For Paul Rudd, joining the Marvel cinematic universe was an exciting prospect after a series of successes in the comedy genre.
Everyone I’ve met at Marvel really loves what they do and they’re truly comic book fans. They know what they like about them and they know what other comic book fans like about them. They really care about the characters and story, first and foremost. I think that’s what makes it all work.
– Paul Rudd, Actor
Rudd is playing master thief Scott Lang as the present-day Ant-Man in the action adventure saga. So what happens when Scott Lang dons the red-and-black suit of Ant-Man? He can instantly shrink down, but when he does, his power grows exponentially.
For Rudd the Ant-Man helmet was one of his favourite components.
When Ivo (Ivo Coveney, the head suit designer) showed me the helmet and we started trying it on, I thought back to when I first saw the Stormtrooper helmets as a kid and I was just like, ‘That’s the coolest helmet ever’
– Paul Rudd, Actor
Wearing the Superhero suit on a daily basis was something that Rudd had not experienced before. “It’s also all wired so that the whole suit, including the gloves and belt, can light up. So there are hundreds of pieces and it takes about 20 minutes to get in and out of it. I need a small pit crew to help me,” he says.
The film also allowed him to exercise his writing skills by partnering with Adam McKay on a rewrite of the script. In doing so, the actor was also able to dig into the character in a much deeper way.
The one thing that being a screenwriter on Ant-Man has done for me is that it just gives me much more of an insight into all of the characters. I’m thinking about all of the characters’ motivations, story lines and how every decision my character makes affects theirs. So it gives me a much more comprehensive knowledge of the story, and I can immediately go to any scene and have a pretty deep understanding of it.
– Paul Rudd, Actor
Having a screen legend like Michael Douglas as his character’s mentor in the film was everything he thought it would be and more. “I was elated that Michael wanted to do the movie. When he signed, it was a great day for the film and comic book fans everywhere,” says Rudd.
When I was doing the rewrite with Adam McKay, I knew how great he was going to be in the film and I started imagining him in the part. I’ve been able in my career, which hasn’t really been all that long, to work with some legendary actors and he is one of those who are in that rarified-air category.
– Paul Rudd, Actor
He thinks the film will surprise audiences on several different fronts. “One of the things I like about this movie is that it’s not an easy one to put into a box; it’s not a straight-up comedy, it’s not a straight action movie, but there are plenty of both,” says the actor. “The characters are also going through what I think are very relatable and familial struggles. There’s poignancy to the story. I think audiences will really connect with the characters in the film. On top of that, there’s amazing action in both the physical world and the macro world that people just haven’t seen before. It’s really exciting, very cool and unique.”
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