Paul Rudd Compares Working With Marvel To Dancing With The Stars

Paul Rudd reveals that first signing on with Marvel was like being asked to join Dancing With the Stars, it was that strange and unusual at the time.

By Douglas Helm | Published

ant-man 3 reshoots

Not many people get an opportunity to be a superhero in the MCU, which is why Paul Rudd was so surprised when he got offered the role of Ant-Man. Deadline reported on an interview Rudd did with Men’s Health where he compared the offer to getting asked to go on Dancing with the Stars, saying “A superhero franchise was never on my radar.” He further clarified saying “I was excited about doing something that was so out of left field.”

While Paul Rudd is a great comedic and dramatic actor, he might not be the first person you’d think of when casting a superhero film. However, he turned out to be the perfect actor to play the role of thief/loving father Scott Lang. Since appearing in 2015’s Ant-Man, he’s reprised the role in Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, and the animated Disney+ series What If…?

Paul Rudd will show up as Ant-Man next in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumnania. While the previous Ant-Man films were a little more lighthearted and fun than other MCU entries, this film seems to be a pretty big departure in tone. It makes sense, as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has the heavy burden of kicking off the next big phase of the MCU and properly introducing the next big bad.

Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne will face off against Jonathan Majors’ Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While Jonathan Majors appeared as a Kang variant in Loki, the version we met was much more morally ambiguous and actively worked to keep the other Kang variants from having free reign in the multiverse. This version of Kang will be decidedly eviler, and Majors will really get to flex his villain chops this time around.

Also reprising their roles from previous MCU films are Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne. They’ll accompany Paul Rudd and Lilly’s Ant-Man and Wasp to the Quantum Realm. Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie will also be along for the ride, now played by Kathryn Newton.

jonathan majors
Jonathan Majors as Kang

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has a lot to set up for the future of the MCU. If Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang survives, it’s likely that we’ll see him in the upcoming Avengers movies as well. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are the next big MCU crossovers, so it seems likely that Kang will put his big plans in motion during this movie.

Before the end of the year, we’ll also get to see Paul Rudd pop up in another major movie franchise when he reprises his role from Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is set to come out on December 20th and will bring back Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Grace McKenna. Gil Kenan will direct and co-write the script with Jason Reitman.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait until the end of the year to see Paul Rudd in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That film is set to hit theaters very soon, with a release date of February 17. Stay tuned as we continue to cover Ant-Man and all things MCU.