Paul Rudd Ant-Man Canceled In The MCU?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been experiencing quite a shakeup in the last year or so, with shifting leadership at Disney, disappointing box office returns, and actors’ personal controversies plaguing the future of the franchise. Now, according to a new interview with Paul Rudd, there is no word on when and if the character of Ant-Man is poised to return.
Marvel Not Contacting Paul Rudd?
A brief clip from the recent interview has made the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) in which Rudd confirms he has not been contacted regarding the future of Scott Lang since Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania bombed at the box office last year.
Paul Rudd was asked about the future of Ant-Man while promoting his latest venture, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which also stars Marvel actors Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani. In response, he assured the interviewer, as well as viewers at home, that he has absolutely no idea what Marvel’s plans for the beloved Avenger are moving forward.
Ant-Man Is A Household Name
Though the character initially served as a lesser-known comic book hero, Rudd’s portrayal of Scott Lang in over half a dozen MCU projects has propelled Ant-Man to the same household name status as Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk.
Unfortunately, the middling financial success of the latest Ant-Man solo installment could spell disaster for the possibility of additional films centered on the eponymous supe.
Marvel Dialing It Back?
Disney head Bob Iger has made it clear that the entertainment giant plans to restrict future Marvel installments, stripping sequels back to only the bare essential characters.
Paul Rudd’s statement that he hasn’t been asked to clear his schedule to don the Ant-Man spandex again all but confirms there will be no future stand-alone Ant-Man films.
Kang Part Of Problem?
Still, Ant-Man is an integral part of the MCU’s future, especially if Kevin Feige and company still plan to utilize Kang The Conqueror as the big bad of the next two Avengers films.
As one of the only beings in the known universe to face off against a King variant and emerge the victor, Ant-Man’s expertise would be integral in a full-scale battle. Still, Paul Rudd’s IMDb does not list any upcoming Ant-Man roles, including the coming Avengers films.
The Jonathan Majors Problem
This may be due to larger restructuring at Disney, as the previously announced Avengers outings have been derailed by a number of factors. Most notably, Jonathan Majors, who co-starred with Paul Rudd in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, has been fired from the MCU following his conviction for reckless assault and harassment last December.
Majors was originally poised to lead the fifth and sixth Avengers films as Kang The Conqueror, prompting the entire game-plan for those films to shift with his absence.
Paul Rudd Not Returning?
Despite Marvel’s ongoing maintenance, some fans were still shocked to see just how out of the loop Paul Rudd is, in terms of his awareness of Ant-Man’s future.
His language in the interview indicates that he hasn’t even heard a pitch for additional appearances, be they solo ventures or ensemble pieces.
If this is the cast, the MCU may be even more fractured than previously thought.
