Michael Douglas has never done a film like Ant-Man. In a career that has seen such memorable roles, it seems odd that the veteran actor never had the opportunity to do a big-budget action film with special effects.

Douglas said of Ant-Man, “It’s the first time I’ve ever done a special effects movie of any kind. It was a lot of fun. I’ve been looking forward to someone asking me to do one.”

If Ant-Man has the power of his full mass when shrunk, wouldn't the concentrated force of his tiny fists punch through bodies like a bullet?

— ToddInTheShadows (@ShadowTodd) July 13, 2015

Couldn’t someone have scooped up Douglas to do a film like Ant-Man back in the 80s or 90s? He had done plenty of swashbuckling action in films like Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile. Douglas says he would have done an Ant-Man or other special effects film, but there was one problem.

“Problem is, they couldn’t have afforded me! They really base these movies on one casting lady. One person at Marvel has done that, and when you look back she has done a really amazing job. She also picks people, like Robert Downey Jr. who had to insure his own part in Iron Man, so they either sprinkle it with a guest star but the leads are new talent so their ‘above the line’ is not that much.”

Now that he has had a chance to do a film like Ant-Man, which his son tells him will open him to a whole new audience, he is enthusiastic about the whole process.

“New respect to people who act in these movies, who trust the storyboards. It’s a big studio picture, big budgets. I guess different to a lot of the independents or character-driven movies i’ve done. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I found it very interesting. It put a new perspective on everything. It was amazing when I saw the movie.”

Am I the only one excited to see Ant-Man? pic.twitter.com/D6zk9Tzx9f

— Kevin 230K+ (@ObiWanKevObi) July 14, 2015