Entertainment

The 'Ant-Man' Cast Just Got A Whole Lot Better

by Rachel Simon

It's not coming out for another year, but already, Ant-Man's had its fair share of issues. There was all that trouble finding (and keeping) a director, and then there were those "differences in creative vision" that led some of the film's workers to leave before production even began. In another movie, all these problems could spell disaster, but the Peyton Reed-film has managed to stay promising thanks to one factor: its cast. Between Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, and Evangeline Lilly, it's hard to imagine the film as anything less than great. And now, Ant-Man has added Judy Greer, John Slattery, and Bobby Cannavale, among others, making it perhaps the best-casted but most trouble-plagued movie in Marvel history.

According to Deadline, nine new actors have just joined the film, including American Hustle's Michael Pena and the rapper T.I. It's certainly an eclectic line-up — who would've thought a star of Mad Men and the guy who sang "Dead and Gone" would ever be in the same room, let alone the same movie? — but a very good one, with a great mix of acclaimed stars and lesser-known actors. Their roles are unknown, although it's likely more information will be released before long, but regardless, it's exciting to see such a great group of actors come together in one film.

And while all the additions are interesting, it's Judy Greer's casting that has me the most intrigued. Ever since her role in The Descendants, the actress has gotten picked for roles in bigger projects, showing up in Carrie, Jurassic World, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, among other major films. As a longtime fan of Greer, I'm thrilled she's finally being considered a star, but it's curious that the majority of her post-breakout roles have been supporting parts in big-budget films, rather than leading roles in smaller projects, as I think she deserves. It's great to see her appearing in blockbuster movies that half the country will see, but in them, she's relegated to the background. It isn't fitting for someone of her talent, and hopefully, the small roles aren't indicative of the rest of her career.

Still, it is exciting to see Greer, along with other underrated stars like

Michael Pena and Bobby Cannavale, appear in what's likely to be one of the biggest movies of 2015, even if it is just a tiny part. All three are actors who greatly deserve success, and getting cast in a blockbuster movie is certainly a major achievement, regardless of the size of their roles. If the movie does well, as it most probably will, then perhaps they'll get to show up in the sequels, too; by then, I hope, their appearances will be A-list cameos, not supporting players in a movie filled with bigger stars.