the actor got Ridder's heart soaring when he gave him a surprise FaceTime call. "Anyway, I heard about you," said Rudd. "I'm like, 'I gotta talk to this kid because this kid sounds like my kind of guy.' Likes chess, likes fencing, likes dinosaurs... am I right? Well, I'm very excited that I get to talk to you and I get to meet you!"
Following the surprise call, Rudd sent Ridder a handwritten letter with a special message about better days ahead for the Colorado kid. "It's important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better," Rudd wrote. "There are so many people that love you and think you're the coolest kid there is — me being one of them! I can't wait to see all the amazing things you're going to accomplish."
Rudd has enjoyed great success in the past year with Ghostbusters: Afterlife and co-star Dan Aykroyd called him the next Bill Murray. He was named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2021 and just wrapped production on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Though details on the premise remain unknown, the new MCU installment will see Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne/the Wasp encounter Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror and an undisclosed villain to be played by Bill Murray.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania arrives in theaters on July 28, 2023.
Source: EW