Edgar Wright's Ant-Man has been on a casting roll these past few weeks, first signing Paul Rudd to play Scott Lang and then yesterday adding Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, but now rumors are swirling that the production is close to adding a third actor to its growing ensemble. According to The Wrap, Michael Pena - who can currently be seen in theaters in David O. Russell's American Hustle - has been offered an unspecified role in the comic book movie, and sources say that he is interested in the part. When reached for comment Marvel denied the story, but it's entirely possible that they're just trying to project the project's secrecy.
The report has very little information regarding what character Pena could play, and it's unknown at this time if he will even be superpowered or not, but it's worth noting that the actor does fit a description from the casting call. Back in mid-November of last year there were details leaked about six characters Marvel was looking to cast, and one of them was described as "[Male] 20s or 30s, any ethnicity, under 5'8", edgy and funny." Standing at 5'7" and having titles like Observe and Report and 30 Minutes or Less under his belt, Pena fits those specs pretty damn well.
If you're wondering why we've been hearing so much Ant-Man news lately, it's because the movie is surprisingly close to the start of production. The project started development all the way back in 2006 and was one of the first films that Marvel Studios began working on, but now the adventure is set to be released on July 31, 2015 and will have cameras starting to roll this May. In addition to directing, Wright co-wrote the script with Attack The Block filmmaker Joe Cornish.
Pena has carved a successful niche for himself as a character actor in Hollywood over the last few years, and as a result he's had the chance to work with some talented filmmakers and solid films. He is definitely talented when it comes to playing both drama and comedy, which always comes in handy in Marvel films. As The Wrap points out, the actor is quite busy at the moment filming the new limited series Gracepoint, but production on that should end before he would have to commit to Ant-Man.
Pena has a busy 2014 set up, having completed work on the Michael Berry drama Frontera; the Diego Luna-directed biopic Ceasar Chavez: An American Hero; the Mark Neveldine horror flick The Vatican Tapes; the animated Hell & Back; and David Ayer's World War II tank movie Fury.
Would you be excited to see Michael Pena join the cast of Ant-Man? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
