Marvel
It only made sense that Paul Rudd would one day be asked to be a superhero. The actor, who’s been in the industry for decades, is beloved by all. In 2015, he wowed audiences with his portrayal of Ant-Man, otherwise known as Scott Lang.
Lang is a thief fresh out of prison, who can’t find a job based on his record. After being convinced to burglarize to get by, he stumbles upon a shrinking jacket that makes him the size of an insect. A little scared over what happens, he doesn’t steal it — but is still arrested on his way out from the house.
The house belonged to scientist Hank Pym, who later visits him and wants to work with him. The movie introduced plenty of audiences to Ant-Man and gave him a new fanbase. Admittingly, Ant-Man isn’t one of the most popular Marvel characters, which is why his movie actually took years to make. Ant-Man co-creator Stan Lee actually pitched it in the late ’80s, but it was never prioritized.
With a third Ant-Man movie projected for 2022, it’d make sense to want to rewatch Ant-Man online. Luckily, Ant-Man is streaming on Disney+. Here’s the best way to watch.
How to Stream ‘Ant-Man’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Ant-Man is one of the many Marvel movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Ant-Man and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Ant-Man”
- 5. Tap on “Ant-Man”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Ant-Man’: Overview
Release Date: July 17, 2015 (in the United States)
Creators: Screenplay by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, and Paul Rudd
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Corey Stoll, and Michael Peña
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: A thief named Scott Lang accidentally turns into a superhero when he stumbles across a superhuman suit that could be used for evil if in the wrong hands.
How Long Is ‘Ant-Man’?
Ant-Man is 117 minutes long.
‘Ant-Man’ Plot
Dr. Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, teams up with a thief named Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd after Lang accidentally finds a technologically life-changing suit amid a burglary attempt. Pym, a scientist, was betrayed by his former protege, Darren Cross, after being forced to leave his company early. With a little bit of training, Pym hopes to transform Lang into Ant-Man, a superhero who’s small in stature yet strong and powerful. With his Ant-Man powers, he will hopefully stop Cross from stealing the technology of the suit and using it for evil. Cross calls his version the YellowJacket and goes so far as to plan an event for the unveiling, which Lang manages to sabotage with his army of ants.
‘Ant-Man’ Cast
Ant-Man was successful, and one of the many reasons why? The varied cast. Here’s who starred in the film.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
In the movie, Paul Rudd’s character of Scott Lang actually takes the job from Hank Pym, who was the original Ant-Man. Rudd’s character is interesting, as he’s often compassionate towards his daughter, but also a criminal at the same time. According to Rudd, his casting was a surprise. “The Marvel world wasn’t anything I thought about seriously because I guess I never imagined I’d get hired,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. Rudd also helped write the film, along with his writing partner Adam McKay. The two of them enhanced the script together and made it a little more audience-friendly. The two also worked together in rewriting the script for Anchorman, which also featured Rudd as a lead character.
Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
Michael Douglas took on the role of Dr. Hank Pym, the man behind the Ant-Man suit. “With Hank Pym’s rich history in the Marvel Universe, we knew we needed an actor capable of bringing the weight and stature to the role that the character deserves,” Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel, said in a statement per Rolling Stone. “We felt incredibly relieved when Michael Douglas agreed to step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits.”
Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne
Evangeline Lilly plays Hope van Dyne. While she initially agrees to vote her father out of the company, she later realigns with him. Her role is even bigger in the 2018 Ant-Man sequel, Ant-Man and The Wasp. Lilly’s version of Hope van Dyne, who’s sometimes known as Hope Pym, is a lot different than the character in the comics.
Corey Stoll as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket
Darren Cross is the supervillain in Ant-Man. He’s played by Corey Stoll, who was also in House of Cards, Girls, and Law & Order: LA. ““He’s got amazing presence and he’s super grounded,” Ant-Man director Peyton Reed says, per the New York Post. “We really had fun working together to create the character of Darren Cross — what is the psychology of this guy?”
Bobby Cannavale as Paxton
Bobby Cannavale plays Paxton, a San Francisco Police Department Officer that happens to know Scott Lang in an unfortunate way — he’s engaged to his ex-wife. Behind the scenes, it’s been said that Cannavale was a little annoying on set, asking director Peyton Reed too many questions about his character’s motivation. But, that didn’t stop him from reprising his role in the sequel. It’s also been rumored that Paul Rudd called him about the part well before he was actually approached by Marvel.
‘Ant-Man’ Songs and Soundtrack
Ant-Man has a varied soundtrack. Songs that appear include “Borombon” by Camilo Azuquita, “Antmusic” by Adam and the Ants, “I’m Ready” by the Commodores, “Pink Gorilla” by HLM, and “Plainsong” by The Cure.
‘Ant-Man’ at the Box Office
Ant-Man had a worldwide gross of $519,311,965. Opening weekend brought in
$57,225,526 while playing in 3,856 theaters.
‘Ant-Man’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Ant-Man received mostly positive reviews, with an aggregated rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Most reviewers felt as if Paul Rudd, who also had a hand in writing the movie, helped liven things up. They also appreciated the subtle humor throughout, saying it had a feel that was closer to Guardians of the Galaxy.
Where ‘Ant-Man’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
Even though Ant-Man is somewhat of a forgotten Marvel superhero, it’s still good that he has his own franchise. Ant-Man and other Ant-Man characters also appeared in the Avengers, so this was an important movie to help develop his character. Since Stan Lee was such a fan, it’s good to know that he saw the movie thrive before passing away in 2018.
‘Ant-Man’ Trailer
‘Ant-Man’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Since a lot went into this movie, of course, there are a ton of fun facts about its production. Here are five fast facts about Ant-Man.
1. Paul Rudd’s son had the perfect response when he learned his father was cast.
At the time, Rudd’s son Jack was nine years old. When he told Jack that he was going to be a superhero, Jack wasn’t impressed at all. In fact, his actual response was “Wow, I can’t wait to see how stupid that’ll be.'”
2. Rudd also did something creative to get him to really feel the role.
While most actors need to undergo rigorous training in order to become superheroes, Rudd took things one step further. To think like an ant and bond with an ant, you need to study ants. Rudd apparently bought an ant farm and watched the colony grow and work together, and he reportedly kept it after shooting the film since he was so impressed.
3. CGI was used to make Michael Douglas look younger.
In a flashback scene, computers enhanced Douglas to look like a younger version of himself — and Douglas was quite impressed with the results. “Seeing myself CGI-ed at the beginning of the movie thirty years younger was incredible! I had these little dots all over my face, and I’m looking at it and halfway through the scene the picture just appeared and there I was thirty years ago,” he reportedly said, stating that now he knew it’d be possible to make a prequel of his 1984 film Romancing The Stone.
4. The Thomas The Tank Engine scene required more thought than you probably think.
In one scene of the movie, Ant-Man accidentally magnifies a Thomas the Tank Engine toy, which explodes out of the house and lands on a police car. The scene itself is funny and was intended to add some light humor to the scene. But, in order to use Thomas’s likeness, they had to agree to a few rules — one being that Thomas couldn’t seem “evil.”
5. At one point, Paul Rudd got too muscular for his costume.
Michael Douglas told MTV News at the Toronto International Film Festival that Paul Rudd had not only been training for the role of a superhero, but he may have actually gone too hard with it. “Paul Rudd is ripped,” Douglas noted. “He’s been training and working out for this picture for a long time. He was so cut, that they had to soften his costume up, with all the built-in six-packs and all of that.” Douglas wasn’t even actively promoting Ant-Man at the time, but that comment surely got more fans interested.
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How to Stream Ant-Man: Your Ultimate Viewing Guide