Spoilers For Cap Film

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

March 1, 2010 is the deadline for casting Steve Rogers. According to wired.com:

Johnston expects to name the film’s star within the next couple weeks, drawing from a short list of six actors up for wielding Cap’s shield. “The youngest is 23,” Johnston said. “The oldest is 32. Most of the guys in the war are just kids, 18 or 19, but we want to go a little bit older.”

BigShinyRobot.com has reported that:

According to MY studio guy, the rumors about Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) and other unknowns/television actors reading for Cap are true.

Apparently, when the script came in with World War II sequences (featuring the Invaders), the studio heads decided it was beyond their means to make this movie AND afford A-listers like Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.

Sure sounds like everyone’s high on McPartlin, who evidently just lost out on the Superman role to Brandon Routh.

Folks should take the Big Shiny Robot information with a grain of salt. It actually came out before Johnston's interview. McPartlin is 34; meaning if we take Johnston's comments as The Word Of God, McPartlin is out. Moreover, this is the first confirmation I've seen that's Jensen Ackles read for the role. I'm trying to withhold my SQUEEEEEEE. The three all have contractial obligations with television shows, so regardless of who they cast, they will have to work around their tv schedule. Murray and McPartlin would be easier to write out of their respective shows. Jensen and Jared are in every scene of every episode of Supernatural. Working around Jensen's schedule will be most problematic. But, like my friend in the business says, "if Marvel wants him badly enough, they will make it out."

Now... Now onto script spoilers.

The LA Time's Hero COmplex blog interviewed Joe Johnston. Johnston revealed how Steve Rogers gets his mythic costume:

"The costume is a flag, but the way we're getting around that is we have Steve Rogers forced into the USO circuit. After he's made into this super-soldier, they decide they can't send him into combat and risk him getting killed. He's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, 'You're going to be in this USO show' and they give him a flag suit. He can't wait to get out of it."

"So he's up on stage doing songs and dances with chorus girls and he can't wait to get out and really fight. When he does go AWOL, he covers up the suit but then, after a few things happen, he realizes that this uniform allows him to lead. By then, he's become a star in the public mind and a symbol. The guys get behind him because he embodies something special."

There will be more than one costume in the film, too.

In the first USO sequences, the frustrated patriot will be wearing a version that is closer to the classic Jack Kirby-designed costume, but then later as the super-soldier hits the war zone he will be wearing a sturdier, more muted version that he makes himself that is more like battle togs. The stripes across his mid-section, for instance, will be straps, not colored fabric.

"He realizes the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor, it will be closer to the Cpa costume in some of the comics in more recent years . . . this approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognizes the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time."

Steve Rogers never wore tights you asshat.

Johnston confirmed there will be tie ins to Iron Man and Thor, and the modern will have modern day book ends. IGN (and multiple other sources) are reporting the director revealed that The Invaders will "be in the entire second half" of the film. IGN is also reporting that Red Skull will be the Big Bad.

On a happier note, Robert Downey Jr is awesome. Downey Jr recently told SFX Magazine:

"The Avengers" [is] a culmination of the first four years of movies from Marvel Studios. It's the pinnacle, but only if it's done in the smartest and best and most creatively sound way possible. And I'm not saying we can't get there. I'm just saying it would be better to get there and not stay on schedule than to get everyone what they were hoping for in terms of a release date but not do it correctly. And by correctly, I mean my way," laughed Downey.

Comments

[flight-wo-wings.livejournal.com]

"He realizes the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor, it will be closer to the Cpa costume in some of the comics in more recent years . . . this approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognizes the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time."

I think this is a good idea. I could totally see the government doing something like that (it even makes a certain amount of sense -- they wanted an army of supersoldiers, but if they only have one, obviously he's too valuable to put out in the field. So they need to get their money's worth out of him another way) and to be frank, Cap's costume is silly. He has little wings on his head. I'm not trying to be a hater here. My favorite costumed hero of all time, the Flash, has little lightning bolts on his head, and wears red pajamas. I kind of like the silly. But it's not a very practical look for live combat, and I like the idea of an exploration of that conflict between showmanship and practicality.

I don't know any of the possible casting choices from Adam (not even Jensen, though I guess he must be doing something right if he has this many rabid fans) so I'll be waiting until we see some trailers to comment on that. I don't mind that they're thinking about casting a slightly older actor for Cap, though -- considering his backstory, I think it could be made to work. And I totally agree with RDJ that they should let the deadlines take care of themselves and focus on making some awesome movies. XD

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

My major complaint about the USO angle is that it's like spending 50 million dollars on a one-of-a-kind, shiny new gun and then... not using it when someone breaks into your house, because then it wouldn't be shiny. If he grows old and dies without seeing battle, they're getting exactly as much use out of him as they could Bob Hope.

I just don't get it. :\

[flight-wo-wings.livejournal.com]

Like the US government hasn't done stupider things in the comic books. Which I'm not saying is right (or even necessarily accurate) I just said it makes a certain amount of sense, given the context.

Also I was kind of assuming that, while they're turning him into this national icon of awesomeness, they'll also be continuing to take blood samples and conduct tests or whatever. If they just give up on reproducing the serum, that would be incredibly stupid. But if they continue doing tests, and at the same time figure, "we might as well get some use out of this guy, it's no good just leaving him to rot away in some bunker" I think that would make sense. I should have said that in my first post, sorry.

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, if they're just keeping him busy while they play with his blood, that makes absolute sense to me (though personally I'd just keep him locked up somewhere, but politicians have indeed done dumber things). But the way the director phrased it ("He's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, 'You're going to be in this USO show' and they give him a flag suit.") made it sound like they'd given up.

[flight-wo-wings.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I can see where you get that impression. I hope they don't do that, my theory makes so much more sense. XD

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

It does! ♥ Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will tap sense into a head or two.

[des-pudels-kern.livejournal.com]

Well, I have to admit turning your one super soldier into a specimen and guinea pig does make more sense than risking to lose your blue print, but I see them either using him mainly as a soldier, or mainly as a scientific tool, but the symbol factor only makes sense to me if he does go out and fight. Otherwise any mascot would do the trick, and a funny plush-costumed one probably better than some guy who's never seen battle but wants to tell you who has seen it all to be brave and strong.

No, don't like the USO storyline. I know that the experimenting on humans is canon, but this sound s too much as if they'd want to reduce him to that.