15 Most Ridiculously Absurd Casting Calls Of The 21st Century

1. Paul Rudd - Ant-Man

There's no doubting that Paul Rudd is one of the most likable actors currently working in Hollywood. He's right up there with Tom Hanks in fact (though he has tended to go with slightly more adult material than his spiritual big brother) and he's charming enough to carry projects that seem beneath him.

What he absolutely never looked like was a superhero action movie lead. Not in a million years did the affable everyman figure from This Is 40 and Knocked Up ever seem the right fit for a martial arts-using, abs-having MCU hero. And yet he was the man chosen to play criminal with a heart Scott Lang for Ant-Man. The heart side you can see, but the hero bit would take a lot to convince.

Did It Work?

100%. Rudd's so great in Ant-Man that he helped it survive the well-publicised production woes that saw Edgar Wright leave his role as director and it's impossible not to be utterly infected by his charm.

He trimmed down and bulked up with muscle and he was way more than just a charming figure too, packing believable weight behind the action requirements. And he's utterly convincing to the point that he's welcome to return to the MCU even after his sequel was a little underwhelming.

Which other miscastings belong on this list? Share your picks below in the comments thread.