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When Paul Rudd was cast as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some couldn\u2019t help but react with amusement. Rudd was a comic actor, known for sidekick roles in films like \u2018Anchorman\u2019 and \u2018The 40-Year-Old Virgin\u2019, suddenly drafted up to the MCU big leagues to match muscles and wits with Iron Man and Captain America. Not only that, but the character seemed absurd, even for an MCU that had recently inducted the Guardians of the Galaxy into its ranks. He shrinks down to the size of an ant while retaining the strength of a man, and he can also talk to ants.

It\u2019s the sort of idiosyncratic comic book character that nowadays might wind up on the roster of a Suicide Squad, or the sort of oddball character Rudd could have played for his friends Tim and Eric on their Adult Swim sketch comedy show (Ant-Man isn\u2019t that far of a leap from Celery Man). Rudd leaned into the humor of the premise, crafting a character who is frequently as gobsmacked by the world of superheroes as the rest of us. His contributions led to him becoming the only MCU actor to be additionally credited as a writer on his film series, and his smaller-stakes approach to the character paid off in a big way when Ant-Man became the unexpected MVP of \u2018Avengers: Endgame.\u2019

Hosted by Eileen Shortall and written by Trent Kinnucan

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