Before being cast in Ant-Man by filmmaker Edgar Wright (who later left the movie over "creative differences"), actor Paul Rudd was primarily known for his comedy work. However, by the time the 2015 movie rolled around, he'd undergone an incredible physical transformation.
In a then-expected shirtless scene, Rudd showed off his new abs and proved himself every bit as impressive as the MCU's Chrises (Evens, Hemsworth, and Pratt).
Rudd has had to maintain those muscles for several subsequent MCU appearances, including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame, and two more Ant-Man movies. However, it was this year's Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania that seemingly pushed the actor to his breaking point.
Talking on the Off Menu podcast, Rudd explained, "When I was having to train for the Ant-Man movie, and I was on a very restrictive diet, my reward was sparkling water. That’s how horrible that diet was."
He'd go on to describe the diet as consisting of, "really boring food, every time, over and over again," adding that the fact he woke up with so much energy went some way in making up for the lack of variety.
However, seeing how much more impressive Thor actor Chris Hemsworth looked, Rudd admits he struggled with the mental aspect of things.
"Well, what’s the point of any of this?’ Why am I killing myself when that can exist, and then I look at myself and [Hemsworth] exists. I can never achieve that. That was the good thing that it was Ant-Man, it isn’t Thor. I also think I worked out harder than anyone, I would eat better than everyone, and I looked worse than all of them. I had to work out all the time, eat perfectly, just to look kind of bad. Not even like great."
He'd conclude by acknowledging that, "Once you’re in it, it’s actually not too hard." Still, it's a shame to hear Rudd struggled so much and it just goes to show how much work goes into these superhero transformations for actors.
In Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is now streaming on Disney+.