Will Paul Rudd or Joseph Gordon-Levitt become Marvel's Ant-Man? Or will it be someone else?
According to Variety, Rudd and Gordon-Levitt have been identified as finalists for the coveted title role in the next Marvel movie franchise. A third actor could also emerge, Variety said.
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Marvel recently pushed up the film's release date to July 31, 2015, and director Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead") recently tweeted a pre-production picture of the "Ant-Man" character.
Wright is believed to want more of an “everyman” actor for the part with a sarcastic personality rather than a traditional muscle-bound actor like Thor's Chris Hemsworth or Captain America's Chris Evans.
That description seems to favor Rudd, who often stars as wise-cracking yet charming characters from "Role Models," "This is 40," and "I Love You, Man."
Gordon-Levitt is closer to an action hero, but with an earnest quality, such as John Blake in "Dark Knight Rises" and Arthur in "Inception."
Ant-Man's alter-ago is brilliant scientist Henry Pym, an inventor who created a material that lets him shrink or grow and communicate with insects.
Action movies featuring Marvel characters have been huge box office hits in recent years, with multiple franchises such as "Spider-Man," "Iron Man," "X-Men," "Captain America," and "Thor."
The next Avengers sequel, "Avengers: Age of Ultron," is set for release May 1, 2015, with actor James Spader playing the villain.
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