Paul Rudd To Play Ant-Man in Edgar Wright Marvel Movie: Actor will offer comedic take on Marvel hero.

Marvel fans have heard for years that World’s End director Edgar Wright has been fast tracked to make a movie about Hank Pym, also known as Ant-Man. And now its been announced that actor Paul Rudd  will play Ant-Man in the upcoming film.

Pym is one of the smaller stars in the Marvel Comics world, both in exposure and stature. A scientist who can shrink to the size of insects and control ants thanks to a cybernetic helmet, doesn’t exactly meet the criteria for a badass comic movie, making Wright the perfect choice to do a more comedic take on the comic character.

Initial rumors pointed to actor Joseph Gordon Levitt landing the part, but it appears he’s now throwing his hat into the ring to play and direct a film of Sandman instead, a surreal character owned by DC Comics/Warner Bros. Paul Rudd’s comedic gifts and goofball charm seem much more suited for a farcical take on the Ant-Man character.

Edgar Wright co-wrote the script for Ant-Man with Joe Cornish, and it’s set for release July 31, 2015 from Marvel Films.

This will arrive two months after the Avenger’s sequel, Age of Ultron, and its been confirmed that Rudd’s character will not be in the sequel. This is curious, because the character Ultron was initially created by Pym in The Avengers comic series way back in 1968. The robot turned evil and became a threat to the team afterwards.

Perhaps Marvel wants to keep the character separate due to its more comedic nature, or they’re just waiting to see how a solo film flies before integrating him further into the shared cinematic universe. Regardless, it will be interesting seeing Rudd and Wright tackle one of the more offbeat comic book movie projects in recent memory.

So, are you excited about seeing an Ant-Man film starring Paul Rudd? Or are you more intrigued by a possible Joaquin Phoenix as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.