Joe Johnston has been handed the keys to the most patriotic character in the Marvel catalog and the kick off the ramp that will finally bring us The Avengers.
In a recent interview, he discussed some of what we can expect from Captain America: The First Avenger
In terms of “Captain America”, he confirms that it’s an origin story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and will be mostly period albeit with modern, present-day bookends.
Johnston seems most proud of the fact that though the character changes from a scrawny weakling into a human Adonis, he has no superpowers as such. He says “He’s an every man who’s been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? You’d think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn’t get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire.”
He goes on with the theme discussion, but does give away a little bit of plot: “Its got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we’ve never seen before. But at the heart of it, it’s a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn’t fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend.”
I like the idea that they are going to bookend the film with modern day bits and that The First Avenger will be set in a World War 2 era.
The movie will likely start with them finding him in ice and discovering who he was in a 90 minute flashback. When the movie ends he will be frozen after his throwdown with Red Skull and then we catch up to him in modern day again being told what happened, where he is and that “America needs you” and he is introduced to Sam Jackson as Fury.
The Avengers need you!
In the interview Johnston also talks about Jurassic Park 4 spouting the vague promise that it will be “unlike anything you’ve seen” and that it breaks away from the first three films in its own story.
So really aside from actually suggesting they are making the movie (I will believe it when it actually happens) he really doesn’t say anything at all.
