Paul Rudd Feels ‘Protective’ Over Ant-Man After 10 Years
Paul Rudd has enjoyed one of the most enviable careers in Hollywood. He got his start as a star of romantic comedies, acting in cult classic movies such as Clueless — and over the years, he has become even more popular. When Rudd joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2015, he reached a new level of superstardom. These days, Rudd has become closely associated with his MCU character, Ant-Man, and has portrayed the character in multiple blockbuster films. In a recent interview, Rudd opened up about what it has meant to him to play Ant-Man, and why he feels “protective” over the superhero.
Paul Rudd started playing Ant-Man in 2015
By the time Rudd was cast as Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, in 2013, he was already a major star. He had acted in movies and TV shows starting in the ’80s, earning acclaim as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and endearing stars. He made his debut as the Marvel superhero in 2015’s Ant-Man, a movie that critics and fans praised for its humor and unique tone in the MCU.
Rudd went on to reprise the role in multiple other films, including the 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. With a brand-new Ant-Man film on the horizon, as well as numerous other high-profile projects, the actor is in a better place than ever, professionally and personally. Recently, Rudd sat down for an in-depth interview, revealing why he has such a deep affinity for the character.
What did Paul Rudd say about feeling ‘protective’ over the character of Ant-Man?
Rudd has been portraying Scott Lang for almost 10 years — so it’s natural that he should have developed a strong fondness for the vulnerable hero. In a recent interview with Marvel Entertainment, Rudd noted, “It’s been almost a decade now that I’ve been playing this part. I’ve loved it and I feel protective of Scott Lang and Ant-Man.”
“It’s really nice coming back,” Rudd said. “I still kinda can’t believe that I’m sitting there and it’s like ‘wow, there’s Michelle Pfeiffer and there’s Michael Douglas.’…it’s really nice to not get used to working with legends.” Marvel executive Kevin Feige also opened up in the interview, noting that while Ant-Man has been one of the most underestimated heroes in the MCU, he proved to be the key to saving the universe in Avengers: Endgame — and that was one of the reasons why the studio opted to use Ant-Man’s newest adventure to kick off Phase Five.
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ hit theaters on Feb. 17, 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania tells sees Scott and Hope Van Dyne (the Wasp) join forces with Hope’s parents to explore the Quantum Realm — which will open them up to new adventures as well as new dangers, with the duo encountering the mythic Kang the Conqueror during their exploration. As reported by IMDb, the film has been a long time in the making, with the project first announced in 2019 and development beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the film featuring one of Phase Five’s biggest MCU villains, there’s bound to be a lot of exciting action in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Plus, Scott’s daughter Cassie will be joining the hero for the first time, after acquiring a suit that is similar to her father’s. The brand-new film debuted with its theatrical release on February 17, officially kicking off Phase Five.
