Marvel Studios: Michael Douglas To Play Hank Pym In Edgar Wright's ‘Ant-Man’

Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas confirmed on Monday he's playing a starring role in Marvel Studios' upcoming superhero film “Ant-Man.”

The two-time Academy Award-winner who recently won the Golden Globes Best Actor in a Mini-Series award for his performance as Liberace in Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra” will take the role of Henry "Hank" Pym, the original Ant-Man.

The 69-year-old actor will join star Paul Rudd, who will play Scott Lang, who takes over the mantle of Ant-Man from Pym.

"Ant-Man" is slated to be released on July 31, 2015. It will be directed by Edgar Wright, best known for his "Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy" consisting of "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz" and "The World’s End.”

“With Hank Pym’s rich history in the Marvel Universe, we knew we needed an actor capable of bringing the weight and stature to the role that the character deserves," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said in a statement on Marvel’s website. "We felt incredibly relieved when Michael Douglas agreed to step into the part with the charm and fortitude he brings to every character he inhabits, and couldn't be more excited to see what he will do to bring Hank Pym to life."

Hank Pym first appeared in the 27th issue of “Tales To Astonish” in January 1962. The film is slated for a May release and reportedly will be filmed in Los Angeles and Atlanta, Georgia. The film will launch Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I've been dying to do a Marvel picture for so long," Douglas told Reuters on Monday. "The script is really fun, the director is really good. Dylan [the actor's 13-year-old son] will love it. He'll have a picture he can see."