About seven months ago, we were teased that we would know who would be stepping into the size-changing shoes of Dr. Hank Pym in ‘Ant-Man’ by the end of the year. Here we are in December and the best thing we have is rumors and the news that the production is no longer shooting in England. However, yesterday news broke of a surprising new development in the search for the Phase Three hero.

Previously, two huge names in Hollywood were rumored to be circling the lead role in Edgar Wright’s upcoming Marvel movie. Reports indicated that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has been rumored to take on roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, and Paul Rudd were the leading contenders to star in the long-gestating project. Now, according to The Wrap, it appears that the funnyman known for roles in ‘Anchorman’, ‘I Love You, Man’, and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ has entered into negotiations to play the scientist who discovers a rare group of subatomic particles and utilizes them to become a hero that can increase or decrease in size.

The many faces of Hank Pym

Though JGL has the superhero experience after appearing in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, his latest endeavor of bringing the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ to life doesn’t leave him with much time to finally succumb to Marvel’s advances. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the project is left with Rudd, who is a very interesting choice for the part. Having never appeared in an action movie before, one has to wonder how he’ll do with playing a superhero. However, he definitely has the acting chops to pull off the notoriously bipolar Pym. If you don’t believe me, then look no further than ‘Our Idiot Brother’. For the most part, Rudd’s character Ned is a laidback and kind-hearted dude, but in one scene, he really let’s his frustrations out and almost turns into a different person. If he does end up coming to terms to play pint-sized professor, then I feel like this is something that he’ll definitely need to tap into.

If this report ends up being true, I imagine that an official word should come sooner rather than later. Now with the film’s star as good as cast, maybe now they can focus on getting Rashida Jones to play Janet Van Dyne AKA The Wasp.

What do you think about Paul Rudd landing the role of Hank Pym in ‘Ant-Man’? Could you see him playing the complex Marvel hero on the big screen? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

‘Ant-Man’ is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 31, 2015.