Paul-Rudd-in-Talks-to-Lead-Ant-ManLast month, we heard that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd were the two front-runners to lead Edgar Wright’s anticipated Ant-Man, and now it looks like the latter is coming close to taking the eponymous role.

The Wrap reports that Rudd is in negotiations to play Hank Pym, with Gordon-Levitt focusing on Sandman, to lead and produce with an eye to direct, over at Warner Bros.

Plot details are of course being kept under wraps, but we know that Wright is directing from a script he co-wrote with Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), with Wright first starting to develop the project almost a decade ago, even before Iron Man was released.

Rudd is coming off the back of his joint leading role in David Gordon Green’s acclaimed Prince Avalanche, and in cinemas as of yesterday reprising his role as Brian Fontana alongside Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Next up on his slate is David Wain’s comedy, They Came Together, which will see him star alongside Cobie Smulders and Michael Shannon, due out sometime in 2014 following its Sundance debut.

The original report notes, perhaps a little speculatively, that Rudd has appeared noticeably slimmer in recent interviews and in his recent appearance Saturday Night Live, which is being put down to the training he’s already undergoing for the physical Ant-Man role.

Ant-Man will be released on July 31st, 2015, coming directly after Avengers: Age of Ultron, and opening up Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.