ANT-MAN Casting News: Michael Douglas is Hank Pym
Marvel has just made their first official casting announcement with regard to the characters that are going to appear in the upcoming Ant-Man directed by Edgar Wright. Fresh off his Golden Globe win for Behind the Candelabra, veteran actor Michael Douglas will be playing Dr. Henry Pym, with Paul Rudd taking the role of Scott Lang.
For a while now, we’ve known Rudd was set to star in the film, but speculation was high as to whether or not he would play Pym or Lang, two of the three characters who have been the super hero that can change size using “Pym particles”. And with the Ultron android looking more like a product of Stark Industries, the question about Pym’s role in the Avengers was near the top of fan lists of things that needed to be cleared up for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Now it appears Pym will be the older scientist and inventor, with Lang actually wearing the suit. Details of the story are still under wraps, but does this imply Lang will steal the costume as he did in the comics?
“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,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who is one of the film’s producers. “We felt incredibly relieved when Michael Douglas agreed to step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits, and couldn’t be more excited to see what he will do to bring Hank Pym to life.”
Wright has posted on Twitter a link to an interview he gave to Superhero Hype in 2006, in which he discusses the relationship between Pym and Lang. How much of that still applies now is yet to be seen.
https://twitter.com/edgarwright/status/422823240394756096
According to the Variety report, Douglas was hesitant to take on the role until he had a change of heart over the holidays. Could it be a story similar to other actors being influenced by children or grandchildren saying “You’d better take that part!” at work here?
