Paul Rudd Reacts to AEW's Orange Cassidy Taking Inspiration From Him
Professional wrestling exemplifies the age-old saying that art imitates itself. Beyond wrestlers taking inspiration from comic book characters for their ring gear, some stars from the world of sports-entertainment base their entire gimmicks off of famed Hollywood roles. Bray Wyatt's cult leader monicker has drawn multiple parallels to Robert De Niro's Max Cady from Cape Fear. Tyler Breeze is Ben Stiller's Zoolander inside a wrestling ring. The black and white iteration of Sting bears an almost mirror resemblance to Brandon Lee's The Crow.
One of the more slept on gimmicks that leaped from the big screen to the squared circle is AEW's Orange Cassidy. Before inking with a global promotion, Cassidy was an independent sensation thanks to his nonchalant, denim-clad persona. His attire and too cool to care vibe takes direct inspiration from Paul Rudd's character in Wet Hot American Summer.
While the current AEW All-Atlantic Champion is much more laid back than Rudd's Andy, the two bear enough resemblance to garner attention from fans. During his promotional tour for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Rudd was made aware of Cassidy's existence.
"No, that's amazing!" Rudd said when asked if he knew about Cassidy before. "How did I not know this? Thank you for telling me."
I have made Paul Rudd aware of @orangecassidy @TonyKhan @AEW pic.twitter.com/Lays1g5RXk
— William Mullally 🍝 (@whmullally) February 15, 2023
The parallels between Cassidy and Andy extend beyond appearance and demeanor. Cassidy's current AEW theme, "Jane" by Jefferson Starship, was a key song used in Wet Hot American Summer.
Cassidy has reigned as AEW All-Atlantic Champion since October, when he defeated Pac to become the second-ever wrestler to hold that title. Since then, Cassidy has had successful defenses against the likes of Rey Fenix, Rush, Katsuyori Shibata, Jay Lethal, and Lee Moriarty. While AEW Revolution is just a matter of weeks away, Cassidy does not have a clear challenger for that upcoming pay-per-view.
It's a big weekend for Rudd, as his third Ant-Man film arrives in theaters. Quantumania serves as the fifth time that Rudd has suited up as Scott Lang and marks the first film of Marvel Studios's Phase 5.