Paul Rudd Cast as Ant-Man, Fans Approve

Sometimes the casting of superhero roles is controversial, and sometimes the casting isn't controversial at all, even when it seems like it should be. The latter is apparently the case with Paul Rudd, who has reportedly been tapped to play Marvel's "Ant-Man" in a film due out in 2015.

Rudd, who is currently starring in "Anchorman 2" and who has had a role in too many comedies to count in recent years, had been a front runner for the role, along with Joseph Gordon Levitt, and now multiple sources say that the role belongs to Rudd pending negotiations.

Reaction to the casting news has been largely positive, despite the fact that most of Rudd's roles have been comedic, and he's never had a role in a true action movie. His casting has been compared to that of Robert Downey Jr., who was also an unknown quantity prior to being cast in "Iron Man, and it looks as if the popular Rudd could actually build audience interest in "Ant-Man," given that the character is not well known outside comic-fan circles.

Rather than discontent with Rudd's casting, the bigger concern with the film seems to be whether Rudd will be playing Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, or Scott Lang, the character who took on the superhero's identity in the late 70s.