Paul Rudd feels good to be invited to Avengers instead of sneaking in
While Thanos was evaporating superheroes in Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man aka ex-con Scott Lang sat out the devastation wreaked by the uber villain of the Marvel universe.
This was because he was in the Quantum Realm, another dimension outside of space and time, busy doing stuff that you have to watch in last year's Ant-Man And The Wasp.
For Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man, this meant he could show up only in Infinity War's sequel, Avengers: Endgame.
At our interview at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel, the 50-year-old US actor explained: "When he comes out of the Quantum Realm, he begins to learn what has happened. He is trying to play catch-up, so he goes to seek out Black Widow and Captain America to see if there is anything he can do to help."
He added: "When we shot (2016's) Captain America: Civil War, I had already filmed (the first) Ant-Man, and that was the first time I was around the Avengers. I was like, 'Oh God, there they all are.'
"They were dressed up in their suits, and I felt like a 10-year-old and all of a sudden it was real in a way that even shooting Ant-Man wasn't. I was looking at Captain America's actual shield and I saw Winter Soldier's actual arm.
"But in shooting Endgame, it felt more like I was sent an invitation as opposed to having to sneak in, so that felt good."
He makes no secret of the fact that he had a more comfortable costume compared with some of his co-stars - except he could not scratch his back through the leather.
Rudd said: "I remember having to go around to people and have them punch me in the back really hard to try and get rid of an itch.
"And it gets hot and we are sometimes shooting outside, and so it doesn't breathe well. But I love the way it looks."
That the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are such a global success with worldwide interest in the characters is particularly gratifying for Rudd.
"It is an experience that we will never be able to replicate. When we get to meet people who are so passionate about it, particularly kids, it is such a moving experience for me."
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