If you follow the superhero movie rumor mill often enough, then you've already heard the rumors about Firefly star Nathan Fillion and Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria starring as Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne (aka Ant-Man and The Wasp) in Marvel's 2012 be-all of superhero movies, The Avengers.
Well, those rumors are back thanks to ComicBookMovie.com, who reports a source close to Marvel told them a multi-picture deal has been reached to have Fillion play Pym starting in The Avengers and presumably his own film after that. The same is true of Longoria, who has been rumored for the role for two years now ever since "being spotted" with Avengers materials outside of Marvel Studios.
CBM reports both stars will be announced at Comic Con next month. They also speculate that they could both be playing S.H.I.E.L.D scientists and not actually be assuming their superhero identities, which would make a lot of sense, especially if they plan on having movies for those character later on.
With Joss Whedon in the director's chair for The Avengers, a friend and frequent collaborator of Fillion's, plus Fillion's outspoken interest in playing a superhero at some point in his career, the rumor on many accounts makes sense. The only bridge not yet drawn is the one between Fillion and Edgar Wright, director of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, who has written a script for an Ant-Man movie, but that would hardly be necessary. If Marvel indeed likes the Wright script and is ready to start building life after The Avengers starting with Ant-Man, which would make a solid beginning to the Disney-Marvel team, then this is the way to do it, especially with Fillion's Bredan Fraser-esque quality which would make him a solid fit for a wider age demographic.
Of course, all this could be just what it was last time: speculation. Only time -- and most likely Comic Con -- will tell.
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