Paul Rudd never thought he’d be a superhero, thought he’d always be in indies

Paul Rudd is one of the go-to faces in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he never expected to land any sort of superhero movie–especially one in the biggest franchise ever. For all he knew, he’d be slappin’ da bass and boasting about his Octagon for the rest of his career.

Prior to becoming a big screen superhero, Paul Rudd had a consistent and respectable career bouncing back and forth between comedies and indies, working with the likes of both Judd Apatow and David Gordon Green. There, too, was some stage work. In other words, Paul Rudd didn’t exactly expect to be in front of too many green screens. “I would tend to go between doing indie movies and plays,” he told Interview. “I was about 30 years old then, and I think all through my twenties, that was the goal. All actors wanted to be in really cool indie movies and then plays for credibility. That was a big deal.”

You know what else is a big deal? Paul Rudd starring in a superhero movie that launched its own trilogy within a massive franchise. “I never would’ve guessed that was going to be in my future. The only thing I used to hope for at that time was, ‘Hey, by the time I’m in my fifties, it’d be pretty cool if I was still doing this.’” Rudd previously admitted that when he told people he would be joining the MCU, they laughed at him.

Still, despite being a marquee superhero, Paul Rudd has also kept up with his comedies and indies–although the plays have taken a bow–and even branched out into heavier work, as with The Catcher Was a Spy, playing MLB catcher-turned-spy Moe Berg. He also stepped into another franchise, starring in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its sequel, due out later this year. He will also be appearing in season three of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, playing the star of Martin Short’s character’s play. So maybe Rudd hasn’t left the stage after all…

How do you think Paul Rudd is doing as a Marvel superhero? Did you expect him to do as well as he has? Let us know in the comments section below!