Captain America (Chris Evans) as seen in the forthcoming feature film
In case you missed it during the Super Bowl (like me), here's the trailer that many comic book fans have been waiting for...
(more about the upcoming Captain America film here)
Based on the 1941 comic book by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Captain America: The First Avenger is the latest step in Marvel Entertainment's inevitable march toward their Avengers film, a project that will unite their many projects from the Incredible Hulk to Iron Man and the upcoming Thor: The Mighty Avenger films. When a scrawny Steve Rogers volunteers to be the guinea pig in Operation: Rebirth, he becomes the first in what is intended to be an army of Super Soldiers against the Axis Powers in WWII. When the formula that granted him uncanny agility, endurance and strength is lost in a brutal assassination coup, Rogers realizes that he is the only one of his kind. A noble heroic soldier, he is clad in the colors of the American flag and takes to the battlefields of Europe armed with an unbreakable shield and steel nerves. A monument in bravery and fortitude, Rogers becomes Captain America and fights against the forces that would see an end to freedom.
As the popularity of adventure comics wanes and superheroes fell from grace so did Captain America who met his eventual cancellation in print format. Years later, Stan Lee had the wild idea to bring back Captain America and experimented with the concept by having a villain called the Acrobat pose as the star spangled hero in order to trick Johnny Storm (AKA the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four) into assisting him in committing a crime. The response was positive and in 1964 the Avengers discovered the frozen body of Steve Rogers while returning from a mission. Preserved in a cake of ice, Captain America was a man out of time in the swinging sixties and became an iconic figure of a bygone era. Since that time, Captain America has been a symbol of the superhero concept as it relates to patriotism and a sense of national identity. Rogers has had his disagreements not only with other heroes but with politicians as well, leading to more than his share of splits from authority.
In recent years, Captain America has become incredibly popular again thanks to the amazing monthly book by Ed Brubaker that utilized the spirit of the Simon/Kirby creation along with Lee's notion of a 'man out of time.' The monthly series has been a runaway hit since it relaunched and one flip through the pages rife with dynamic figures in action would win over the most reluctant reader.
The upcoming movie by director Joe Johnston (Rocketeer) stars Chris Evans (Fantastic Four, the Losers) and will be the first of what promises to be a long running line of films based on Captain America (Evans signed a multi-picture deal that includes three Cap pictures and three Avengers flicks). A period film set in WWII, the movie will be an origin tale showcasing Captain America's special mission against the forces of Hydra, an international organization led by the Red Skull (played by Hugo Weaving). With special black ops agent James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) at his side, Rogers must stop the Red Skull in his attempt to use a mythical Asgardian artifact called the 'cosmic cube,' a weapon so powerful that it threatens life on an unimaginable scale. The 2011 Captain America movie is said to incorp0rate several nods to the comic books dating back to the 40's including the Invaders, a kind of WWII version of the Avengers, consisting of heroes from various countries of the Allied Forces, and a lead-in to the Avengers film in 2012.
Captain America: The First Avenger hits the big screen Summer 2011.
In case you stumbled upon this film due to the Super Bowl ad or this blog post, the following books come highly recommended:
Captain America Omnibus, Vol. 1
The Death of Captain America, Vol. 2
The Death of Captain America, Vol. 3
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