Joe Johnston has been handed the keys to the most patriotic character in the Marvel catalog and the kick off the ramp that will finally bring us The Avengers.
In a recent interview, he discussed some of what we can expect from Captain America: The First Avenger
In terms of “Captain America”, he confirms that it’s an origin story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and will be mostly period albeit with modern, present-day bookends.
Johnston seems most proud of the fact that though the character changes from a scrawny weakling into a human Adonis, he has no superpowers as such. He says “He’s an every man who’s been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? You’d think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn’t get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire.”
He goes on with the theme discussion, but does give away a little bit of plot: “Its got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we’ve never seen before. But at the heart of it, it’s a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn’t fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend.”
I like the idea that they are going to bookend the film with modern day bits and that The First Avenger will be set in a World War 2 era.
The movie will likely start with them finding him in ice and discovering who he was in a 90 minute flashback. When the movie ends he will be frozen after his throwdown with Red Skull and then we catch up to him in modern day again being told what happened, where he is and that “America needs you” and he is introduced to Sam Jackson as Fury.
The Avengers need you!
In the interview Johnston also talks about Jurassic Park 4 spouting the vague promise that it will be “unlike anything you’ve seen” and that it breaks away from the first three films in its own story.
So really aside from actually suggesting they are making the movie (I will believe it when it actually happens) he really doesn’t say anything at all.
Cap was always a frontrunner for me behind Spidey and Hulk.
I discovered him in the old Avengers comics circa 1980’s on the run that had heroes like Vision, YellowJacket, Scarlet Witch, Ironman,Hercules and others. I really got into those and loved to draw them. the idea of having them all together in most of the panels facinated me. the stand alone comics w/ Cap were secondary to me, BUT still hold a strong presence in my mental hard drive.
He is a huge part of the Marvel Universe and Comics in whole
I’m introduced to all comics by either cartoons or movies. So I know very little about Cap. But this premise sounds awesome. I’m scrawny so to see a pre-buff cap would really resonate within my thin walled chest.
Usually I say leave trilogy’s alone so would be opposed at a Jurassic Park 4. But then the thought of it possibly being done in 3D would certainly give it a bit of the wow factor which the first one had. So interested to see where it all leads on JP4.
3D on this would be awesome.
I think Captain America runs the risk of being a huge bomb. He has never really fit into the modern era of comics, and I think it could run into the same issue with the movie. (I also think the same thing about Thor) It seems that “dark and gritty” is all the buzz for comic movies nowadays, and sounds like they’re leaning that way on this one.
As for JP 4, I don’t see how you could screw up dinosaurs eating people in a jungle. If I was Johnston, I’d take special care to make the dinosaurs look exceptionally real. Some of the CG in the original JP is still some of the best CG ever put on film. Do that and have a halfway decent script, and the movie will rock.
Both Cap and Thor are huge right now in comics I dont see where you get that they dont fit in the modern era.
What bothers me is this quote; “it’s a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in”. Cap has never been one who cared about fitting in. He has always stood by his own convictions even when they were unpopular.
Trip, the “kid who wants to fit in” is the scrawny Steve Rogers who is not accepted and has no friends.
That young man volunteers for the Super Soldier program in a desperate effort to “belong” and fit in with the other soldiers.
The character traits you describe are the Cap who came after all that.
I can see Thor having a hard time being accepted, but Cap is gonna be huge. People love the character, there is a patriotism angle for the domestic box office, and this will be the first avenger movie.
I think that Thor will be accepted just fine. Films like Clash of the Titans and The lightning Thief will pave the way for audience expectations. They are dealing with the whole “Gods” idea and it isn’t anything that we are not already used to seeing. This, more than most Hero films, has a lot of potential as Thor is a questionable hero. Like Namor, sometimes he is on the same side as Cap and the rest of the Avengers, and others times he is against them. Since he is a God he holds no true allegiance to anyone other than Asgard.
“He never really fit into the modern era of comics” What? Have you ever read a Cap comic? His resonance through the Marvel universe and American mythos is HUGE! An he is a modern day hero. He didn’t have a huge back story befoire he was frozen in ice. Few literary characters have had as strong an impact on modern culture as Captain America. People will latch onto this film for that alone. Not to mention the fact that he IS the center of the most famous superhero team ever, The Avengers. Even if they try and make this a dark and grizzly film (which it could easily be since Cap does have a pretty depressing back story) it will still fit.
Maybe his rep in comics has grown since I read comics a while back, but I always considered him a real third tier character. It was the kind of comic you picked up once or twice, but that was it.
I was also under the impression that any sales the comic has had lately was mainly due to some kind of “death” story, which always boosts a comic’s sales. Maybe I’m wrong.
As to his impact on American culture, I think you are overblowing his image in modern American culture. I don;t know anybody who even knows anything about the character, let alone thinks about him. Heck, I bet most people haven’t thought about the character since the crappy 70s movie.
I’m willing to say I may be wrong. I am obviously not the keeper of American culture, but this is the impression I get. I hope the movie rocks, I really do. I just hope they don’t try to copy “Dark Knight” and go real gritty, which seems to be all the rage right now.
None of it matters anyway since it will all be rebooted in 7 years.
on the Dino’s, I thought that 3 held it’s own BUT they kinda focused on the raptors too much(goin’ off memory)it kinda lost the buzz that it had when it was fresh. it was cool to see the lead actor come back and all. just didn’t feel it like when it first came out(part1)remember, that was another bigtime “moment” to be a movie fan.(like avatar today)
there probally gonna do a 3-D film for this
and have Jeff Goldblum in old man mode.(with style, of course)
The raptors got redeemed in 3 after being defeated by a gymnastics routine.
i like that they are doing the book end thing with captain america and i love the jurassic park movie and i mean all of them so i am intertested in see what they so with it as long as they do something differnt and dont really touch the island again
Dinosaurs are always cool with me. Bring on number 4.
To me “Its got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we’ve never seen before” sounds like “We ditched going for a great story and instead we’ll have clichéd dramatics and a lot of action scenes while trying to tell the very basics about how Captain America came to be. We plan to concentrate on the visuals.”
Prove me wrong! Please!
You do realize that cliche specifically means something that is commonplace through overuse.
If claiming it is “something you have never seen before” how can it mean its commonplace and overused?
You proved yourself wrong.
It might just be talk to pump up excitement, but that just means he has nothing specific to say. It doesnt make sense to jump to the conclusion you have come to.
Rodney’s got that end, I’ve got this one. He specifically mentioned the mental trials and tribulations that Steve Rogers goes through becoming Captain America, and he in the end has to go AWOL, or beyond the line of duty as I see it, to save a friend (probably Bucky). He mentioned the story first and the action second. It sounds good to me.
I sure the hell hope they aren’t going for the pistol packin’ Velociraptors again. like they threatened to once upon a time.
And Cap? Sounds good to me. Almost sounds like an interpretation of Bucky might also be in the story (“And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend”)
Cap story as described is what I always pictured in my head….Happy so far
I’m kinda if-y on the Jurassic Park, I thought 3 was okay.
The one thing that worries me is when he says “and some incredible stuff that we’ve never seen before”
To me this means: “Oh, we’ve made some changes. But we’re not going to tell you until you see the movie.”
I took it to mean that visually (not story wise) we will see some things that are unlike what is currently being done in the Superhero film genre … but I could be wrong.
I told you so that red skull was the villian