Hollywood A-Lister Compares Superhero Movie to ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Getty (front L-R) Danai Gurira, Jeremy Renner, director Anthony Russo, Chris Evans, director Joe Russo, Brie Larson and Mark Ruffalo, (back L-R) Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, President of Marvel Studios/Producer Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle and Chris Hemsworth

A-list movie star Paul Rudd did a new interview with Men’s Health on January 31 in which he likened his Ant-Man superhero gig to getting asked to join a season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Here’s what the actor had to say:

Rudd Said a Superhero Movie ‘Was Never On [His] Radar,’ like ‘Dancing With the Stars’

In the interview with Men’s Health, Rudd said that his agent pitched “Ant-Man” to him and it felt so “out of left field” that it was like getting asked to join “Dancing With the Stars.”

“My agent set up a meeting with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. Marvel was pretty new. They weren’t even part of Disney. It would’ve been like somebody saying, ‘How would you feel about doing “Dancing with the Stars”?'” said Rudd. “A superhero franchise was never on my radar. I never really thought I was the type of actor that they would offer any of those parts to. But when this idea came around, I was excited about doing something that was so out of left field, and I knew that if it was announced that I was going to be joining a superhero franchise, most people would say, ‘What the f***?'”

What the interviewer does not follow up with is would Paul Rudd ever do “Dancing With the Stars”? Perhaps that is another out-of-left-field idea he would find exciting.

Rudd Also Admitted How Hard the Last Few Years Have Been on Him

Rudd said that like anyone, he likes to have a routine to his day and there were two events post-pandemic that made him realize how much he had gotten away from his normal routine.

“Routine is a human need. It’s grounding in a really positive and healthy way,” said Rudd.

He went on to talk about how hard it was to get back on the wagon when he was trying to get in shape for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the third film in the “Ant-Man” franchise that comes out February 17, 2023.

“I worked really hard to get back into shape for ‘Quantumania,’ and I realized, ‘Oh my God, this is so much harder than it was [for the last Ant-Man project].’ I had fallen off more than I had in the past. All of a sudden my clothes fit tight. And I thought, ‘God, this sucks. I can’t even wear these pants.’ So I’d say to myself, ‘Well, I might as well just eat some of these cookies.’ I was irritable and self-conscious. I just wasn’t in a good mood. I really beat myself up,” said Rudd.

He added that he has to learn to find a happy medium, especially because he still “look[s] worse” than the other Avengers (his words).

“I can be a hyper-focused person if I have a goal. If I’m doing one of these movies and I know that in four months I have to do a shirtless scene, I’m pretty dialed in. I also try and find the happy medium. I could work out hard and eat perfectly and I’ll still look worse than most of the other Avengers,” said Rudd.

And ultimately, he said that he has started to regard fitness as something that should just be “a part of your lifestyle,” not something you do for a movie or a magazine photo shoot.

Maybe he really should give “Dancing With the Stars” a chance. It’s a great way to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle.

“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 32nd season in the fall of 2023 on Disney Plus.