Captain America will be a USO performer in the movie, director says

SPOILER ALERT: THIS POST REVEALS SEVERAL PLOT POINTS IN THE CAPTAIN AMERICA FILM

It's one thing to take Batman off the comic-book page and make his costume still look good in a live-action feature, but Captain America presents a far bigger challenge — the hero is essentially a walking flag, which might leave many average moviegoers giggling instead of saluting.

But director Joe Johnston and the team at Marvel Studios have a plan for "The First Avenger: Captain America," which is due in Summer 2011: They've added a new wrinkle to the classic mythology to explain why a scientifically enhanced super-soldier would venture out in the WWII battlefields in a costume that leans a bit heavy on the old Betsy Ross imagery.

"The costume is a flag, but the way we're getting around that is we have Steve Rogers forced into the USO circuit. After he's made into this super-soldier, they decide they can't send him into combat and risk him getting killed. He's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, 'You're going to be in this USO show' and they give him a flag suit. He can't wait to get out of it."

That's a whole new concept and it's one that sounds pretty promising. "It was never in the comics," Johnston said, "because they didn't really need it. In comics, he puts on the costume and the reader just justifies because of the nature of the medium."

Johnston told me all this when we sat down for lunch today at the Four Seasons Hotel. For an hour we chatted about his new film, "The Wolfman" (which you can read about next week right here at the Hero Complex) but I had to ask him a bit about the Captain America production.  Filming starts in London at the end of June. "There's a lot of work we have to do on it," the 59-year-old director said.

And who will wear the costume and carry the shield? "Well, we're testing five or six guys," Johnston said. "The youngest is 23, the oldest is 32. Most of the guys in the war are just kids, 18 or 19, but we want to go a little bit older. We have to have somebody locked in before I leave March 1 for London." 

A challenge, he said, is finding an actor that can play scenes as "98-pound-weakling" Steve Rogers and also pull off the brawny hero scenes, although some visual effects wizardry will come into play. Johnson has plenty of experience on that front as the director of "Jumanji,"  "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and "Jurassic Park III" He also had art director credits on major Lucasfilm projects, including "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Empire Strikes Back."

Johnston also directed "The Rocketeer," an underrated 1991 film based on the retro-hero created by the late great Dave Stevens. I asked Johnston if he thought the vintage flair of that film might have caught the eye of the Marvel brain trust as they looked around for a filmmaker to handle a 1940s action movie.

"I think it's probably possible that it was an influence," he said. "I think they were looking for somebody that could handle the visual effects. I think that was a big part of it. And with visual effects, all you really need to know is what is possible. And these days, actually, that's almost anything. Not everything is affordable, but almost everything is approachable."

I wanted to come back to the idea of Steve Rogers as a reluctant performer with United Services Organizations, which famously brought Bob Hope and other entertainers to morale-boosting events for troops overseas.

"So he's up on stage doing songs and dances with chorus girls and he can't wait to get out and really fight. When he does go AWOL, he covers up the suit but then, after a few things happen, he realizes that this uniform allows him to lead. By then, he's become a star in the public mind and a symbol. The guys get behind him because he embodies something special."

There will be more than one costume in the film, too.

In the first USO sequences, the frustrated patriot will be wearing a version that is closer to the classic Jack Kirby-designed costume, but then later as the super-soldier hits the war zone he will be wearing a sturdier, more muted version that he makes himself that is more like battle togs. The stripes across his mid-section, for instance, will be straps, not colored fabric.

"He realizes the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor, it will be closer to the Cpa costume in some of the comics in more recent years . . . this approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognizes the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time."

— Geoff Boucher

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Comments

[Peter Lange]

Wow, I have to say, it is sooo comforting to learn that. First there was the 1970s Captain America movie where they turned Cap into a cross between Daredevil and Evil Knievel. Then there was the late 80s Captain America movie where he became the pudgy cap. Now, we get the USO performer cap. For a minute there I was begining to think all film renditions of Captain America were destined to be lame.......

excuse me while I go cry.

[arcee]

Hear that?

That's the @#$& storm this director has just unleashed when the fans start to get wind of this "USO performer" spin.

My advice Johnston, for what's it's worth, quit this project now and take another picture while you still can.

BTW, I liked Rocketeer.

[Bucky]

This is a terrible idea.

Steve Rogers is a proud American, who tried multiple times to join the Army. Because of his scrawny built though, he kept getting rejected.

He willingly became a volunteer to drink an experimental serum. If it didn't work, he would've DIED. Fortunately it did and he became a super soldier -- finally able to join the Army, and help defeat Hilter.

Rogers isn't ashamed to wear an American flag. This is the wrong way to go. Totally disheartening .

[Aaron Duran]

I truly enjoy the directors work (especially if he can capture some of the Rocketeer's "gee whiz" theme in Captain America).

That being said, putting Cap in the USO because "the suit looks cheesy" is a stupid idea.

Captain America is SUPPOSED to look like a walking target to the enemy.

That was the point. His symbolism inspires the US troops for the same reason it stuck fear into the heart of the enemy... Even dressed as a walking Red, White, & Blue target... You can't stop him. Good will always defeat Evil. Period. That's Captain America.

These characters endure because of their symbolism and connection to our need for myths. Mess with that and you fail.

[Paul]

Worked with Joe on Hidalgo, Class act. Joe and Shelly Johnson, the DP, are a great team that are making stunningly visual films together and I'm sure they will do an awesome job on Captain America.

[J Smith]

Sounds BADASS!

[Matthew Brock]

Man, i get sick of reading all of the complaining 'Fans' do before they even see a single frame of a movie. Why not wait and see how it is done

[Warner Brown]

Sounds awesome, need an intern Joe?

I like the approach with the reason for the costume otherwise it would just feel silly and unrealistic. Why else in the world would someone wear that costume unless they weren't performing?

[Cobalt-Blue]

One more Marvel character they're butchering. They still won't get my money to see it. Not until Qesada and everyone responsible for Civil War and killing Cap have been driven out of the business. I sincerely hope the whole division that is now part of the Mouse, goes belly up.

[Laer Carroll]

I like it!

[JFMagin]

Epic fail on so many levels. Did Johnston even read the story, in any of it's incarnations? Even the Ultimates cap would do. This is more like a Joel Shumacher Cap. What next, a Bette Midler Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy theme song to go with? They didn't want to "waste" Cap, they wanted him to waste Nazis. I love how he is being turned into a commodity by Johnston, and not an asset. Fans are going to rip this to shreds Wolverine style..

[USMC]

What a pathetic story idea.

Here's a quick story: Steve Rogers is in NYC when 9/11 happens. He's a volunteer rescue worker but his lings get damaged by all the smoke and debris. Tries to join the Marines but is denied because of his frail condition.

The recruiter is former Recon and admires his love for Country and through some back door connections introduces him to some "black ops" folks.

He volunteers for the Super Soldier program and becomes Captain America.
His suit is armored scales and his colors are bright as hell. He parachutes into his missions and raids terrorist hideouts. The suit then becomes something fearful.

Only a bad a$$ parachutes into an enemy stronghold by HIMSELF with a bright red, white and blue suit and wins. The suit is to mock the enemy and show the strength of America.

The Red Skull is a terrorist super soldier.

Tell me this isn't more compelling than the BS this Johnson is pushing?

[ArchiesBoy]

Superman, Batman & Robin, Iron Man, Spiderman, The Hulk, The X Men, and on and on and on. Now that we have enough cinematic computer power to create literally anything on the silver screen and make it look absolutely believable, there's no limit.

What distresses me is that adults -- real grownups -- are supposed to have outgrown comic books and the black/white attitudes they contain. But the appearance of comic book figures in the movies only proves to me that Americans are in a rapidly accelerating dumb-down spiral that shows no signs of stopping, only getting worse.

[Brian]

Hollywood wins again.

[KyleRayner1]

You guys are missing what is being said., he's not wearing the suit first as a would be hero., he's wears it when he's assigned to the USO show., (as part of the show a costume).. I can totally see it.,

The people who made him can't send him into the war because he the only "one" so they assign him to a USO show..(although I don't see why they would assign him to a USO show instead of keeping him some government facility trying to reproduce hime)... anyway.. He hates the costume and probably the show he's in ( because he would rather be fighting the war)., when he goes AWOL., He does it in while wearing the suit., It make sense.. I doubt the government would put their super solider in such a laughable non functional costume like that in the first place. It make sense that Steve finds that it inspires people after the fact... and then decides to keep up and update it

By the way I loved the Rocketeer!! "The Rocka Who?" I think Joel Johnson is the right director for this film and can't wait. He delivered the right gee whiz appeal that Cap needs for the first act !!!

[SutureSelf]

Captain America wore the flag costume out of pride in America - it was in his name, for crying out loud - not in embarrassment. It is telling that the director finds the iconic costume something to "get around" rather than to celebrate. That Captain America - Captain AMERICA - can't wait to get out of an American flag costume is just another small incision in the death by a thousand cuts that have led so many people to believe that Hollywood and the mainstream media in general are anti-American. How else can a Captain America who is embarrassed to be in the costume be explained? And it seems to be a simple given in the director's mind that the costume is something that SHOULD be gotten around, as though embarrassment to wrap yourself in the flag were a natural condition during WWII or now.

The very idea that the powers that be would not let a super soldier onto the battlefield is so preposterous as to defy comment. It's like saying "Let's not use this great new plane; it might get shot down." That they can't "make more" is irrelevant. If they don't use the one they may as well have made none.

[longbowhunter]

This is a really stupid idea. Hollywood wastes so much time and story potential trying to "justify" what works in the comics instead of just telling the story...same thing in the Batman movies where Morgan Freeman has to explain where Batman gets his toys...nobody cares. Just show Cap in his classic outfit beating the hell out of Nazis and drop this sad USO nonsense...Having Cap be ashamed of his outfit just reeks of Hollywood meddling. You can do better....

[“When the moon is full the legend comes to life.” – The Wolfman 2010]

I think this USO performer thing would not matter that much. For as long as the effects of the movie is good, fight scenes great, Cap will do good in theaters.

And Johnston is a very good director, me thinks... Watch The Wolfman

[Jim]

Oh, fanboys, sack up. This is a good idea. If you had your way every superhero movie would look like Smallville: Absolute Justice.

[jrm]

USO. Okay, I see that they don't want to make any money on this one.

The costume frightens them off...come on. Unlike now in the 1940s they actually wanted us to win wars and were patriotic about it. Damn. I wonder if this Captain America will have to address the don't ask/ don't tell policy.

[Rob]

Joe Johnston needed to realize that one of Captain America's greatest fighting assets is speed. Captain America can move and hit any enemy very fast and is very agile in combat fighting, with his adamantium-based shield protecting him from bullets and grenades. The Nazis would have little chance of surviving his fighting onslaught, they could keep shooting him with machine guns and they still get knocked out cold in a flash by Cap's dodging skills. That's how Jack Kirby drew Captain America that way: screaming ugly face Nazis getting shellshocked by Cap!

Speed, Joe, speed. Captain America is very fast and very agile. Only the Red Skull could match Cap equally.

[Player]

How is it a good idea? "We've made the ultimate super soldier. But we don't want to get him killed so instead he'll entertain the troops. Genius!" Believe it or not, not everyone who complains is a fanboy. Some people just don't like the idea of having such an idiotic plot point to justify his costume. By the way, why does his costume need to be justified? It's a superhero movie. It's about guys in costumes fighting crime. I will never understand this sudden urge to inject "realism" into everything. All it seems to do is add plot holes.

[AC]

Best not to brainstorm with your group of clueless, completely out-of-touch, drunk/stoned, low-intellect Hollywood "guy buddies" when trying to develop a movie script. Maybe you should have some relatively normal people tell you what to do, instead?

In case you're still unclear: this Cap as a USO performer is a bad idea.

[Horse]

Horrible idea.

Try again.

[Faustus Mitternacht]

I'm neutral until I see what the movie is like. If its bad, sorta like the others were, it'll soon be forgotten. If its good, there will be more.