Who knew you had so much in common with Captain America? Talking to Box Office Magazine, director Joe Johnston dropped some knowledge about the plot of the Captain America movie. Yeah, we already knew it was a period film, but did you know that Captain America goes AWOL? It’s all part of how Cap proves himself a hero, according to Johnston.
The great thing about Captain America is he’s a super hero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of super hero stories, appealed to me the most. He can’t fly, he can’t see through walls, he can’t do any of that stuff. 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? He was this 98-pound weakling, he was this wimp, and he’s transformed instantly into this Adonis. 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. For me, that’s the interesting part of the story. It’s 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. Eventually at the very end, I don’t want to give away to much, but he does fit in. But it’s the journey of getting him there that’s interesting. And it’s a lot of fun.
So it’s about Captain America trying to fit in? Is this going to be a ‘Nobody in the Army trusts this new goofball Captain America’ story or a ‘Steve Rogers may have the body of a hero, but now he has to get the mentality of a hero’ story? If I remember correctly Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire’s Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty miniseries in the 90s touched on a lot of this; unfortunately this comic appears to have disappeared out of the internet’s databanks (there’s record of regular monthly title of the same name, though). I’ve ordered a set of the miniseries from eBay so next time this shit runs I’ll have insight!
People are already talking about emo and stuff like that, which is truly a sign that the internet has fallen on hard times in terms of thinkers. You need a character to have internal conflict and room for growth; probably the hardest thing about Captain America in terms of writing is that he is so sure of himself, so rock steady and so much a conscious role model. The movie needs to find a psychological in, and the story of a 98 pound weakling learning to be a hero sounds about right to me
9 comments
"He can't fly, he can't see through walls, he can't do any of that stuff. He's an every man who's been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen"… so at what point in the movie does his wife find evidence on his phone of all the girls he's been fooling around with and smash him in the face with his riduculous looking shield?
I really hope they nail the right mood and sense of fun with this feature. I also hope they capture some Kirby goodness along with some great Red Skull menace! It is sad that Kirby had a cameo in the Cap flick that was seriously lacking in so many areas. Here is to his spirit hanging out with a possible good one.
sounds interesting, hopefully the friend he has to save will be bucky, i'm not sure how the invaders are going to fit into this story tho?
He gets it. Nothing more needs to be said joe. you completely understand the character. There's more to it too. The military created Cap as a weapon of War, just like they created me and my father, but in the end Cap becomes to me anyway, an embodiment of american ideals in one man, all that freedom nonsense. He choses for himself, something the military is deadly afraid of in a super soldier. I hope his boyish innocence is at the heart of how he overcomes the military brainwashing.
Captain America wants to fit in? Has this guy ever read the comics. People want to fit in with Captain America more like it, he's a guy who wants to serve his country and do his best in life ie make a difference, not "fit in". You make him sound like a pussy rather than the total awesome heroic leader he is.
I remember really enjoying that book as a kid but that was more because of the awesome art. Then, years later. trying to discuss it with some of my comic book geek friends and none of them knew of it. Strange thing that it woul vanish form Marvel's extensive reprint library.
Ah, man, that book is pretty sweet! When I was younger I only had the first and last issue of the mini and for the life of me couldn't find the others. Then my wife found the complete 4-issue set on Ebay last year and purchased it for me. This books features heavily on the human side of Cap – his insecurities and fears. Good stuff, hopefully the movie turns out as well.
@#5
Captain America wasn't always sure of himself like he is today. This is his origin story. Think a little harder before you post garbage.
The 4-issue mini is actually pretty easy to find cheap, though I wouldn't be surprised to see it pop up in hardcover form in the next year or so, as Marvel's running out of old Cap stuff to spotlight, and this story has never been collected in one volume. The monthly Sentinel of Liberty series that ran from '98-'99 was just an anthology book I think. Anyway, I liked the Nicieza/Maguire story quite a bit, but ever since Bucky was brought back, complete with new Golden Age-era flashback tales that retroactively turn him into more of a bad-ass in his younger days, it just doesn't read quite the same.
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