Marvel Studios is hard at work on its slate of movies and TV shows for 2022 and 2023, in which the last project with a currently confirmed release date is Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in July 2023.
Rudd and Marvel are currently filming this highly-anticipated threequel, which will undoubtedly be the tiny hero’s biggest solo adventure in the MCU to date. After formulating the plan to save half of humanity from Thanos’ Snap in Avengers: Endgame, Rudd’s Scott Lang is now in for a deep dive into the Quantum Realm coupled with a face-off against the powerful supervillain Kang the Conqueror.
However, Rudd is known for far more than just being one of the MCU’s starring heroes. Specifically, fans have marveled for years at how the now 52-year-old actor has managed to keep such a youthful look for more than two decades.
Now, it appears those looks are paying dividends, as Rudd was chosen for an award he never saw coming his way.
Ant-Man Winning Outside of the MCU
People Magazine named Marvel Cinematic Universe star Paul Rudd the Sexiest Man Alive for 2021.
Upon hearing that he was awarded this honor, Rudd only showed a sense of humility as he understood how shocked people would be by this selection. He even admitted that there are plenty of individuals that he feels should have been picked ahead of him for such an award:
"I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I'd be picked for this, they would say, 'What?' This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me."
Rudd revealed that the only person he told about the win before the cover story was published was his wife, Julie Yaeger. Although she was "stupefied," as told by Rudd, she congratulated her husband in seemingly the only way she could - being sweet and loving:
"She was stupefied. But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said 'Oh, they got it right.' And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what's she going to say?"
Even with this new honor, Rudd isn't expecting anything but "grief" from his friends. However, this won't stop him from reveling in his victory, with Rudd even confirming hilariously that he's "getting business cards made" with his new title.
"As they should. I would. I mean I'm going to lean into it hard. I'm going to own this. I'm not going to try to be like 'Oh, I'm so modest.' I'm getting business cards made. But all of my friends will destroy me and I expect them to. And that's why they're my friends."
Rudd continued with the jokes, saying that his expectations will now be set to being included in "some of those sexy dinners" with top Hollywood actor like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and fellow MCU star Michael B. Jordan. Additionally, he looked forward to spending more time "yachting" and improving his skills as a "brooding" and "mysterious" person:
"I'm hoping now that I'll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B. Jordan. And I figure I'll be on a lot more yachts. I'm excited to expand my yachting life. And I'll probably try to get better at brooding in really soft light. I like to ponder. I think this is going to help me become more inward and mysterious. And I'm looking forward to that."
Rudd joins a group of eight actors from Marvel movies who have won this award:
- Jude Law (Yon-Rogg, Captain Marvel), 2004
- Hugh Jackman (Wolverine, Fox X-Men movies), 2008
- Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson, Deadpool/Deadpool 2), 2010
- Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy), 2011
- Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Thor trilogy, Avengers quadrilogy), 2014
- Idris Elba (Hemdall, Thor trilogy), 2018
- Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger, Black Panther), 2020
Paul Rudd Shocked By Sexiest Man Award
Paul Rudd took the opportunity to utilize his classic sense of humor in winning this award, although he does show a true sense of humility in his comments about the occasion. Even with this considered, the acting veteran has had plenty of opportunities to show his sexy side over the last few years.
Rudd’s physical transformation to play Scott Lang in Ant-Man is well-documented, as he managed to shock fans with his ripped physique that differed so drastically from his past roles. This has only continued to be the case with the actor racking up four appearances in the MCU to date, and he'll undoubtedly keep it up for his third solo movie in 2023.
Joining a group with names such as Chris Hemsworth and Michael B. Jordan is a particularly impressive accomplishment for anybody in this industry, especially someone not typically thought of as one of Hollywood's "sexiest" people like Rudd. This should simply be a fun memory for Rudd to relish, and fans will surely be paying close attention to exactly how he maintains his impressive looks in the future.
Paul Rudd is currently filming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will debut in theaters on July 28, 2023.
