While Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America has been earning critical acclaim, the character’s viability has still been questioned by members of the company’s film division, Marvel Studios.
With the United States’ image abroad taking a pounding, many execs have been concerned about the good Captain’s foreign sales — can a character that is so unabashedly American be embraced by a population that has a bone to pick with Uncle Sam?
This has already seemingly affected parts of the story development, as the Captain America film due to be released in 2011 will be set in the relatively “safe” background of World War II. Cap will presumably return to the present only in the following Avengers film.
Orlando Weekly has made a post discussing whether or not the new administration will help change that. Indeed, many European and Middle Eastern countries were rooting for Barack Obama, and the question on Marvel’s mind is: will this potential boost in Americanism help propel Steve Rogers’ appeal?
At the very least, EW has reported that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has taken the new Commander-in-Chief into consideration: ”The idea of change and hope has permeated the country, regardless of politics, and that includes Hollywood… discussions in all our development meetings include the zeitgeist and how it’s changed in the last two weeks. Things are being adjusted.”
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:06 am
I’m Canadian and disagree with almost 50% of what goes on in America. Captain America is one of my favorite characters. They better stay true to Steve Rogers with this film.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:24 am
The fact that Captain America stands for what America SHOULD be, is what elevates him above the petty politics and such. Cap is what we all should strive to be…and what America should stand for, regardless of who’s in charge or how the world feels about us.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:31 am
Ok, I voted for the guy, but even I think the Obama-ness of this site has gone far enough.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 am
For the love of God, get over this whole darn political correctness. That’s what’s gotten our country into the mess it currently is in. We hardly ever take a stand on anything anymore, and when we do, it’s for the wrong reasons. This film better get made, and not be some apologetic piece of junk.
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
If they stick with what CA is really all about, the film will have a healthy skepticism about American ideals. I’ll probably get reamed for this, but I would love to see Will Smith as Steve Rogers. He could be a Buffalo Soldier in WWII. I don’t think this would drastically change the true nature of who Captain America is.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
Having everyone not hate the United States under Obama would definitely be a big boost to a Captain America movie, though I suspect it would still face some problems being sold in places.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
As long as they stick with Brubaker’s version and not Ultimates version, I see no reason why Cap couldn’t sell well overseas. I think their main challenge will just be getting the point across that, despite the name and the costume, Cap is not some shallow, jingoistic mouthpiece for the government (as I have found so many non-comics readers assume he is). When I lived in England and traveled around Europe, it was astounding how many people said to me, “America is such a great idea! What happened?” Everyone is interested in the idea that is America, so as long as Marvel remembers that’s who Steve Rogers is, we should be fine.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
There is a potential billion dollar Avengers movie franchise waiting in the wings so I highly doubt it would matter who was in the White House as far as getting Cap on the big screen.
And I am so sick of the Obama aggrandizing that is going on with people who really should know better. This aint MLK this is an opportunistic career politician. Get your heads out of the clouds or your asses and see the man for what he is and not what you wish and hope he will be.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Whether you like him or not, Obama has changed the way people view and talk about America, both domestically and abroad. I would think anyone making a movie would have to discuss how the country is viewed at the time of the release. Is this enough to warrant a story? Probobly not. But its not wrong that his name has come up. American just elected the first black president. It’s historic. We just have to hope that these discussusions don’t lead to anything drastic. Maybe just minor and subtle teaks where necessary. Maybe when Cap gets thawed there’s a black or minority president. That would certainly play to the notion that things sure have changed since WWII.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
The French will certainly hate it. Those cheese eating surrender monkeys!
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 am
Just make “Captain America” a great film that respects the character and his place in the Marvel Universe. Let Obama do his job and the rest of the world mind their own business.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Good lord. Not that Obama has been elected it’s like the second coming. The world is now in perfect harmony, and it’s all rainbows and wiskers on kittens. The people who hate America hate America not because of what we do, but who we are. They hate our way of life and how we coose to live it. Be it Obama, Bush or freaking Teddy Kennedy as President they are still going to hate us.
It amazes me the geopolitical naiveté of the masses.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Anti-Americanism (A social experiment) This works better in person but whattaya gonna do.
Quick question to all of you baseball fans……Why do you hate the New York Yankees? ……..think about it, find me a reason. Now, to those who answered the question, I never asked if you hated them, just automatically assumed you did. You had a bunch of reasons…..overspending arrogant, always winning.
This is how the rest of the world sees you.. Its unfair and not totally true and it will never change. I am Canadian our favourite past times are Hockey and Hating AMericans. I dont hate Americans.
But you were hated before Bush, you will be hated after Bush. And if you want to know why, then take a look at your own self critisms, understand that you are on the big stage and that people listen to you, Not saying you cannot critique yourselves, but you are having an effect.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Is this where we’re at now? Where everything has to be connected back to the President, no matter how stupid that connection is?
Hollywood is so far up its own butt with the self congratulatory “We saved the country” BS, give it a rest.
Ala The day the Earth Stood Still, Cap will probably be filled with white guilt like Milligan wrote him in X-Statix, coughing and complaining that he can’t breath in today’s polluted world.
Iron Man could have really veered into an “America is evil” route, especially with the military and weapons manufacturers, but it didn’t. It stuck to Tony being the one to change his company, due to his own change of conscience, without sounding so preachy. That’s what I would like to see in the Cap movie.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Lyle said:
“The fact that Captain America stands for what America SHOULD be, is what elevates him above the petty politics and such. Cap is what we all should strive to be…and what America should stand for, regardless of who’s in charge or how the world feels about us.”
Nuff Said!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
We can even call him “Captain Europe-Wannabe”.
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
As an Australian who tries to keep up with US politics the problem with “Standing for what America should be” is that liberals and conservatives seem to have very different ideas of what America should be.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
The movie needs to follow the historic spirit that has always existed in regards to Captain America. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not the characteristic that is Cap is the traditional charateristics that have always existed with so many of those who belong to the greatest generation. By and large they loved their country right or wrong. They viewed the world through a much more black and white not grey perspective and their word was their bond. Come hell or high water if they promised something you could count on them coming through. I should know. I just discribed my dad.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Saj wrote:
“Ok, I voted for the guy, but even I think the Obama-ness of this site has gone far enough.”
Newsarama is not alone. ICV@.com recently posted a column by a retailer who also wondered if a Cap film would thrive with Obama in the Oval Office:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/talk_back/13938.html
This is just silly.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Jim Durdan wrote:
“Good lord. Not that Obama has been elected it’s like the second coming. The world is now in perfect harmony, and it’s all rainbows and wiskers on kittens. The people who hate America hate America not because of what we do, but who we are. They hate our way of life and how we coose to live it. Be it Obama, Bush or freaking Teddy Kennedy as President they are still going to hate us.
It amazes me the geopolitical naiveté of the masses.”
Blame this mindset on a lack of freethinking along with a mass media and public educational system that declare “America is an Evil Empire…unless Obama is President.”
This is why I’m not a fan of Old Media (e.g., NY Times) or public schools.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Ken B. wrote:
“Iron Man could have really veered into an “America is evil” route, especially with the military and weapons manufacturers, but it didn’t. It stuck to Tony being the one to change his company, due to his own change of conscience, without sounding so preachy. That’s what I would like to see in the Cap movie.”
What’s really ironic is that even normally “America is evil” critics gave Iron Man high marks.
So, a Cap film could be a blockbuster if it is well-crafted and sticks to the true patriotic spirit of the character.
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Oh fantastic. A simple poll, with an unstated (but I would have thought obvious) premise that “Big movies need to make money overseas too” has devolved into a cycle of demonization of “the other side” and “those damn foreigners/Americans”
The Internet as usual.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Wow… That is pretty sad. A comic book character’s movie affected by a Presidential election. Okay… Obama is human, he is not God or Jesus, and he’s a politician, thus making him no better than the rest of us, and the world, even when he’s in the white house as “Evil America”, so I don’t see how this matters.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Friends who were studying abroad in Italy, UAE, India, and Nepal have all told me that whenever they walk the streets and speak English that they are often greeted with cries of “Obama!”
Someone sees an American and they are psyched to express their love of Obama.
My friend Hannah who was in India was living in a remote town that can only be reached by the Ganges River and when Obama won the election, she said there were several men boats that passed by shouting “Obama!!!”
There is video of people dancing in the streets all over the planet due to the election of Obama.
I find it funny that people don’t recognize the power of his presence and how it is has seeped into all corners of the world.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:39 am
“Lyle Says:
The fact that Captain America stands for what America SHOULD be, is what elevates him above the petty politics and such. Cap is what we all should strive to be…and what America should stand for, regardless of who’s in charge or how the world feels about us.”
—————————————————————-
I think that’s the idea, the WWII background is perfect, that makes Cap a “good guy” even when he is an american soldier, considered a “bad guy” nowadays. Of course this movie is gonna get some heat, I’m waiting for the protests around the world, people burning posters, even comics, is gonna be banned in some countries in the middle east and others, is gonna happen, I’m seeing the reviews “another weak example of american patriotism”, “it’s like Rambo with costume” and stuff like that, it isn’t the reality of the character, but is gonna happen, because Cap fights for freedom and justice, but he isn’t Captain Freedom or Captain Justice, it’s CAPTAIN AMERICA and is dressed in red, white and blue. So, Marvel just need to focus in make a great film, with a strong script and good actors, and everyone is gonna realize this is a good movie that is worth to watch. Peace.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:04 am
What an incredibly stupid stretch to pull these two topics together to make an ‘article.’ It’s correlations like this that led to historical leaps in logic like: the sun revolves around the earth and witches float because they are made of wood. What other incredible ‘logical deductions’ do you have for us?
For the record, I voted for Obama also, but when it’s comes to Marvel anymore, it’s not an American company. Aside from that, Captain America has always been a whipping boy of politics, from killing him in the cold war, to him giving up his identity during the Nixon administration to now, replaced by a gun and knife wielding coward.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Personally, I think in the global market a Captain America movie would settle in deeper in a global audience during the Bush Administration(see Iron Man for comparison). Maybe it would not be the most attractive prospective at fist glance to the international audience, however I think once word of mouth get around; a movie offering the core ideals of America in stark contras to what is known of the current geo-political mindset of the Bush administration. It could do wonders financially speaking and maybe even convince people to crack “Why can’t America be like it is the movies?”.
Although, I think that level of social consciousness would be a hell of a thing to balance in the trappings of the standard demo these types of productions are expected to conform to(see Ang Lee’s Hulk). However I’d enjoy it(also see Ang Lee’s Hulk and All Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder) that’s really all I could really want from any film.
December 24th, 2008 at 11:54 am
This is so stupid. The very idea that the first Captain America movie is being set in WWII because of the current political state is ridiculous. Duh, the original Cap books were set in WWII and the biggest concept, aside from patriotism, that set him apart from other characters was his being a man out of his own time period. Setting the movie in WWII and then introducing him to the modern world in Avengers makes perfect sense no matter what the political state of the country is. I sure hope we aren’t seeing a future where every time someone sings “America the Beautiful” some idiots will say “See, that’s because Obama is in the White House.”
December 25th, 2008 at 2:24 am
I am sorry, a movie with a guy running around with a shield and big star and A on his costume will look extremely silly and campy. The only way this could work is if they made rogers more of an agent then some guy with bright red, white, and blue on.
December 25th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
To WalterW…why would you say such a thing about the star spangled avenger? Captain America is the symbol of a true American. Raised in a humble home, and wanting to serve his country. The movie should portray Steve as the awesome character he is. They should not make changes just so lame people that don’t know about him will see the movie.
December 26th, 2008 at 11:04 am
CaptainAmerica09- If the point is to make a quality movie changes will need to be made..CA just does not translate well into a movie visually as well as batman or Iron man. I dont know how they will make this and it be taken seriously, The whole concept of CA was propaganda for world war 2 and im afraid people will laugh at this guy on the big screen.
December 27th, 2008 at 2:42 am
I agree that the current political state of our country will have little impact on the film. Just like any film there will be people judging it without seeing any of it first.
As to the idea of having Will Smith in the film as the black Cap shown in the comics, I am all for it provided its a cameo or bit part. That way we help set a tone with the film that, while of course there will be a pro-America feel to the film that is inescapable, we are not shying away from things in our past we would rather not revisit. Also, we would be including Will Smith which will throw some people when they see he is only part of a larger tapestry. If his character proves popular enough he can pop up again in other Marvel films. To me though, Steve Rogers is Captain America, and the film should center on him.
I think the film would benefit from a sprinkling of Ultimate flavor atop a main, 616, universe core just as Marvel did with Iron Man.
My gosh how I am rambling about a shield slinger whose film hasn’t even been cast…oh, I am available to play Modok…if called upon I will gladly serve.
December 29th, 2008 at 3:32 am
As an Australian native until 3 years ago I grew up reading Cap and love it, yeah it can be a little overly patriotic at times but heck his name IS Captain America, I think if they keep it in WW2 and don’t make him naive and blindly, well, Republican then it’s a winner, I mean look how great the current Cap series is, why cause it’s character driven and REALLY well written.
If the movie is good and aimed for worldwide enjoyment, word will spread and people will go to see it.