The latest issue of Production Weekly, has the synopsis of the upcoming Captain America film from Marvel. The good news – it will be a WWII movie.
“Born during the Great Depression, Steve Rogers grew up a frail youth in a poor family. Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he was rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips offered Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment … Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers was at last administered the ‘Super-Soldier Serum’ and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerged from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers was then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program. Three months later, he was given his first assignment as Captain America. Armed with his indestructible shield and and battle savvy, Captain America has continued his war against evil both as a sentinel of liberty and leader of the Avengers.â€
While the May 6, 2011 date has been set (with the Avengers movie coming out a month or so later), no word on who will direct this period piece, and more importantly, no word on who will play Steve Rogers.
Wouldn’t it just be 10 kinds of kick-ass if Marvel and Paramount were able to keep the lid on this movie so clamped down, that we wouldn’t find out who any of the key players were until a month or so before the films release? No? Ok, then. I predict we’ll have answers to these questions and more no later than CCI: San Diego 2009.
Who’s on your short list to play Captain America?
21 Comments
I’m happy to see it’ll be a period piece. As for who’ll play Steve, I’d go for Matt Damon or Leonardo Di Caprio. The bottom line is that whoever it is, they need to able to act. The talk of having that ‘roid addict on American Gladiators play Cap is sickening.
I agree with Josh that whoever plays Cap needs to be a very good actor. I don’t want some second rate actor playing this iconic figure.
With that said, how cool would the Avengers movie be with Downey Jr, Norton, Pitt (as Thor, I hope), and Damon (as Cap). That would be a great group of actors that could pull off a great movie.
They need a good actor that also bears a glow of leadership, by which i mean someone older i would like to see Brad Pitt in the role. Besides making Pitt look a tad younger here in the origin cant be that hard.
Thor needs to be a Scandinavien actor, it would make it that much cooler.
Mos Def
Brad Pitt is a good actor and could definietly play someone who has innate leadership qualities. The only problem is that he’s too old. Steve was barely an adult when he became Captain America. Pitt’s in his 40’s. It just wouldn’t work.
@Josh
Sure but look at Robert Downey Jr..not much Jr about him…and i always thought of Cap and Ironman as being of about the same age having to be rolemodels, leaders and whatnot of the Avengers.
I dont think the movie would work if Cap is younger than Norton, Downey and whoever else.
yeah i agree with rodrigo, mos def. he would pwn that damn part!!!
@Lifeisaglitch
It’s easy to assume that Steve is close in age to Tony Stark, but you have to remember that Steve Rogers was only around 18-20 when he became Cap, and that only last a very short time before he was frozen in the ice and eventually thawed out. Steve comes from a different time, and went through hell before arriving in “our” time; something like that gives a person a maturity beyond their years. That, in combination with natural leadership qualities makes him a peer to Tony. They didn’t call it the Greatest Generation for nothing.
I’m not saying that casting Brad Pitt as Steve Rogers would ruin the movie. Far from it. I’m just saying that if Marvel wants to play as close to the source material as they have with Iron Man, than whoever plays Steve Rogers is going to have be 20 years Robert Downey Jr’s, uh, junior.
Nathan Fillion.
@Carswell
Captain Mal is always tops on my list in ANY casting scenario. I desperately hoped he’d get to command the Enterprise … instead we got that kid who was in that dirtbike movie.
@Josh
Unfortunately there really aren’t many 20 something actors (or at least an actor that could play that age) that come to mind for Steve Rogers.
If anything they will be casting for the “look”, the strong jaw line, blond hair and blue eyes. Captain America is an icon, and not just to the comic nerdery. I have confidence in Marvel, they nailed it with Iron Man & Incredible Hulk … they can do it with their flagship character.
@Carswell
He’s a little too…unrefined for Cap. That said, someone needs to make a Fear Agent movie and grab Fillion to play Heath.
@doubledumbassonyou
I agree, there really aren’t a lot of young actors with the skills and build that could tackle Cap. Of the younger Hollywood crowd, Leo is still my pick. I don’t see him being as small as some others may think he is. He’s filled out his frame pretty well. In The Departed, he was pretty well toned and I noticed that he’s actually got pretty broad shoulders for not being a beefy guy.
If Marvel wants to make Steve an older guy, that opens up a world of possibilities. I’d consider Aaron Eckart.
@Josh
You say Leo would be your pick for a young actor for Cap, but he is 34. Damon is 38. So, your arguement that Di Caprio is a good young actor doesn’t really fit. Unless your cut off for young is 35. And if that is the case there are a lot of people that would argue with you. I would ask did Matt Damon look like a commanding character in the Bourne movies? He sure didn’t look 38 years old. My last arguement about age is that Sean Connery didn’t look 53 years old when he did “Never Say Never Again”.
If you want to go with someone that is young they need to use an actor with a lot of talent. And honestly that is hard to find. If they pick a no name to play Cap they better be spot on, e.g. Tom Jane as Punisher. If they pick a young up and coming actor as Cap and the fans don’t see it fit it will ruin the Avengers movie. B/c it would be really awkward if all the other actors carried over and Cap’s actor didn’t.
@Morpheus11
Leo might be 34, but part of his appeal (at least with some of the ladies) is that he looks about 10 years younger than he is. All he would need to do is shave the facial hair, and he’s instantly younger. Matt Damon doesn’t have that benefit. And I agree that Damon sure doesn’t look like a guy pushing 40 in the Bourne movies. My only problem with him is that he’s too short. And before anyone mentions that that can be modified, let me just point out that the first time we got a full body shot of Downey next to another person in Iron Man, I noticed the lifts.
I’d be happy with Leo, Damon, Eckhart or Pitt, to be honest. I’m just saying that my personal preference would be Leo. And if not him, than Eckhart.
Ooh, what about that Channing Tatum kid?
Hayden Christiansen or however you spell that last name. Him Tobey Maguire, Downey Jr., and Hugh Jackman would make a great Avengers movie. Forget Thor. He isn’t even an Avenger. Avengers needs Wolverine. Hell they should get Wolverine for the next Hulk movie too.
Fred Savage!
@Bob S.
I just thanked the universe that you are not in control of Marvel Studios. ;)
Josh
I highly doubt that Eckart would ever play Cap. He already is/was involved heavilly with the Batman storyline, and I doubt that DC would hand over one of their best actors to Marvel. That would be like Marvel letting Ed Norton or Robert Downey Jr. into Green Lanturn.
Bob
How is Thor not a real avenger? He was one of the people that started the group!
@Eons_past (Julian)
Eckhart is done with the Batman franchise. That’s according to himself and Nolan. I don’t see why costaring as a villian in a Batman movie would negate him from ever doing another film based on a comic book. Plus, it’s not like DC owns his likeness, or whatever. If Marvel offered him the role, I highly doubt he’d turn it down.
Why would Cap need to be young? His traditional origin doesn’t say he leaped out of high school into the military, it says he wanted to answer the call to service when the war started but was a 98 pound weakling.
Thor hasn’t even been in the Avengers in years…
Wolverine has.
Thor has a stupid hammer.
Wolverine has claws.
Thor talks funny.
Wolverine has funny hair.
Oh you need to add Luke Cage to my roster, not sure who plays him.
These are the current Avengers.
Stay current.
Caps got to be a big guy. John Cena. mabey….
I would go with Channing Tatum