Ant-Man isn't really one of Marvel's biggest superheroes, but here are the basics.
Since the recent almost announcement that Marvel have cast Paul Rudd in the title role of the Ant-Man movie, the project seems about 1000% more real. It’s actually happening people. And despite Ant-Man sounding ridiculous and generally being one of Marvel’s lesser known heroes, let’s not forget that this is the company that made the guy who fights armed forces with a bow and arrow cool. These people know what they’re doing. So in honor of Ant-Man being a real thing in the movie-verse, we’re going to give you the five facts about him that you really need to know in advance.
In honour of Rudd's tentative casting, here's the rundown on Ant-Man.
1. He can shrink in size and control bugs, hence the name. No, seriously, this man’s superpower is that he can control insects and use them in his crime solving escapades. We’re already picturing a giant CGI wave of bugs flooding the streets and foiling the plans of whichever villain the screenwriters decide to pit against him. And isn’t that an exciting prospect.
2. Unlike other superheroes, Ant-Man isn’t just one man’s alter ego. You know how Tony Stark IS Iron Man? That’s actually not that typical in the Marvel-verse. Often, many people will adopt a hero’s name and costume and each has a specific origin story. It makes it hard to keep up with the continuity, although in Ant-Man’s case it’s pretty straightforward. Dr Henry Pym (Hank) becomes Ant-Man after discovering a substance that allows him to change size. He also has an ant-controlling helmet and is generally a pretty good-natured dude. Scott Lang “becomes” Ant-Man after stealing Pym’s suit. But he did it for his daughter, so it’s all cool. Lastly, there’s the morally ambiguous Eric O’Grady, who stumbles upon the suit at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, because the good guys in comics usually do a really bad job of hiding their stuff. Anyway, you can forget about that last one, because the movie will star the Henry Pym and (maybe) Scott Lang versions.
Rumors peg Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the actor to play Scott Lang.
3. Ant-Man founded the Avengers. It does undermine the team’s coolness just a tiny bit, but in the comics, Pym is the founding member of the Avengers along with his girlfriend Janet Van Dyne, aka The Wasp.
4. Marvel’s next Avengers film will be Age of Ultron, with Ultron being played by James Spader. As for Ultron, aka Giant Robot Out To Destroy The World, aka the next Big Bad in Marvel’s cinematic universe, Pym created him too. It was also an accident. For being so brilliant, Marvel’s scientists sure don’t do a good job of controlling their creations.
James Spader has been cast as Ultron.
5. Ant-Man, or at least his Henry Pym alter-ego is one of Stan Lee’s creations. You might want to be on the lookout for Lee somewhere in the film. He has completely random cameos in most other Marvel productions based on his characters. By now his cameos have turned into one of the many Easter eggs hidden in all Marvel films.
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