-->
Home
Movies

Marvel Has Made Paul Rudd's Immortality Memes MCU Canon

3 min read

It's been a long-running joke that Paul Rudd, star of Marvel's Ant-Man, seems to never age, and now a throwaway comment in Ms. Marvel episode 2 has made the star's apparent immortality canon in the MCU. The show's gag comes after years of memes and comments online about how the 53-year-old actor has upheld his youthful appearance for over 20 years. Several Easter eggs and references to in-universe events show up during the first two episodes of Ms. Marvel, but this is an interesting and fun little nod to fans of the MCU.

Ms. Marvel focuses on Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a teenager living in New Jersey who uncovers a mysterious bracelet that unlocks extraordinary powers within her. In episode 2, "Crushed," Kamala, suddenly thrust into the world of the superheroes she idolizes, practices using her new hard light powers with the help of her best friend, Bruno (Matt Lintz). During an interaction at school, Kamala explains that she "tried to shrink, and fly, and talk to ants," relating herself to the MCU's Ant-Man. When questioned why she'd have Ant-Man's powers, she replies "because we're both charming and we look a lot younger than we are."

Related: Marvel Continues MCU Phase 4's Endgame Retcon For Ant-Man

Memes regarding Paul Rudd's immortality had been popular online long before the actor started portraying Scott Lang, a.k.a. Ant-Man, in the MCU in 2015. These memes tend to show side-by-side images of him back in the 1990s and him in the present day with disbelieving comments about Rudd seems to have not aged over the years. Paying homage to these memes existing outside the MCU and making them canon is a fun little nod to the fans who created them, as well as making Kamala Khan all the more relatable and further reinforcing how much of a super-fan she is. It also adds another layer to the playful texture of the series, which has also incorporated engaging animation. Ant-Man seems to be one of Khan's favorite heroes — she mentions in Ms. Marvel episode 1, "Generation Why," that she listens to Scott Lang's in-universe podcast, which is possibly where she gathered all her in-depth information on the events of the Battle of Earth from Avengers: Endgame.

As well as being an interesting in-joke for fans, the comment may also carry a deeper meaning in the MCU. Kamala commenting on Ant-Man's agelessness could stem from the fact that he spent five years trapped in the Quantum Realm during the Blip, with only five hours passing for him, meaning he bypassed the aging process and so looks younger than he should. It hasn't been confirmed whether Kamala was one of the victims of Thanos's snap, but this could be another connection between them. It could also be a joke about many of the characters in the MCU being portrayed by actors who are much older, including Iman Vellani, who is really 19 years old while portraying the 16-year-old Kamala Khan.

The mention of Paul Rudd/Ant-Man's immortality joins a long list of MCU Easter eggs and references that have been included in the first two episodes of Ms. Marvel, and it's a fun, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in episode 2 that helps to connect the characters on-screen to audiences. It's fun to imagine in-universe fans of the Avengers creating these memes regarding Scott Lang's immortality as fans outside of the MCU do for Paul Rudd.

Next: Is Ms. Marvel The MCU’s First Mutant?

New episodes of Ms. Marvel are released every Wednesday on Disney+.

Want more Ms. Marvel articles? Check out our essential content below...



Source: Screenrant

Post a Comment