Michael Douglas to star as Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man

Michael Douglas will star as Hank Pym in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, Ant-Man.

Michael Douglas, 69, will play Henry “Hank” Pym, the creator of the technology used to shrink a human to the size of an insect.

Anchorman star Paul Rudd, 44, has already announced that he will be playing the part of Scott Lang, Ant-Man’s alter-ego.

“I’ve been dying to do a Marvel picture for so long,” said Michael Douglas.

“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.”

Hank Pym first appeared in the 27th issue of Marvel Comics series Tales to Astonish in January 1962.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, said in a statement posted on Marvel.com that Michael Douglas will play Hank Pym with “charm and fortitude”.

Michael Douglas will star as Hank Pym in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, Ant-Man

On Sunday, Michael Douglas won a Golden Globe award for his role as the pianist Liberace in the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra.

“Sometimes – like [when] they didn’t see you for Liberace – you’ve got to shake them up a little bit and have some fun,” he said of surprising audiences with his decision to do a superhero film.

Ant-Man is due to be released in cinemas in July next year and will be directed by Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright is best known for directing the trilogy Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End.

The plot for Ant-Man has yet to be revealed.

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