In the latest example of brilliant casting by Marvel Studios, Paul Rudd has been chosen to play Ant-Man. The exploits of Ant-Man may be familiar to fans of the Marvel universe, but for those who might not have heard of him (we’re guessing that’s a lot of you) — here are five things you need to know.
[01] He’s super smart
Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym, aka Ant-Man, is yet another one of Marvel’s scientist-turned-superheroes whose intelligence makes Einstein look rather ordinary by comparison. Pym specializes in the fields of robotics and biochemistry, but is best known for his discovery of a group of subatomic particles known as “Pym particles.”
[02] Pym particles
These particles are the source of his superpowers, allowing him to shrink or grow his body at will. He can sneak around undetected while the size of an ant — or grow to enormous proportions as the aptly named “Giant-Man” (Giant-man, get it?) to swat his enemies like flies and hear the lamentation of the women.
[03] He can speak to his fellow insects
His shiny head gear isn’t just the latest in Marvel superhero fashion, it’s a cybernetic helmet that allows him to communicate and control, you guessed it, ants.
[04] He was one of the original Avengers
Despite how the movie played out, Ant-Man was one of the founding members of the Avengers alongside Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the Wasp.
[05] Ultron
He’s also the genius that created Ultron, the genocidal robot — oops — who is the likely villain in the next Avengers movie (opening May 2015). However, the Ant-Man movie isn’t coming out until July the following year, so it’s safe to assume that Marvel is going to have to make some adjustments to Ultron’s origin story.
Ant-Man is scheduled to hit theaters July 31, 2015.