Using ‘The First Avenger’ to help sell ‘Captain America’ overseas

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

May’s superhero movie release from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment wasn’t called ‘Thor: The Mystic Avenger.’ And last year’s sequel wasn’t ‘Iron Man 2: The Metal-Clad Avenger.’

But this Friday, the two studios are releasing ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ in the U.S. and Italy and then around the world over the next month.

And that subtitle is very important to the two studios, particularly overseas.

‘The use of ‘First Avenger’ in the title is really wrapping this movie in the bigger Marvel universe,’ said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount, which is releasing and marketing the film in exchange for 8% of revenues.

Though research showed that the name ‘Captain America’ was seen as a positive or neutral in most foreign countries, Paramount and Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel were concerned a title that simple might give overseas moviegoers the impression that the picture wasn’t for them.

Adding ‘The First Avenger’ helps to tie it to past Marvel movies that have been hits overseas -- most notably ‘Thor,’ the first from Marvel to gross more internationally than domestically ($266 million vs. $180 million). It also connects ‘Captain America’ to next year’s ‘The Avengers,’ which teams Marvel superheroes together (a preview for that May 2012 release plays after the ‘Captain America’ credits).

For more , see the story in today’s Times on how Paramount is marketing ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ overseas.

-- Ben Fritz

Related:

‘Captain America’ will try to win over the world

Movie Projector: ‘Captain America’ takes on ‘Harry Potter’ for No. 1

Movie review: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’