Hollywood has a new anti-hero (sorry).
It’s safe to say that Ant-Man is one of Marvel’s lesser-known superheroes.
He’s finally making his big screen debut this week, so JOE has put together a compelling list of reasons why Ant-Man deserves your respect as a superhero, and your attendance as a movie.
You can also check out our interview with the film’s leading man Paul Rudd here, and make sure you watch our interviews with the film’s director, Peyton Reed, and the very funny Michael Peña by clicking here.
1) Ant-Man has been around since 1962
Unlike certain other superheroes who haven’t left the big screen since their creation, this is Ant-Man’s first time to feature in a live-action film.
Ant-Man was first introduced into the Marvel Universe in January 1962, making him older than Spiderman, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.
2) Ant-Man has some pretty unusual powers
Of all the creatures in the animal kingdom, ants are perhaps the least likely to inspire fear.
Ant-Man, however, has several powers that make him a formidable threat. He can shrink himself to the size of an ant (or smaller) while retaining all of his human strength.
Ant-Man is also able to communicate telepathically with insects. That’s the kind of thing that would really bug his enemies, we’d imagine.
3) It was almost a very different film…
Director Edgar Wright, famous for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, originally pitched the idea for an Ant-Man movie to Marvel in 2003. Wright had been in charge of developing the movie until 2014, when he dropped out due to creative differences.
According to the film’s director Peyton Reed, the difference in question was supposedly that Wright wanted to make a film where an ant was given the power to become a man, as opposed to a man becoming the size of an ant.
4) Rudd got so ripped for the role they had to change his costume
Paul Rudd, better known for his comedic prowess than his muscles, decided to get into the right kind of shape suitable for a superhero AKA he went full ‘Chris Pratt’.
According to his co-star Michael Douglas, Rudd’s extensive training regime caused him to gain so much mass that the costume department had to remake his whole practical outfit.
Hard to believe, eh?
5) The Ant-Man movie has a brilliant supporting cast
As well as starring the super-cool Paul Rudd, Ant-Man the movie also stars the legendary Michael Douglas, House of Cards’ Corey Stoll and the wonderful Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne.
Here’s the amazing Ant-Man trailer to get you in the mood for the Marvel movie’s release…
Clip via Marvel Entertainment
Ant-Man swarms its way into Irish cinemas on July 17.
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