Michael Douglas explains his entering the Marvel Universe and finds intriguing similarities between playing Hank Pym and Liberace.
It’s safe to say that we were all a little surprised yesterday when it was announced that Michael Douglas would play Hank Pym. Yes, in the upcoming 2015 Ant-Man, Paul Rudd will be Scott Lang and Douglas shall be the inventor of the Ant-Man technology, Mr. Pym.
For an actor known for playing serious dramas, this is almost as big a departure for him as his performance of Liberace in the Steven Soderbergh HBO TV movie, Behind the Candelabra (for which he just won the Golden Globe for on Sunday). Douglas sat down with Reuters recently to discuss his reasoning for these bold, outside-the-box choices.
“I've been dying to do a Marvel picture for so long,” Douglas told Reuters. “The script is really fun, the director is really good. Dylan [the actor's 13-year-old son] will love it. He'll have a picture he can see.”
Douglas went on to compare the role to Liberace.
“Sometimes - like [when] they didn't see you for Liberace - you've got to shake them up a little bit and have some fun.” Douglas said.
Douglas will join Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director Edgar Wright in this latest Disney and Marvel Studios intended franchise for its maiden launch in July 2015.