Paul Rudd Is Officially Named As Ant-Man

One of Marvel’s smallest hereos is getting a pretty big name to portray him on the big screen.

Just a brief time after his name first surfaced as a serious contender for the job, Paul Rudd was officially named by Marvel as the star of “Ant-Man.” The movie will release on July 31, 2015, with director Edgar Wright of “Shaun of the Dead” and “The World’s End” fame at the helm.

Now there’s the small matter of exactly who Rudd will be playing even though he appears to be getting top billing. While some articles are assuming he’ll be taking on the role of Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man and inventor of the Pym particles that make his size-changing powers possible, that has yet to be confirmed. Wright has stated that later Ant-Man Scott Lang will also suit up in the film, so depending on how much screen time is devoted to each man, Rudd could be either one of them.

Given the comedic background of Rudd (and Wright, for that matter), an even better match might be the late Eric O’Grady, the subject of a much more irreverent take on a guy who can shrink in “The Irredeemable Ant-Man” comic book series. Regardless, fans should be happy this seemingly overlooked Marvel film is being taken seriously.

Now if we can only get confirmation of and someone cool to play Janet Van Dyne, all would be right with the world.