Should the actor portraying Captain America be an American?

[RJMacReady16]

I would prefer an American...just like they prefer European dudes for Bond.

Nic Cage still tries to say that's the only reason he lost the part to Craig

Edited for the Darklord

 

[Wanderer]

He's an American icon but at the end of the day surely a good actor with the right look is more important.

 

[Blackthornone]

Well, yes, all other factors being equal, he SHOULD be an American. He SHOULD also have been in the army and an artist, for that matter, as Steve Rogers is, but we will have to take what we can get. I will say that an unknown should definitely be considered. Look at Christopher Reeve in Superman. He did an outstanding job at bringing the character to life, which is what acting is all about- NOT just a famous name for box office draw, and Reeve was an UNKNOWN. I've been displeased with a number of casting decisions of comic book characters. Halle Berry as Storm? Miss hit and run, who lacks the power and presence and character to be a superhero? Not believable. Too bad Iman was too old. SHE would have made a great Storm. A powerful voice with an African accent that Storm has, and she even looks a LOT like storm, too. Patrick Stewart as Professor X? He's a great powerful leader character, but not a great psychic character. Patrick Stewart comes across like a skeptic like James Randi, more than a psychic. I've met or seen a lot of psychics, and skeptics, and he comes across much more like a skeptic. Not only that, he never even HEARD of the X MEN before he was cast for the movie! I think John Lithgow would have been a more convincing professor X. He looks like him, sounds like him, and comes across like a psychic, with that almost "otherworldly" way about him.

 

[Hulksmashed]

Well, yes, all other factors being equal, he SHOULD be an American. He SHOULD also have been in the army and an artist, for that matter, as Steve Rogers is, but we will have to take what we can get. I will say that an unknown should definitely be considered. Look at Christopher Reeve in Superman. He did an outstanding job at bringing the character to life, which is what acting is all about- NOT just a famous name for box office draw, and Reeve was an UNKNOWN. I've been displeased with a number of casting decisions of comic book characters. Halle Berry as Storm? Miss hit and run, who lacks the power and presence and character to be a superhero? Not believable. Too bad Iman was too old. SHE would have made a great Storm. A powerful voice with an African accent that Storm has, and she even looks a LOT like storm, too. Patrick Stewart as Professor X? He's a great powerful leader character, but not a great psychic character. Patrick Stewart comes across like a skeptic like James Randi, more than a psychic. I've met or seen a lot of psychics, and skeptics, and he comes across much more like a skeptic. Not only that, he never even HEARD of the X MEN before he was cast for the movie! I think John Lithgow would have been a more convincing professor X. He looks like him, sounds like him, and comes across like a psychic, with that almost "otherworldly" way about him.

No offense...but John Lithgow? What about Woody Allen for wolverine? Or maybe Wesley Snipes as Cap?? Hmm...speaking of casting, no one has mentioned Antonio Bendares for the roll of THOR!! Might just give him that Latin flair Thor fans have been waiting for!

 

[spekerol]

look i have been reading and studying comics for over 20 years. What i can say with my input is Captain America is an ideal not just a personified individual. So as long as they play the character true to the comics that is fine he was an all american guy who grew up in the depression very frail and wimpy also a great artist as well then he got hand pick for a top government classified experiment.....And the rest you know well is History : )

 

[Soul Collector]

Quite a paradox. A foreign actor playing Captain America. But aren't we all from other countries unless we're Natives?

 

[siren3-4]

I am not too familiar with Brolin's work (aside from playing Pee Wee Herman in the drive in version of "Pee Wee's Big adventure")

Best . . . acting . . . ever . . .

 

[Blackthornone]

No offense...but John Lithgow? What about Woody Allen for wolverine? Or maybe Wesley Snipes as Cap?? Hmm...speaking of casting, no one has mentioned Antonio Bendares for the roll of THOR!! Might just give him that Latin flair Thor fans have been waiting for!

Professor X has always been a soft spoken understated kind of character in the animated series. John Lithgow is basically bald, so he pretty much looks the part. He can be intense, as he demonstrated in the movie Cliffhanger. It isn't a fair comparison to say Woody Allen as Wolverine. I like Hugh Jackman a lot as an actor, but he wasn't exactly Wolverine, either, apart from the fact that he is too tall. He did a B+ job in my opinion. They should have used an unknown for Wolverine, too.

 

[Blackthornone]

Quite a paradox. A foreign actor playing Captain America. But aren't we all from other countries unless we're Natives?

Well, yes, and no. All human beings are originally from Africa, so even the aboriginal Americans walked here over a period of tens of thousands of years and spent a few more thousand years adapting to the climate of North America. They just got to North America FIRST, and so are MORE North American than anyone else, but no human being is technically "native" to anywhere but Africa. Oranges for example, are originally from China. Sure, They have been grown in the United States and have been associated with California and Florida for a number of decades, but they are still ultimately a Chinese fruit, because that is their native land.

The point being made in an American playing Captain America is that he was brought up in the culture of the United States, and thus carries that air about him.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Well, yes, all other factors being equal, he SHOULD be an American. He SHOULD also have been in the army and an artist, for that matter, as Steve Rogers is, but we will have to take what we can get. I will say that an unknown should definitely be considered. Look at Christopher Reeve in Superman. He did an outstanding job at bringing the character to life, which is what acting is all about- NOT just a famous name for box office draw, and Reeve was an UNKNOWN. I've been displeased with a number of casting decisions of comic book characters. Halle Berry as Storm? Miss hit and run, who lacks the power and presence and character to be a superhero? Not believable. Too bad Iman was too old. SHE would have made a great Storm. A powerful voice with an African accent that Storm has, and she even looks a LOT like storm, too. Patrick Stewart as Professor X? He's a great powerful leader character, but not a great psychic character. Patrick Stewart comes across like a skeptic like James Randi, more than a psychic. I've met or seen a lot of psychics, and skeptics, and he comes across much more like a skeptic. Not only that, he never even HEARD of the X MEN before he was cast for the movie! I think John Lithgow would have been a more convincing professor X. He looks like him, sounds like him, and comes across like a psychic, with that almost "otherworldly" way about him.

Lithgow over Stewart?!? Sorry...but I'm glad you didn't cast X-Men.

 

[Blackthornone]

Lithgow over Stewart?!? Sorry...but I'm glad you didn't cast X-Men.

Well, just because he's bald doesn't make Patrick Stewart a Professor X. As I said, Patrick Stewart doesn't come across as a psychic at all. I've met a lot of psychics, been to a psychic school, and I've seen even more psychics, so I know what a psychic should come across like. Yes, Patrick Stewart is a great actor who can play a great leader, but he's no psychic. Professor X is supposed to be the world's greatest psychic. Patrick Stewart Professor X? No sale. I would like Professor X to be as much like the one on the X-Men animated series as possible. That character with that voice is believable. Admittedly, Professor X is a tough character to cast. Perhaps an Unknown would have been better. When I see a character on screen, I want to see THAT character. I DON'T want to see X famous actor PLAYING that character. Spider-Man had GREAT casting. Tobey Maguire, great. Willem Dafoe, outstanding, the girl playing Betty Brandt, outstanding, the guy playing Robbie, outstanding, Aunt May, outstanding, Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben, outstanding, J Jonah Jameson, awesome! ( He was the best. It just doesn't get any better than him.) Kirsten Dunst was just ok. Very likable, but didn't really seem like Mary Jane to me.

 

[The Mike]

Torchwood star in meetings over taking on Captain America role

ACTOR John Barrowman, best known as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who sci-fi spin-off Torchwood, has admitted he's been in talks and meetings over another captain role - the Marvel Comics' patriotic supersoldier Captain America.

Barrowman, 41, who's also a stage actor, TV presenter and a talent show judge, spoke about the role at the San Diego Comic-Con event in the USA.

Superhero Hype reports that he was asked about the Captain America role, and said he'd love to play the character and that Captain America has always been his favorite comic book superhero. The question did not take him by surprise and he ended up admitting there had been discussions with his agents and meetings about the movie project.

The film adaptation of the character - The First Avenger: Captain America - is scheduled for release in May 6, 2011. The hero would then appear in the Avengers team-up movie out in July that year.

Barrowman was born in Scotland, lived in America for more than 20 years, and now resides in the UK with his civil partner Scott Gill.


Even though there is already a Captain America thread, the actor is the lead for casting since no other actor has admitted to talks is Scottish.....

 

[Blackthornone]

No on John Barrowman. Captain America is not gay. John Barrowman is also too skinny, and would seem to need the Super Soldier formula himself.

 

[Amir]

Ok, a good actor is a good actor, it does not matter if he is gay or not...this guy looks the part, I am sure a lot of the cap will end up being CG anyway.

 

[Radagaster]

pfft . . .civil partner . . . interesting euphemism. What does that mean if you're civil? I live in a civil neighborhood, under a civil landlord. I work as a civil servant. And we're all civilians. What does it mean when you live with an uncivilized partner?

Here's to being civil.

Back on topic. I was surprised Marvel did not have a presence in any of the big hall events at Comic-con. Then I realized they hadn't cast anyone yet to play either Cap nor Thor.

 

[turtlepower73]

he looks like tom cruise.

 

[The Mike]

No on John Barrowman. Captain America is not gay. John Barrowman is also too skinny, and would seem to need the Super Soldier formula himself.

I wondered when the gay thing would come in. Magneto was gay and no one made a deal of it....

 

[Darklord Dave]

Barrowman has the face, but he's too old. And I was at the Torchwood panel when he was asked the question. He didn't say ANYTHING about being in talks - just that he liked the character and would love such a great opportunity. It didn't sound like there had been any conversation at all.

 

[The Mike]

I believe the quote referred to a follow up interview after Comic Con when he was initially asked where he admitted to be in "talks". As for his age, one could assume that it would work in the short term for at least Cap and The Avengers because Cap is supposed to look slightly older even though he was in his late 20s/early 30s dependent on which origin retelling you read. Downey is 43 and Norton is 39 so Barrowman is around the same age as his fellow players.

 

[Blackthornone]

I wondered when the gay thing would come in. Magneto was gay and no one made a deal of it....

Well, that's because Magneto was the bad guy, and people don't usually go to the movies because they like the bad guy. The reality is that Captain America is Mr. Red White And Blue, the Sentinel Of Liberty, and practically a symbol of National Pride. A lot of people would never tolerate a gay actor playing Captain America if they ever found out. There would be a public uproar, and people would boycott the film, and it would get a lot of negative publicity. Considering how much money a Captain America movie would take, it would be really inadvisable to cast a gay actor in such a role.