Will Smith as Captain America?

[rexington]

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/09/08...ptain-america/

I say DO IT!

This might sound insane and get the fan boys up in arms but think about the history of black soldiers in WWII, then think about Steve Rodgers as a character - similarities in the struggle, this could create sympathy for the character and add a lot of depth to the role if played as straight as I Am Legend.

It would also help to sell a patriotic American superhero to the rest of the world.

[jadedeath]

Uhm.

That's... a pretty dumbass idea.

Logan

[BirdManJr]

[Chris60119]

Nothing against Will Smith. He's one of my foavrite actors, but he just did Hancock. Only one super hero per actor please.

[buckshot]

get barry pepper to beef up on roids and i think he'd be good. plays the humble yet intense role pretty well. i just got into captain america comics. more the ones after he's thawed and not happy with the state of the country.

but i don't know about him being cap. not so much a race thing but just that i am a little sick of seeing him in movies for the moment. i do think sam jackson as nick fury is awesome though.

[209Mason]

Wow... I like Will Smith... I really do, but COME ON... it's Captain America... that's like having Samuel L. Jackson play Superman, or Brad Pitt play the Black Panther... it would just be so completely off. Call me a fanboy if you want, but there's just some things that I feel should remain true to the source.

That said, it wouldn't stop me from seeing the movie, but I don't know that I could accept him as being Captain America... I think it would just seem like Will Smith wearing a Captain America costume.

And another thing... they need to stop using superstar actors in Superhero movies. Look at Daredevil or Electra. When you cast a superstar as a superhero... thier real-life persona outshines the character, and it just doesn't work. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine or Tobey McGuire as Spiderman are perfect examples. Hugh was COMPLETELY unknown, and he WAS wolverine. Tobey was already somewhat successful, but not enough to become Spiderman. Captain America needs to be someone who sinks into the role of Captain America. Of course there are exceptions... Robert Downey Jr. worked as Iron Man, because Tony Stark IS a superstar in the comic world, so it makes sense... But as a general rule, I think its pretty solid.

[BirdManJr]

[xtop]

with so many different actors rumored to play him, ranging from smith to leo decaprio to Matthew McConaughey to brad pitt, i'm doubting that it'll be any of them. just straight up speculation to get people talking about it imo. the only real problem i have is with mcconaughey, any of the other 3 i'm completely ok with, even tho none of them really LOOK like captain america.

[Mitsuomi]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Uhm.

That's... a pretty dumbass idea.

Logan

I agree. All of these Marvel directors need to stop placing actors that are not racially accurate to the characters that they're supposed to be portraying.

Now before everyone goes jumping me because of that, I'm not saying that Will Smith isn't a good actor and I'm not implying anything because he's black, but come on...Will Smith portraying what would be considered to be the American hero?

It just doesn't hold consistancy to the character. That's like putting an American as the official representation of the ideal Japanese person...It just doesn't make sense and would piss off the Japanese people lol.

Another good example would be Gambit..What if say a director for a new X-men movie made an Asian person portray him? I don't even like Gambit, but that just wouldn't be him...Something that makes him unique is his Cajun roots and the characteristics that that lineague gives him.

[Mr. Joshua]

John Cena gets my vote....

[Mr. Joshua]

Triple H as Thor...

[doctorD]

I actually like the idea! If this was ever to be done he is the perfect person to do this. It's been done with Nick Fury and Catwoman (TV Batman had 3, I'm ignoring the movie a few years ago) and dare I say it...Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin on Daredevil.

[209Mason]

Sampson Simpson, I stick by my story!!! It needs to be a guy who can act, but a relative uknown who is atleast SOMEWHAT faithful to the 60+ years of history. The dude from Boston Legal gets my vote!

[Mr. Joshua]

Originally Posted by 209Mason

Sampson Simpson, I stick by my story!!! It needs to be a guy who can act, but a relative uknown who is atleast SOMEWHAT faithful to the 60+ years of history. The dude from Boston Legal gets my vote!

Great choice... I was joking about Cena but Triple H as Thor would be awesome. I totally have to agree with you on your choice...

[GORT]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Uhm.

That's... a pretty dumbass idea.

Logan

Way to add to the thread I guess you dont have any ideas of your own so you just felt the need to make a stupid comment

[zweet77]

Originally Posted by wsciv123

John Cena gets my vote....

Now that would be awsome!Really If this Avengers thing goes through I am sorry but Captain needs an overhaul and I think Will Smith could be a good choice and a good direction to take the character just don't let him make any music videos or anything for the sound track pleeease!

[Mr. Joshua]

Originally Posted by 209Mason

Sampson Simpson, I stick by my story!!! It needs to be a guy who can act, but a relative uknown who is atleast SOMEWHAT faithful to the 60+ years of history. The dude from Boston Legal gets my vote!

I really think you made a great choice here...

[jkwest]

Originally Posted by FEP3108

Way to add to the thread I guess you dont have any ideas of your own so you just felt the need to make a stupid comment

dude..shut up...

it wasn't a stupid comment.

on topic...Captn America needs to be played by an older white guy, plain and simple...who has been through battles and tends to be the leader..

I was thinking Robert Redford...

[jkwest]

and then if he's not interested...I say Thomas Lennon III from Reno 911...

[rexington]

Originally Posted by 209Mason

...it's Captain America... that's like having Samuel L. Jackson play Superman, or Brad Pitt play the Black Panther... it would just be so completely off.

Actualy no, it isn't.

Steve Rogers and Captain America could be anybody. He's a patriotic American delt a bad hand at birth and fights for the opportunity to do something for his country, even when the army rejects him. Steve Rodgers/Captain America represents the Spirit of America.

None of those other characters represent the Spirit of America as much as Cap does. He's a political icon as well as an idealistic one, this is why it's so important to get right for a modern audience.

Anyone wonder why Steve Rodgers has blond hair and blue eyes? That was the ideal image of an American male back in the 40's when he was created, he couldn't have been anyone else. If Cap was created now, that probably wouldn't fly, but a black guy in the role is something I can see writers like Mark Millar or Grant Morrison doing today and using the racial struggle as dramatic motivation.

Can you imagine the dialoge between the Red Skull and Black American supersoldier? The very thing that Nazism seeks to destroy would be represented in one man; a Black American kicking Hitler's Aryan ass!

REMEMBER JESSE OWEN'S? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens

Apart from the fact that he ain't white, Smith has everything going for him; the build, the acting chops, the athleticism and he's about as American as your going to find in a black actor today.

I love Cap to death, been a fan since I was 7 and I like the idea; it shows guts and courage on Marvel's part if this were true (though I doubt it).

As for whether a black actor could work in the role; this will be down to the Director, the Script and ultimately the Actor himself. If someone like Spielberg or Hanks did this as straight as Band of Brothers, I've no doubt in my mind, and you'd have a huge audience beyond the comic fans. But if Tim Story directed it... Nah! Don't think so.

These days it's quite clear we need more than a literal translation of a comic book to work as a movie. Use your imagination - I think it could work.

Saying that, I doubt the execs have the balls to do it.