Michael Douglas will be joining Paul Rudd in Marvel’s Ant-Man adaptation as the character Hank Pym.
The two-time Academy Award-winning actor (who just won a Golden Globe last night) will play Hank Pym in director Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which is heading to theaters July 31, 2015.
Marvel released the big announcement themselves, with president Kevin Feige saying, “With Hank Pym’s rich history in the Marvel Universe, we knew we needed an actor capable of bringing the weight and stature to the role that the character deserves.”
He goes on to state how relieved they were that Douglas agreed to “step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits.” Feige says he believes Michael Douglas has the ability to bring Hank Pym to life.
It’s certainly a surprise to see such a big star jump into the role, but there’s been a lot of buzz about Ant-Man and we’re glad to see that A-list actors are taking it seriously.
Robert Redford recently joined Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so it looks like comic book based films are gaining some respect from big-name actors.
Related: Paul Rudd cast as Ant-Man
Fans of Ant-Man may be curious why Hank Pym and Ant-Man are being played by two different actors, but Rudd will actually be playing Scott Lang. Scott was the second character to be Ant-Man after he broke into Dr. Hank Pym’s home and stole his Ant-Man uniform and shrinking gas canisters.
Lang had intended to return the Ant-Man costume to Pym and turn himself in for its theft but Pym, aware of the use to which Lang had put the stolen goods, offered to let him keep them, provided he only use them to uphold the law. This certainly gives us more insight into which Ant-Man story Wright is intending to tell.
Just last night Michael Douglas won a Golden Globe for his performance as the incredible entertainer Liberace in HBO’s original film Behind the Candelabra, alongside Matt Damon. We look forward to seeing what Douglas does with his role as Hank Pym in director Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man.