Universal/Warner Bros
Ant-Man is easily one of the most interesting super hero flicks on the cinematic horizon, and we’re eagerly awaiting to see Edgar Wright’s energetic vision of the super hero epic. Now that some early casting rumors have bubbled up, our excitement has nearly quadrupled in size.
Variety is reporting that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd are the two clear front runners to play the role of Hank Pym and his spandexed alter-ego Ant-Man. Pym is an enigma in the Marvel Universe. He is simultaneously a genius scientist and one of the most troubled and controversial heroes in the Marvel’s version of New York. He has a checkered history and unstable personality. This depth of character makes him a fan favorite in comic book circles, and for these reasons, the perfect actor needs to be cast to portray the hero. Both these actors would be great in the role, but who would really shrink themselves into the perfect embodiment of Ant-Man?
First up is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. JGL has a rakish and youthful charm that enlivens any scene he’s in. He has a great sense of comedic timing and the idea of Gordon-Levitt and Edgar Wright working together just feels like an event that should have happened years ago. While JGL might make a great Hank Pym, he wouldn’t make the greatest Hank Pym. He has almost all the requirements but he’s just a little too young for the part. He’s also a little overexposed in the supergero genre, having already played Robin in the The Dark Knight Rises and been mentioned as a contestant for so many possible Marvel characters. All of these contribute to the simple fact that…
Paul Rudd is perfect for the part. He’s almost like an older version of JGL anyway, so it works out in a kind of time travel comic book plot contrivance sort of way. Rudd has quite a few more years under his belt which a portrayal of Hank Pym needs. He’s a character that has been through a lot, and he needs to look like he’s seen some serious stuff in his lifetime. But Rudd still has a youthfulness about him even as he approaches his mid 40s, and he still has a good amount of weathering to make his character more believable. Rudd also has an everyman sensibility to him that can help him stand out as a foil next to the dashingly handsome and super powered lineup that dots the other fims in the Marvel canon. Paul Rudd is both the Ant-Man we need and the one we deserve.
Who’s your pick for Pym?
