As he prepares to lead the third film in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man franchise, Paul Rudd has admitted that he never expected to be cast as a superhero in the first place.
During a recent interview with Men's Health, Rudd opened up about the beginning of his involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He described the unlikely development as one that would change his life forever, even if it wasn't initially part of the plan he had laid out for his acting career. "My agent set up a meeting with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige," Rudd said. "Marvel was pretty new. They weren't even part of Disney. It would've been like somebody saying, 'How would you feel about doing Dancing with the Stars?'"
The actor continued, "A superhero franchise was never on my radar. I never really thought I was the type of actor that they would offer any of those parts to. But when this idea came around, I was excited about doing something that was so out of left field, and I knew that if it was announced that I was going to be joining a superhero franchise, most people would say, 'What the fuck?' And I got to wear a superhero suit."
Of course, Rudd first hit the big screen in 1995, appearing the teen comedy Clueless and the slasher film Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. He then appeared in the 1996 treatment of Romeo + Juliet, though the man himself cites 2001's Wet Hot American Summer as his breakout project. "Without that, I don't know if I get to do Anchorman, which was seminal," Rudd told Men's Health. "And I've gotten to work with Judd Apatow for years now."
Following his appearance in 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Rudd became an undeniable presence in the world of comedy films, going on to appear in such hits as 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin and 2007's Knocked Up. As far as the small screen is concerned, Rudd also gained recognition for his recurring role as Mike Hannigan on the final two seasons of the beloved NBC sitcom Friends from 2002 to 2004.
Paul Rudd Kicks off the MCU's Phase Five
Rudd joined the MCU as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Marvel Studios' 2015 superhero heist film Ant-Man. He subsequently reprised the role in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. The fast-approaching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will mark not only the third entry in the Rudd-led Ant-Man franchise, but the actor's fifth live-action appearance as Scott Lang overall.
Quantumania is scheduled to release in theaters on Friday, Feb. 17 to kick off Phase Five of the MCU. The film's official synopsis reads as follows: "In the film, which officially kicks off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and The Wasp. Together, with Hope's parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. Jonathan Majors joins the adventure as Kang."
Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on Feb. 17.
Source: Men's Health