Over the years, Marvel Studios has picked up some of the brightest talents in Hollywood for the MCU. Those who didn't arrive as stars have certainly left as one. Take Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr., who now stand as two of the biggest names in the industry. With so much talent spread across the many franchises that make up the MCU, Avengers: Endgame was truly a sight to behold and, second only to an awards ceremony, the ultimate who's who of Hollywood.
Having featured Oscar-winners such as Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, and more, the Thor franchise holds the record for the most Academy Awards for a solo franchise. But one cannot estimate the star power that comes with the Ant-Man movies as it features names like Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Paul Rudd.
Kicking into gear with 2015's Ant-Man, the shrinking franchise quickly established itself as one of the funniest in the MCU, and despite its small scale nature, it attracted some big names. Comedy icon Paul Rudd stars in the titular role as Scott Lang, a thief turned hero, with Evangeline Lily tagging along as the Wasp, aka. Hope van Dyne. The duo was joined by Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, respectively, the original Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The entire cast will return in 2023 for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but for now, the group was last seen in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame at Tony Stark's funeral. The tragic scene brought together much of the MCU's talent to mourn the loss of Iron Man as they stood by the lake in their various groups, and Rudd has made an argument about why his was the coolest of the bunch.
The Coolest Group at Avengers: Endgame's Funeral
The Hollywood Reporter recently published an interview with Janet van Dyne actress Michelle Pfeiffer, which included a quote from her Ant-Man and the Wasp co-star Paul Rudd putting her stardom into context.
Rudd reflected on filming Tony Stark's Avengers: Endgame funeral scene and revealed that it was the "first time a lot of people were meeting each other" as there were many groups of each of the franchise casts:
“It was the first time a lot of people were meeting each other, and it’s a pretty impressive collection. I know I was going around, like, ‘Oh wow, there’s the Guardians crew,’ and ‘Oh my God, there’s the Black Panther crew.'”
The Ant-Man actor went on to explain how it felt like "[they] had the coolest group" as they walked around and saw fellow cast members shocked to see Michelle Pfeiffer and being "a little bit nervous:"
“And when our crew showed up, and we had Michelle Pfeiffer, it felt like, among all those Avengers, we had the coolest group. And I remember walking around at the little mixer afterward, and having, like, [Mark] Ruffalo and [Chris] Hemsworth go, like, ‘Holy s**t, it’s Michelle Pfeiffer.’ And there was a lot of that. Everyone’s just looking over at her and everyone’s a little bit nervous.”
The Unmatched Star Power of Ant-Man
Despite the small scale of the Ant-Man franchise, the star power behind the three films cannot be underestimated. Obviously, the MCU has turned many actors into Hollywood legends, but at the time of casting, the Ant-Man trilogy sits alongside the Thor movies for the most star-studded cast.
Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer - who play the original Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and Wasp (Janet van Dyne) - have spent decades at the top of Hollywood, having starred in countless classics last century.
Douglas' impressive filmography includes the likes of Wall Street (1987), Fatal Attraction (1987), and Basic Instinct (1992). Pfeiffer is best known for her roles in Batman: Returns (1992), Scarface (1983), and Hairspray (2007). Both have plenty of awards between them, with Douglas having received the 1987 Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.
But beyond the two legacy legends, one shouldn't underestimate the star power of Paul Rudd. Rudd, who leads the franchise as Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, is among the legends of modern comedy, with appearances in Friends, Knocked Up, Clueless, and Anchorman.
The three acting giants have since been joined throughout the trilogy by The Hobbit's Evangeline Lily, Jurassic World's Judy Greer, Lovecraft Country's Jonathon Majors, and more, all of which have proved why they belong among this cast.
The coolest cast in the Marvel universe will return next year in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which hits theaters on July 28, 2023.
