Following yesterday’s news that Tommy Lee Jones is joining up with 2011 Marvel Studios release as Captain America: The First Avenger as Colonel Phillips, here’s another official casting announcement: Dominic Cooper, an English actor most recently seen on-screen in last year’s Academy Award best picture nominee An Education, has been confirmed to play the film’s younger version of Howard Stark.

Howard Stark is, of course, Tony “Iron Man” Stark’s dad, portrayed by Mad Men‘s John Slattery this summer in Iron Man 2. Reports put Cooper in the role as early as last month, but now this is official word from Marvel Studios. The 32-year-old Cooper has a good deal of theater experience in Britain and won “most promising newcomer” at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards, but is still mostly unknown to US audiences, other than his role as Amanda Seyfried’s fiancé in Mamma Mia! (perhaps not the most popular movie among comic book fans). Captain America: The First Avenger is scheduled for a July 22, 2011 release, the summer’s second Marvel Studios film after Thor (targeted for May 6, 2011).

Full press release after the jump; let us know what you think of the casting in the comments.

Dominic Cooper Confirmed as Howard Stark in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Marvel Studios announced today that Dominic Cooper has been cast to star as Howard Stark in the studio’s highly anticipated movie CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER opposite Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, and Stanley Tucci.  In the film, Cooper will portray the younger version of Howard Stark, the character which John Slattery portrayed in IRON MAN 2.  Joe Johnston will direct the film penned by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige will produce CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.  Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, Nigel Gostelow and Louis D’Esposito will executive produce.  The film will be released in the US on July 22, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Cooper will soon be seen in Stephen Frears’ TAMARA DREWE and Lee Tamahori’s THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE.  He was most recently seen in the Oscar® nominated AN EDUCATION as well as THE DUCHESS.  Cooper is also well known for his roles as Sky in the movie musical MAMMA MIA! and Dakin in both the stage and screen adaptations of THE HISTORY BOYS.

In addition to CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, Marvel Studios most recently released the highly anticipated sequel, IRON MAN 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow on May 7, 2010, and will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including THOR on May 6, 2011, and MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

Cooper is represented by CAA.

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