Corey Stoll Says 'Ant-Man' Villain Was Inspired by Gene Hackman in 'Superman'

As far as villains go in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Corey Stoll’s portrayal of Darren Cross/Yellowjacket is sure to rank near the top of your list.

He’s already quite intimidating as just a man in a suit, to be honest – but add CEO-level power and a Yellowjacket suit and we do NOT want to (Darren) Cross this guy.

ETonline caught up with Stoll at the world premiere of Ant-Man, where he told us where he found his inspiration for Marvel’s latest villain.

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“While we were shooting this, I watched the original Superman movie with Gene Hackman, and he was having so much more fun than he had any right to have,” said Stoll. “I remember watching that and being like, ‘Whatever happens, I don't care if people say that I totally was too much of a ham. I'm not going to let this opportunity pass without really entertaining myself at least.’”

And Stoll told us that from the get-go of his involvement with Marvel, he knew he was destined to play the villain.

“I had met with the executives at Marvel years ago just for like a general meeting to get to know them, and for them to get to know me, and that was the first thing I said,” said Stoll. “I said, ‘I want to play a villain,' and luckily, they heard that and they agreed.”

See Stoll in all his villainous glory when Ant-Man hit theaters on July 17.