A few weeks ago Marvel announced that Paul Rudd had been cast as the lead in Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man. I had assumed that Rudd would be playing Hank Pym, the inventor of Pym Particles and the original Ant-Man. However, yesterday Marvel announced that Michael Douglas has been cast as Hank Pym and Paul Rudd will be playing Scott Lang.
Who is Scott Lang?
A cursory Wikipedia search revealed that in the comics Scott Lang is a thief who steals Pym Particles to aid and abet his thievery. Lang eventually leaves his life of crime to become the hero Ant-Man.
I have no idea how all the pieces are going to fit together but Marvel hasn’t let me down before. I’ll trust that Marvel and Wright know best when it comes to their heroes.
In honor of the unknown-to-me thief, Scott Lang, here are some better-known-to-me biblical thieves.
Rachel
I’ve been reading through Genesis and Jacob and his family always fascinate me. It boggles my mind that he got so drunk on his wedding night that he didn’t know he was sleeping with Leah instead of Rachel. I’m also fascinated by the competition between Leah and Rachel, which leads to Jacob sleeping with two more women (something he seemed really broken up about). And my favorite story comes out of Genesis 30 when Leah gives Rachel some mandrakes in exchange for getting to sleep with Jacob.
It’s.
Just.
Bonkers.
Not only was Rachel a competitive wife who traded her husband for some vegetables, but she’s also a thief. When Jacob flees his uncle’s house, Rachel steals Laban’s household gods. All Rachel does is eventually bury them beneath a tree so I don’t know why she stole them in the first place. Maybe she was just a kleptomaniac.
Achan
Achan was a thief and his thievery had some pretty steep consequences. When Jericho fell God commanded that all its valuables be committed to the Lord’s treasury. Achan didn’t miss the memo but was too tempted by a fancy robe, some silver shekels and a brick of gold. Achan’s sin led to the Israelites’ defeat at Ai and the death of 36 men. Achan’s sin also led to his death and the death of his family. Thankfully the punishment isn’t as extreme for stealing a candy bar or pack of gum. Or, in my case, Christmas ornaments off of other people’s trees.
Absalom
Absalom stole the hearts of the Israelites and then he stole Israel’s throne. The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart, which he definitely was. But he’s also a great example of the damaging effects of sin. Because of David’s sin with Bathsheba, the sword never left his house. When David should have been enjoying the twilight of his life, he was instead fighting off treachery from within his own family. Sin is dangerous and we can’t know the impact it will have. So we should do our best to avoid sin, even though stealing Pym Particles would be awesome.
Stealing is wrong and we shouldn’t do it. However, I am excited to see Paul Rudd steal some Pym Particles and eventually transform into a hero. I would have liked to see a younger Hank Pym join the Avengers, but I suppose a mentor-like figure will have to do.
What are your thoughts about Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang?
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