Anchorman To Ant-Man?

During the last few years, rumours have circulated around Marvel Studios' many upcoming projects concerning 'Phase Two' of their cinematic Universe. Starting with Iron Man back in 2008, Marvel has released six movies following individual characters who eventually joined forces to kick some Chitauri alien butt in 2012's The Avengers/Avengers Assemble (UK). Although most fans will likely be concerned with the sequels to Captain America, and the soon to be released Thor: The Dark World, excitement continues to grow over the cinematic debuts of largely unknown characters to the general movie audience. Some time ago it was suggested that Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright, had been approached to bring to life the character of 'Ant-Man' for the big screen. Thus ensued special test footage screenings at comic con, and a number of interviews with the director confirming that something was in the works. Still, the next Avenger to hit the big screen was without a cast and production date. Fans believed the movie to be truly confirmed once Marvel announced the title of the sequel to 2012's ensemble movie The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Why was the announcement of The Avengers 2 of extreme importance to the realisation of an Ant-Man movie? Because of the connection this character has with the big robotic bad guy, who is the focus of the film's title. "Ultron" is an artificial intelligence created by Dr. Henry Pym, a Biophysicist whose work with technology and biological subjects saw the creation of a substance that allows him to shrink down to the size of an ant, and then communicate with them. The character has taken many forms in the comics over the years, but most importantly the role of Ant-Man/Giant-Man during his time with The Avengers. His ability to increase and decrease in size, plus his keen intellect and scientific mind (rivalling that of Tony Stark/Iron Man), make him a pivotal character in the development of the Marvel cinematic Universe. Ant-Man is due to be released 31st July 2015 (according to IMDB), following the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron in May 2015. Confused? You should be...

If the Ant-Man movie comes into reality post-Avengers 2, many questions will linger in the minds of Marvel fans. If Ultron was created by Henry Pym, does this mean he will appear in the next Avengers film before his own individual adventure? It would seem that this is unlikely as there have been no rumours or details of the character set to appear in that film. All we know so far is that many of the cast of the 2012 ensemble will be returning, and of course the cool voice of James Spader (Stargate, The Black List) will be provided for the Ultron character. Fans may think they can guess the plot for the movie as it shares its name with the 10 issue series released by Marvel Comics earlier this year. Rumours have circulated online of a change in the character's creation. Perhaps Tony Stark will be responsible for creating the A.I. instead of Pym, and become responsible for unleashing one of the most powerful, and near indestructible foes that The Avengers will face on screen. If so, then many fans may be outraged or even disappointed that the film series that has been created so close to its background material, may be altered for the worse.

We have already seen slight changes in the adaptations of these characters and stories with that of the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. But so far there has been little complaint as moviegoers have loved the films, and for die hard comic book fans, there has been more acceptance than ever with the notion that the source material has to be adapted so it works on screen. For this reason, I am inclined to support the studio that has been unbelievably successful so far. I do not believe they would change something drastically if they thought it would not work in the premise of a movie, or totally disregard what has come before. Any number of moviegoers and comic book fans alike will share their disappointment in comic book movie adaptations if necessary, going back as far as the Christopher Reeve Superman series. It seems that many critique each of the Marvel films by way of plot-holes in the story e.g. The Chitauri all dying Phantom Menace style after Iron Man blows up the mothership in the inter-dimensional portal during the battle of New York in The Avengers, or the Hulk seamlessly being able to control his rage at the right moment to become a fellow hero, and not a threat. All of this combined, disappointment and scrutiny have usually come at there worse when put down to casting choice.

With that in mind, we have no choice but to do the usual, and address rumours for the casting of Henry Pym/Ant-Man for the movie. After public outrage over the choice of Ben Affleck as the next Batman (which seems to be a regular occurrence in each decade since Michael Keaton in 1989), it seems that comic book fans are relentless in their scrutiny of casting choice, especially for characters that are so popular and so close to their hearts and minds. Rewind to the start of this week, and we have rumours reported that the front runners for the title role in this movie are Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, (500) Days of Summer) and Paul Rudd (Role Models, Anchorman, I Love You Man). The immediate reaction to Gordon-Levitt was a little childish. As in, fans seemed annoyed for his being suggested as he had already been so close to a major superhero movie franchise already, with Batman in the third instalment of Chris Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Gordon-Levitt responded quickly however, and stated this in regards to the rumours:

"You know I'm very transparent when there is news in my career," "I'm always the first to tell my fans if there's really something happening, so if you don't hear it from me, it's just people spouting out rumours."

Rudd on the other hand has remained fairly quiet, and in doing so gained a certain level of support. The character of Henry Pym is supposed to be a little awkward (which Rudd is the king of in comedy), and a little zany. Think of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark, and then make him very introverted and sheepish...you get Ant-Man. A hero with a few personality disorders that make him do the right thing, but not always with the safety of others in mind i.e. the creation of Ultron. Like many, I believe Rudd would be perfectly suited to the character, especially if the character is handled carefully and respectfully by the studio. But can you imagine the actor in the role after this latest tease below from director Edgar Wright?

If you can imagine Paul Rudd in a cool superhero outfit, then leave a comment in support below! If not? It is still early to back a candidate without knowing the full scope of the plans Marvel are setting out for the next few years. Either way, we can look forward to discovering the verdict in the next year or so, and hopefully be watching some incredible movies in 2015.