Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a bit of a soft launch compared to the usual heavy hitters that Marvel delivers, in the sense that a lot of the tragic and dramatic potential of the film was tied up by comedy. For Paul Rudd, the actual comedian in the cast, it was an elemental success. For the audience, the film has proven to be a divisive project – we often forget how Marvel is attempting to begin a new Phase while its fandom is still looking to recreate the epic highs of the past.
But while the clamoring around Ant-Man 3 continues, Rudd is already busy making the audience laugh with some well-timed self-deprecating humor and by entering into a healthy competition with co-star Jonathan Majors.
Men’s Health Pits Paul Rudd Against Jonathan Majors
On the November 2022 cover issue of Men’s Health, Jonathan Majors was an enigma to behold. With roles in the MCU and Creed 3 in his upcoming roster, being in such a shape is most likely a primary concern of his at the moment. On the other hand, Paul Rudd, 20 years his senior is doing what he does best – defying aging in the most acceptable way. On the actor’s upcoming March 2023 cover issue, his laid-back air and comfortable posture are in stark contrast to what Majors was asked to portray.
Accordingly, it is only acceptable for the host, Jimmy Fallon to place the two covers side by side, compare notes, and have Paul Rudd add bits of his own commentary from time to time. In a portrait from the magazine, Majors was portrayed in the midst of different activities, and while his muscles were on full display in each of those shots, Rudd tackled a friendlier option by posing as he most likely prefers to be – in fashionable sweats holding a glass of juice.
When placed alongside Jonathan Majors drinking a protein shake, poking further fun at the difference in the two co-stars’ approach to their Men’s Health issues, Rudd mockingly adds, “They were like, ‘Do you want – What do you want to, like a chamomile tea or something?’ And I was like, ‘What am I, a wimp? No!’” Suffice it to say, Paul Rudd doesn’t look bad doing anything.
Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man Threequel Fails to Rally the Masses
While Marvel’s Ant-Man IP has always been approached as a family-friendly saga, the threequel was supposed to be the opening statement for what the Multiverse Saga brings to the table. The Phase Five opener delivered equal portions of good and bad and even as the film had its scream-worthy moments, there were some equally disappointing, subpar, and lackluster scenes that failed to do justice to the movie’s potential. In the end, it was a David v Goliath story, with hope and love winning against power and experience, and at the same time gave a sampling of what’s to come.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in theatres.
