Marvel Studios' Ant-Man Has Patrick Wilson In Talks For Mystery Role

Edgar Wright and Marvel Studios have already signed three great actors to star in the upcoming superhero flick Ant-Man, but apparently that just isn't enough, because today they've added a fourth. According to sources at Variety, Patrick Wilson is now in talks for what the trade calls "the last major role" in the movie.

Based on a script by Wright and The Adventures of Tintin co-writer Joe Cornish, Ant-Man is set to star both Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd as the titular hero, with Douglas playing Dr. Henry Pym, the discoverer of Pym Particles and the original Ant-Man, and Rudd playing Scott Lang, a desperate criminal who winds up stealing the Ant-Man suit. The story is said to be a caper of sorts that will eventually see both Douglas and Rudd teaming up for a job. Evangeline Lilly is reportedly attached to play the movie's lead female role, but it's unclear if she will be playing Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a. Wasp from the comics.

The fact that we don't know who Wilson might be playing is definitely an intriguing mystery. As I've previously written about, the movie will actually need two Hank Pyms, as there are going to be flashback sequences that show off a younger version of the character being played by Douglas in the modern timeline of the plot. Could Wilson be playing the young Hank Pym? It's also worth noting that the film has yet to add a villain character, so that's potentially up for grabs as well.

Many of you have probably already remembered that this won't be the first time that Wilson has taken part in a superhero movie. Back in 2009 he dressed up as the costumed vigilante Nite Owl II in Zack Snyder' Watchmen, and he proved that he can kick quite a bit of ass.

Ant-Man will be going into production soon, as Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Company have already penciled the film in for a July 17, 2015 release date. Are you excited about Wilson's casting? Who do you think he will play? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.