Rudd was in contention for the role with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and although Rudd was the front-runner for some time, Marvel took its time pulling the trigger. Some speculate that when Gordon-Levitt became attached to Sandman, based on a character by Marvel’s rival, DC Entertainment, that only hastened the dealmaking.

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Ant-Man could be Marvel’s more quirky offering since it’s in the hands of Wright, a director known for his fan-favorite films such as Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, which balance action, sci-fi and comedy.

Rudd’s front-runner status was an open secret. What is more of interest to fanboys and girls is which Ant-Man is Marvel adapting. The script calls for the original hero, a scientist named Dr. Hank Pym who invents the shrinking technology (called Pym Particles!) and was one of Marvel’s earliest heroes. But it also has Scott Lang, a reformed thief who became the hero in the late 1970s.