http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2013/11/26/report-paul-rudd-is-ant-man-frontrunner/

The holidays are finally upon us, and yet we still haven’t received the greatest gift of them all: confirmation on who’s starring in director Edgar Wright’s upcoming Ant-Man.

Recent reports placed Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd as the frontrunners for the role of Henry Pym, the size-changing scientist at the heart of the Marvel film. Gordon-Levitt has been connected to a few Marvel projects, including Guardians of the Galaxy and the developing Doctor Strange adaptation. Business as usual there. Rudd, on the other hand, is a new name in the mix. He’s a popular actor on many levels, but hardly a traditional action star — in other words, the exact type of actor that Marvel likes to target.

Although there’s still no confirmation on the casting, it looks like Rudd is inching closer to the role. The Hollywood Reporter checks in on a slew of new projects looking to cast main characters, and in its rundown on Ant-Man, the outlet contends Rudd is the frontrunner.

“Now there is a push to find Pym’s 30ish girlfriend,” the website adds. Previous rumors have connected Rashida Jones to the part of Janet Van Dyne, Pym’s love interest and the eventual superhero Wasp. No further news on that end, but it’s exciting to hear that Rudd not only remains in the mix for Pym, but is apparently the top candidate.

Ant-Man hits theaters on July 31, 2015, nearly three months after the arrival of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.