It looks like the line-up at The Avengers is getting even more shored up, as rumors indicate that Ant Man and the Wasp are close to being cast.
Cinema Blend is one of many sources reporting that Nathan Fillion is up for Hank Pym, a.k.a. Ant-Man and quoting Comic Book Movie that Eva Longoria is also in negotiations to play his love interest, Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a. the Wasp in the 2012 film.
Rumors surrounding Fillion as Ant-Man have been around since at least April, when MTV’s Splash Page spoke to the actor about the role. At the time, he seemed very receptive.
“I appreciate that,” said Fillion of suggestions that he’d be perfect for the role of Pym. “Maybe it’s because of my diminutive size?”
“I’m familiar with the character,” said Fillion. “I think Hank’s powers come in really handy when you have to slip into a crack to defuse a bomb somewhere that no one else can reach. … Or spying in girls’ locker rooms.”
“But knowing Joss, he’d give him something very clever, and very cool to do — something that no one can do without,” he laughed.
Fillion said he hadn’t spoken with Whedon since the “Avengers” news, and at this point in his career, the “Buffy” creator has already done so much for him that he wouldn’t feel right asking for a role in the Marvel movie.
“There comes a point in time where one single man does so much for you that you can’t ask him to do anything more for you,” he said.
But what if Whedon offered him a part?
“Boom!” he shouted. “I’m in!”
This lends credibility to ComicBookMovie’s source who say the actor is “all-but-confirmed” in the role.
If Fillion is cast, it raises an interesting question about who had a say in the decision. Fillion is part of The Avengers‘ director Joss Whedon’s repertory of actors, having worked with the director on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog, so it’s natural that Whedon would choose Fillion for just about any role.
But Ant-Man is scheduled for his own film set to arrive, presumably, after The Avengers hits theaters. That long delayed project is directed by Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World‘s Edgar Wright. You would assume that Wright would have some sort of say in the choice of his lead actor, but the delays in getting his Ant-Man into production might have taken the choice out of his hands.
But, if this is the case, Wright shouldn’t worry. Fillion is a fine actor with a load of geek cred and would be absolutely perfect as Hank Pym.
If Fillion is cast, this would mean that the TV show Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place was a breeding ground for comic book film actors. Fillion joins fellow stars of the TV series Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Green Lantern) and Traylor Howard (Son of the Mask) in the world of comic book films orspin-offs. If I was the show’s other co-lead, Richard Ruccolo, I’d get on the phone with my agent to capitalize on this action.
Longoria has been rumored for a role in a Marvel film for a long while now, ever since she was seen leaving Marvel Studios’ offices with a stack of comic books in her hand in 2008. In September of that year, we here at FilmBuffOnline were one of the first websites to theorize that Longoria might be up for the role of the Wasp in The Avengers. Okay, so we hedged our bets by saying she could be the Black Widow as well, but our being partially right should count for something.
Longoria and Fillion have worked on the Desperate Housewives TV series for a number of seasons, and should at least bring that sort of familiarity with each other, which would help in playing the roles of the romantically linked characters they are rumored for.
One would assume that if Longoria is cast for The Avengers, she would also be contractually mandated to reprise her role for Ant-Man. So, in essence, Marvel would be locking up casting for two films at the same time.
