Oh Captain, My Captain!
Posted by dailypop on October 18, 2008
If you had asked the viewing public two years ago what they thought of the Avengers or Captain America and they would stare straight past you as if nothing but air had exited your mouth. Yet the media is all aflutter for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes hitting the big screen.
The excitement started with the unexpected success of Iron Man, the film that no one expected to be as much of a hit as it was. Hidden in the film was a bit of an ‘easter egg’ for fans to spot, Captain America’s shield resting on Tony Stark’s work table.
Cap's shield appears in Stark's lab as a joke
The shield appears to be half-constructed, which is very confusing as Captain America possessed the weapon in WWII. This would not be a real issue if news had not broken that the forthcoming Captain America movie would take place in World War II. So… what’s the deal?
It turns out that the shield’s inclusion was a joke on the part of film makers, but afterwards the go-ahead to develop a Thor, Ant Man, Captain America and finally an Avengers film where all of the characters would converge as a super hero team.
So… was this just a hint of things to come?
... or is it a joke?
With next week’s Incredible Hulk DVD release we can be sure that these are hints of Captain America’s arrival in the Mighty Marvel Movie Franchise. In the new opening sequence keen viewers will spot the sleeping frozen body of the star spangled patriot in the foreground, made all that more striking by the hazy image of his shield.
Cap humble guest spot in The Incredible Hulk DVD
The next question is… who will play the pivotal role of Captain America??
A character created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Cap made quite a stir when he was re-introduced in Avengers #4 where he brought some much-needed decorum to the group. Cap was such a strong character that the ’stars’ of the title left, making way for lesser known characters (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) to act as one of the more unusual Avengers line-ups in the comic book’s history.
Who would look good in this outfit?
So what actor can carry such a strong role? So far rumors of the sleepy Matthew McConaughey, fey off-off-off Broadway star John Barrowman, Brad (am I still acting?) Pitt and ‘watch me make another terrible film’ Wil Smith have all arisen… resulting in nothing short of panic from fans. There is nothing wrong with Cap being a ‘hunk’ or being African American but the audience needs to invest in the character rather than the actor and while McConaughey may not have much in the way of stepping outside of his role, he will certainly put movie goers to sleep.
But enough of my rambling. What do you, the reader, think?
Lisa said
I’ll be first in line for the movie if John Barrowman gets the part. Far from being “off off off Broadway”, he has actually played on Broadway, but most of his career up until the last few years has been spent as a leading man in the West End (the UK equivalent of Broadway). While not well known in the US, he’s a household name in the UK, thanks mainly to BBC TV shows Doctor Who and Torchwood. His Captain Jack character in Doctor Who was so popular that a new TV show (Torchwood) was created around it. As they’re currently filming the third season of Torchwood and the show is being aired around the world, it’s clear that John Barrowman has talent and is more than up for the job of Captain America. He has both UK and US citizenship, and having grown up mostly in Illinois, also has an American accent for those of you who might balk at a non-American playing Cap. He’s handsome, sexy, would look great in a tight uniform, and is honestly the only person I’d want to see as Captain America.
dailypop said
I stand corrected. Yes, Barrowman has trod the boards of Broadway.
Thanks for reading and commenting but I really disagree that Barrowman could play the part. Of the few examples of possible actor that I listed he is the least famous in America, yet he retains far too much of his stage-acting style for my taste and is far too under-developed physically to play the role of super-soldier in a feature film. I am aware that Barrowman has a strong cult fan base, but that doesn’t exactly make him worthy of portraying Captain America. My experience of Barrowman is very limited, I admit, but all I can imagine is his fey eyebrow-raising and musical theater-ish innuendos fitting the mood of Torchwood.
I’d say that the film makers have to go with an unknown… but look how that went last time? I’m still unsure of who I could see playing the part… he’s have to be young to fit in with the story of Cap’s time-line(late 20’s at the oldest) and very physically developed to be taken seriously as a super soldier. Are there any actors that fit that bill?
Lisa said
Hmmmmm….. for someone whose knowledge of John Barrowman is “very limited”, you seem to profoundly dislike him. “Fey eyebrow-raising”? “Musical theater-ish innuendos”? And as to calling his large INTERNATIONAL fan base “cult”, more and more the real “cult” fan base seems to be that of Captain America. An actor has to be “worthy” of playing Cap? He’s a CARTOON CHARACTER, not a real life person! ::)
Critiquing JB’s physique is also moot, as all actors playing cartoon characters work out for months prior to filming in order to look good in the requisite tight spandex uniforms.
All in all though, the whole thing is moot, as those in charge of “Captain America” and the “Avengers” movies will make their decision without relying on the opinions internet bloggers. Hmmm….now that I think of it….word is out that JB flew to LA Sunday…..I wonder if maybe it’s about a certain movie role….
dailypop said
I’m trying to figure out when this blog post on Captain America turned into a discussion on John Barrowman. I’m not sure what your knowledge of the actor is, but personally I enjoyed his portrayal of Captain Jack in the initial two-parter ‘The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances’ and was dismayed to see the character devolve into a one joke wonder in the finale featuring Daleks conquering humanity with reality TV (I don’t object to the idea, but it was shoddily played out).
The first season of Torchwood was quite good but the follow up an embarrassment (as I have written about here on my blog). The viewership of programs such as Doctor Who have earned international acceptance yet are still viewed as cult programs due to the devoted fan base, following the program as a cult (get it?). Given Barrowman’s limited exposure prior to Dr Who (aside from theater and pantomime), his experience beyond playing Captain Jack does not make up for much in the end. I’m not saying that to slight his career, just to put it into perspective.
Bearing all this in mind, yes it is of great importance to find just the right character to portray a character that inspired US Military soldiers in WWII and remains a household name. The effect of online blogs and editorials has also made a significant impact on the decisions made by the entertainment industry, so it could very well steer the producers toward a decision.
A quick glance at IMDB shows that Barrowman is involved in a production entitled Broadway: The Next Generation, so I’m thinking his stateside trip may not involve portraying a comic book icon… or I hope so.