Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige revealed today that the Captain America movie will be a period film, set during World War II. I’ve never read any Captain America, but some of my friends who are really into the series have insisted that a WWII period setting would be the only way to do the story justice.
This basically confirms that Marvel will be sticking close to the original origin story which involved Steve Rogers volunteering to be a test subject in Operation: Rebirth, a top-secret defense project for the U.S. Army. Rogers took a Super-Soldier serum which altered his physiology, turning him into a “nearly perfect human being”. Unable to duplicate the process, the United States government turned Rogers into a superhero who served as “both a counter-intelligence agent and a propaganda symbol to counter Nazi Germany’s head of terrorist operations, the Red Skull.”
The First Avenger: Captain America (and not Captain America: The First Avenger, which sounds infinitely better) is scheduled to hit theaters in May 6th 2011, just weeks before Marvel’s superhero team-up film The Avengers hits screens in July. It’s assumed that the film will likely end with a cliffhanger. In the comic series The Avengers discovered Steve Rogers’ body in a block of ice in the North Atlantic years after his supposed death, and were able to revive him. It’s assumed that a similar situation will probably happen to bridge the two movies, especially considering that The Avengers takes place in modern day. But Feige promises that you won’t need to see any of the other films to understand The Avengers:
“Each of them have to stand on their own,” Feige said. “You won’t have to have seen any of the films to understand The Avengers… but it will help.”
Feige also confirmed that Matthew McConaughey is not in consideration for the film adaptation as was rumored on CinemaBlend weeks back. That should make fans happy. You can read more about Feige’s “State of the Marvel Address” on CHUD.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
this movie is starting to sound better and better. i originally heard that it was supposed to take place part in WWII and part in present day, which would be difficult, and probably end in awkwardness. also, now that the mcconaughey rumor is put to rest, i’m very excited to see where this will go.
just please, no bucky. batman has been doing fine without robin, so, let’s hope cap doesn’t have to do the sidekick thing.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Thank God! This is the only way this movie could work.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I think MM would be alright as Cap, I dunno, who else then? Sometimes this page is too geeked out. I remember when this site and it’s reader’s ripped Chris Nolan a new asshole for casting a certain actor for The Dark Knight……..
May 21st, 2008 at 7:31 pm
a period peice for this & for thor?!?! marvel seems to care bout thier product as much as we’d all hoped. it’ll be cool to see how they handle the costume. i’m thinking a slight update could work: army pants instead of tights, get rid of the head wings, plus use a darker blue. also, rogers humility & noblility make it easy to respect most of what he wears/says/does. red skull should look cool too!
it’s too bad marvel wasn’t in the same position for hulk, fantastic 4, daredevil, & punisher. i wonder if future films will be under their control.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
World War II? No MM???
YES
May 21st, 2008 at 7:35 pm
and also, Marvel seems to have taken some lessons from Iron Man..considering what Orange Cinema said. Lets hope this continues…
May 21st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I am very happy that Marvel is doing this. I have been waiting a long time for a better made Captain America movie. And since the beginning I felt that the first movie should be a period piece then they could take their time with the character instead of rushing the story to the present. I think they should go look at the Ultimates has a way to update the costume.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
that info is quality
May 21st, 2008 at 8:17 pm
this is excellent news. thank the gods.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
FINALLY!!!!!!!(A REAL AMEROICAN HERO)
the time period is perfect,
I know that this film will
rule!!!! now marvel, cast
Neil McDONOUGH as CAP!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:23 pm
AMERICAN
May 21st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
there’s no surfing in WW2! later MM. \m/
May 21st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Also, if you read the full interview, they ask Keven Feige about Jon Favreau directing Iron Man 2. His response was simply, Jon signed a one picture deal, just like Sam Raimi and Bryan Singer. They go on to say that directors rarely ever sign multi-picture deals.
This has quelled my worries in me about Iron Man being in the hands of somebody other than Favreau, thanks to all of the fear mongering done by this website. However, I still LOVE slashfilm and nothing would make me stop reading.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Nazi’s don’t surf !!!
Btw
This is the BEST news I’ve heard all week!!!!!
(Blow me!, Avitar in 3D!).
And then you tell me that MM is NOT in the film!
Awesome. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They can cryo-freeze Rodgers and bring him out for the Avengers film!!!! AWESOME!!!!!
Time for Beer!!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Yes. This is the ONLY WAY they can do a Captain America movie. It’s funny because ever since the idea of a Captain America movie popped up, I’ve always insisted that it be set in WWII, and end with him encased in ice. I am very happy for this, and Marvel - along with Iron Man’s achievement - has already earned my respect for them as a multimedia company.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Grant Bowler would make a good Cap I think. He also played the ship Capt on Lost
May 21st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
YESSSS!!!! I was wondering how everyone could see this and NOT Marvel but I’m ecstatic that they have pulled through on this. Being familiar with Cap this is the only way to do him justice. Some people might not understand why the movie ends with him being frozen (if that is in fact what they do) but it will bring fans to The Avengers to see him thaw out ;)
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 am
With Marvel in control there was no way this wouldn’t be a period film.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:35 am
Fanfuckingtastic.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:48 am
that sounds great, it can make it easier to set up for avengers movie.
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:01 am
@Daniel
ummm Grant Bowler isn’t even American. His not even Australian. HIS A NEW ZEALANDER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!
There’s no way they’ll cast a foreigner as Captain America. I know Jake Gyllenhaal just got casted as the Prince of Persia but thats something foreign being Americanised, which is always deemed as okay. But something American being foreignised is NOT cool and unacceptable.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
Truly fantastic news. I can’t wait.
Hopefully Cap is played by a good unknown, McCaughney doesn’t strike me as a good choice for any superhero except Booster Gold. Sorry. In regards to the storyarc, this is exacty what I was hoping for. Having the first Cap film set entirely during WW2 leaves plenty of time for his origin and story to flesh out. I’m glad that they won’t be throwing him into contemporary times so soon.
In regards to the “DC method”, the way they were doing JLA is the only way it would have worked. DC/WB’s other films, such as Batman Begins and Superman Returns, were not set up in he same universe, to have Singer’s Superman and especially Nolan’s Batman in a film together with the JLA would not have worked. Singer’s Superman has been Superman for at least 6 years and is played by a comparatively younger actor than Nolan’s Batman, who is just beginning and can’t seem to think for himself, unlike the comics/JLA Batman. Could you see Nolan’s Baman bulding the Watchtower or fighting aliens or, thru scientific means discovering his team members’ weaknesses and preparing to use them against them if need be? I sure couldn’t, Nolan’s Batman couldn’t even make his own batsuit or batmobile. He’d have Lucius doing all the JLA stuff. The JLA Batman has to be Batman the detctive, a genius, the thinking man, Nolan’s Batman isn’t any of those things, Nolan’s Batman only works in Nolan’s univere, it would not work in this extended DC Universe with the JLA and Green Lantern. Neither would Snger’s Superman. In order to have the Superman and Batman from the individual films together in a JLA fim, the movies HAVE to be set up in the same universe, like the Marvel films are. The DCU filmivese wasn’t set up that way from the start, and therfore having Nolan’s Batman and Singer’s Superman in a JLA film together would not work. I am certain that DC/WB and CO realizes this, which is why when a JLA film is made it will be with a different Superman and Batman than Nolan’s and Singer’s. DC should have had a plan to establish the films in the same universe from the start, like Marvel did.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:16 am
That’s perfect!!! A WWII film would be awesome!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I think they could have Bucky Barnes in it just make him a regular soldier fighting alongside Captain America not a gee whiz teenage sidekick. I’d like to see Cap punch Hitler in the face like on the cover of Captain America #1. It would also be nice to have some mention of Isaiah Bradley from the Truth:Red, White & Black storyline.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
This will be the ultimate hero
movie, cast NEIL McDONOUGH
as CAP and CRISPIN GLOVER
as the RED SKULL and please
no BUCKY!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:15 am
Please cast bucky and make him the bucky we saw in wolverine origins, the one that grows up to be Winter Soldier.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Matthew McConaughey as Cap’n America? Thank god they forgot about that idea - I like Matt but he’s just not near right for the part. Marvel really has its act together with how they are handling their main characters these days - and by setting this movie in the right time period they continue to hit all the right notes. I wasn’t and am not really a big fan of the character - but still - they should do him justice - getting the origin story right is always the key. That plus a good lead actor. No idea who would work… probably an unknown. But then again I didn’t think Robert Downey Jr was right for Iron Man so what do I know.
Cheers,
Captain Obvious 22
http://thehouseofbabes.blogspot.com
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
NO BUCKY!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Just got home from the new Hulk film. Not to damn bad! Infnitely better than Ang Lees botched project. More to the story line of the old TV show which I hated for not being more to the comic but they did a good job with it. Not quite as good as Iron man but it was not meant to be that ype of high tech story. Over all I liked it and will probably go see it again. Lots of action and they made reference to the super soldier syrum in WWII. Go see it.