Unknown as Steve Rogers/Captain America. I know, you’re probably like “What?” right now, or maybe your not. LOL, I don’t know, just never mind. Personally, yes, I do think an unknown should be cast as Cap. Someone who is both not weighed down by previous role baggage, and who impresses Johnston and Co. based on his auditions alone, not on how big his name is or how big something he’s been attached to is. Just pure, unadulterated talent. It’s not “unknown or nothing” for me however, as I have had a couple choices for Cap that have passed my mind these long, slow months with nothing on the First Avenger front. Jensen Ackles, yes, I do believe he would be a great Cap, because he does great work on Supernatural as the commanding, tough-as-nails, leader-like Dean Winchester, and really gives that character some depth and emotion. One of my favorite examples is “What Is And What Should Never Be” of Season 2. Ackles really shines in that one. Even though the recent article claiming that Ackles is one of the contenders for the role at this point, I don’t really trust the article’s info, because A) Ackles is supposed to be signed on for Season 6 of SN, and B) McPartlin (someone who I am not in support of for Cap BTW), who is also claimed to be one of the contenders, is past the age limit that Johnston said he was testing. So really, I doubt Ackles will be cast, even though I still think he would be very solid in the role.
Next on my mind would be Matt Damon, who I pretty much viewed as a dream pick from the first time I revealed him in my Avengers cast a couple months back. I knew he’d never be cast, because of his age and fame, as he is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood at the moment. His star power would probably come hand in hand with a hefty price tag as well. The reason I chose him was that I think he’d absolutely knock the role out of the park, as he is one of my personal favorite actors. He’d nail every single facet to Rogers IMO. If we were talking Damon around 2004 (or, in other words, his Bourne years) you bet your ass I’d be backing him 110%, because he wasn’t as old then, obviously, was in great shape for action, and wasn’t quite as big a name as he is now. Alas, time goes on, whether we want to or not. And now, IMO, is the time for an unknown to get his chance at a big breakthrough into Hollywood with a role like Captain America.
Now how about some actual casting, eh? Alright, let’s do this!
Jamie Bell as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. Not much of a surprise here, I suppose? Well, I was the first to suggest the idea of Bell as Bucky way back all those months ago in Brent’s famous First Avenger casting polls, and I was surprised to see how quickly it caught on. In the early stages of the Bucky poll, Bell was in the lead, ahead of the likes of Brett Harrison (Reaper), Aaron Ashmore (Smallville), and Garret Hedlund (Friday Night Lights, Tron 2). However, in the end, Harrison would be the one to be victorious, with Bell coming in at second place. But hey, nothing wrong with silver! I think Bell is one of the most talented young actors out there right now, he’s wowed me in every single film that I’ve seen him in. For example, he actually made Jumper bearable to sit through, if only for his charismatic, fun performance as the reckless Griffin. I really loved Bell’s energy in the role, he lit up the screen while Hayden Christensen constantly tried to, well, darken it. Put off by the fact that he’s not American? Fair enough, but I really can’t agree with that, especially if it’s the only reason you can give against Bell. Watch King Kong (the Jackson version), Bell does a very, very solid American accent, and easily looks American with a good, clean shave. Just give him a clean hair cut too, and he looks like the spitting image of Bucky. So really, his nationality shouldn’t matter because he looks American, and sounds American. Problem solved. And if you’re still put off because Bucky becomes Cap later on, use a different actor for Bucky Cap. Bucky goes through such a radical transition from determined, young WW2 fighter to dark and mature Winter Soldier, and then to patriotic Captain America, I feel that it is only logical to use 2 different actors, one for WW2 Bucky and the other for WS and Cap. This way, we can get Bell’s great performance as Bucky, and also we can get an American actor for when it really becomes more of a requirement. Again, problem solved.
I’d like to see a bit more of a “cool” Bucky in the film, not necessarily bad-ass, but certainly cool and tough. Bell would OWN at this. His role in Jumper proved he can play “tough guys” exceedingly well, and in King Kong he showed a certain personality, the young kid who wants to prove himself as useful and not useless. I really liked that part of his performance as Jimmy. But, really, I think his role in the movie Defiance (co-starring Daniel “Bond” Craig and Liev “Sabretooth” Schreiber) really solidified him as the perfect Bucky for me. As the younger brother to the afore-mentioned powerhouse actors, Bell displayed a courageous, heartfelt, very, for lack of a better word, “real” portrayal of Asael Bielski. I liked his performance, to say the least. I think these qualities would lend themselves excellently to a big screen version of Bucky, and would make the non-fans of comic book WW2 Bucky (there are quite a few of them) be fans again (or for the first time LOL). So, er, yeah. Bell for Bucky.
Yeah, I know, I know. I’ve been using Fassbender as a lot of characters. I cast him as Bullseye, and as Aquaman, and now as Union Jack. Sorry, but I just really like this choice a lot. Fassbender has that bad-ass attitude that’s perfect for Union Jack, since he’s one bad-ass mother trucker. Union Jack is a BAMF who will kick your ass at the drop of a dime, and you need an actor who can do that, among other things of course. Fassbender is a great actor, he was awesome in 300 as Stelios, who was basically the definition of a bad ass (I seem to be using that phrase a lot in this explanation) and killed Persians left and right. Fassbender was one of the good guys, but man, did I get a bit of an insane vibe from him at times. Particularly the scene where Stelios is describing what Spartans call “a beautiful death” and he starts laughing, and laughing. I was like “Whoa, I wouldn’t want to mess with this guy,” well, as if jumping about 10 feet in the air and chopping a guy’s arm off wasn’t enough to convince me of that. But enough about being bad ass, Fassbender is a damn good quality actor, shown by his excellent performance in the critically acclaimed Hunger. He received a lot of accolades for his quality performance in that film. Plus, Fassbender is at least European (German to be exact) but I think that, if he can handle a British accent, which I think he’d be able to do, since he’s such a good actor, then he’d be perfect for Union Jack. Hopefully Union Jack is in the film (which I think there’s a fairly decent chance of that happening) and we get to see him kicking major Nazi ass alongside Captain America.
I’m a huge Lost fan, and Fox is one of my favorite parts of the show. I simply love his performances as Jack Shepherd each and every episode. On Lost, Fox displays a certain nobility and righteousness that I think would fit well with this character. Yet, despite Jack’s good intentions and desire to do what is right, he can’t always succeed, often due to his stubbornness and inability to simply let go, of both his feelings and of the past. I’d really like to see Human Torch portrayed as somewhat of a conflicted hero, due to the outcry against him in the past and the accidental burning of parts of New York City due to his inability to control his powers at the time. Fox would excel at showing this kind of conflicted nature, as he proves it on Lost all the time. Of course, Human Torch is largely a hero, and Fox is no slouch in being a hero at all. Once again, on Lost, he’s demonstrated time and time again that he can be the hero, that he can save those in need of help, and that he is committed to helping his companions. Personally, I hope Hammond is included in First Avenger, and, because of all these reasons I listed, Matthew Fox is the one who should portray him.
For me, personally, I would rather have Human Torch on the team than Toro, because you really don’t need 2 fire guys around, but, if I had to cast this character, I think I’d go with Hirsch. Not only is he a really, really talented actor, he fits the relatively youthful age (as in 20-something) and physical appearance (face, height, etc.) to really give him that protégé vibe with him and Human Torch. Fox and Hirsch, IMO, would play fantastically off of each other, as both are extremely talented and contrast well in age and height. Fox screams the mentor type and Hirsch screams the protégé type. I think that if Hirsch was cast he’d give Toro depth and make a good connection between the character and the audience, to make you believe in Toro and Torch’s father/son-like relationship, and to make you simply sense the strong bond between those 2.
Sienna Miller as Jacqueline “Jackie” Falsworth/Spitfire. No, this isn’t the most original pick you’ve ever seen for SF, but it still is a damn good one. I’ve seen a bunch of people fan-cast Miller as Spitfire, and for good reason, she’s near perfect for the part. As I’m sure many of you know, I thought GI Blow SUCKED. Sucked long and hard. It really was one of the worst movies I’ve seen in recent memory. Pretty much everything about it was terrible…..except about one thing: Sienna Miller. If I had paid to see the movie, I would have nearly gotten up and asked for my money back, only to have Miller turn me around with her sexiness and surprisingly good performance. I mean, if you can make yourself look good in GI Joke: The Fall of Cinema, then you’re a god (goddess?) among actors (actresses?) in my book. I think Miller is talented enough and has the range to portray the kindness and heroicness of Spitfire, instead of being a bad ass bitch like in GI Blow. Look at her critically acclaimed performance in Factory Girl, a film that, otherwise, received mixed reviews. Miller was great in that as the beautiful Edie Sedgwick, turning in one of her best performances. So, Miller can handle action, shown by GI Joke, and she is also a very talented actress, seen In Factory Girl. She has what it takes to be Spitfire. And she’s English too, so that’s a plus.
Admittedly, Bana isn’t my first choice for Namor, that would be Luke Goss, but, since I heard the news of Johnston wanting to surround an unknown as Cap with bigger name actors, I decided to look for someone with a little more star power than Goss. And Bana was the first name who came up in my mind. Not only does he have star power (though he isn’t too famous where he’d overshadow the character), but he also looks and can act the part. Bana has a very imposing presence and looks quite, er, masculine, and I know that will come off as “gay” or something, but he does. I can clearly see Bana as the royal type ruler of Atlantis, he’s got the look of someone who you’d believe could rule an entire underwater city. In regards to Namor’s actual appearance, Bana also fits. He’s in great physical shape, has the black hair, and his face resembles Namor’s a lot IMO. But enough about looks, acting always comes first, and Bana also aces that part. Namor is an arrogant pr*ck, but is obviously a hero as well. You need someone who can balance both sides, while still leaving that smug atmosphere around him, even during heroics. He was an asshole in Funny People, effectively so, and let’s not forget he played King Henry VIII of England, one of the most infamous asshole kings of history. So he’s got the asshole part down, can he do heroics? As a matter of fact, yes, yes he can. Personally, I’m not a big fan of Ang Lee’s Hulk, but I really enjoyed Bana’s Banner (that sounds weird). I felt he gave a pretty sincere performance and made a compelling protagonist. Bana was also very good in Troy, a film which I thought was pretty decent, though most seem to disagree. He was great as Hector, Prince of Troy, and was very commanding and leader like, fitting in with Namor, who is the leader of Atlantis. So really, Bana’s got all the qualities required for Namor: the asshole attitude, regal look, good build, and also a heroic, leader-like personality.
Anne is becoming a very famous young actress at the moment, so I’m counting her as another “big-name” like Bana. Hathaway is one of the most talented young actresses out there, it’s crazy because she’s only 27. She can portray “good girls” quite well, shown by Devil Wears Prada and Get Smart, which is necessary for Miss America. Hathaway has an air of sweetness and kindness, and I think she has a very 1940’s look and attitude. But Anne’s a very, very talented actress apart from playing “good girls”. In Rachel Getting Married, I thought she demonstrated incredible range as one of the finest young actresses out there, portraying a very complex character, and she pulled if off magnificently, and received an Oscar nomination as a result. Anne would be great as Miss America, no question.
Anthony Michael Hall as Robert Frank/The Whizzer. You probably know him best as Mike Engel from The Dark Knight. I liked Hall in those few minutes he had of screen time, and wish they would’ve used him more, because he’s a really good actor. He was great in his TV show The Dead Zone, portraying a man with psychic abilities, and was very intense. I’ve only seen a handful of episodes from the first season, mind you, but I think Hall demonstrated a lot of good acting in what I saw of him. I really liked his intensity and range, particularly when his character was having the visions. I don’t really know much about the Whizzer, but I think Hall would be talented enough to play the super-fast hero, and he looks the part as well.
Mads Mikkelsen as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull. This should come off as no surprise here, but Mads is the perfect Red Skull. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, WATCH CASINO ROYALE! Not only is it an awesome movie, but Mads is FAN-F*CKING-TASTIC in it. Okay, I won’t use caps lock any more LOL. But seriously, Mads was awesome. As the villain Le Chiffre, he demonstrated an incredible ability to play antagonists. He was creepy, sadistic, genius-level intelligent, mysterious, and pretty crazy. I absolutely loved his performance. If I could only show you one (that’s right, one) scene featuring Mads in anything to prove how perfect he is for this part, it would be the interrogation scene between Le Chiffre and Bond. Mads was f*cking insane in that part. “But you are SO...wrong!” I loved when he said that line, I was like “Damn.” Mikkelsen was just coolly talking to Bond, describing the simplistic nature of his torturing method (read: hitting Bond in the nuts repeatedly with a ridiculously tight, woven rope knot), with an air of over-confidence and intelligence. Red Skull needs to be portrayed as a genius-level mad-man who believes himself to be unstoppable and above his enemies, and Mads can do that with ease, to say the least. You really got the sense that he was a sinister bastard in Casino Royale, perfect for Red Skull. Mikkelsen wasn’t particularly “hands-on” in CR, and Red Skull needs to be physically imposing and bad-ass, but don’t fret, Mads can handle that as well. In King Arthur (starring Clive Owen) Mikkelsen was a super-bad-ass as Tristan, even though he had few lines. He was one of my favorites of Arthur’s Knights, and could more than handle himself in battle, when it came down to it. Still not convinced? Search for “Valhalla rising” on Youtube. Now if that’s not a bad ass, I don’t know what is. Mads Mikkelsen is perfect for Red Skull.
That manip was made by one of our own CBM members during the Red Skull poll, not me.
Ralph Fiennes as Baron Zemo. I feel like this pick explains itself, but I’ll go ahead and write it out anyway, because I’m awesome. Fiennes is one of the greatest actors of his generation, proving it time and time again with quality performance after quality performance. There are few actors out there who compare to Fiennes, particularly Fiennes as a villain. Damn, does he make for awesome villains. And no, I’m not talking about him as Voldemort, where he’s only a maniacal, insane, frightening, malicious, deadly, master-mind who stops at nothing to accomplish his plans. Okay, maybe I am talking about that, but Voldemort surely isn’t the only great example of Fiennes’ villainy. Anyone remember, oh I don’t know, a little film called Schindler’s List? One of Fiennes most famous and acclaimed performances (Oscar nominated), he was simply incredible as the evil SS officer Amon Goth. He was sadistic in his portrayal, making even a real surviving Schindler Jew shake uncontrollably in terror, because he was so dead on in his villainous performance. Baron Zemo is an incredibly intelligent villain, being one of the Nazis’ top scientists, creating many weapons of mass destruction for Hitler’s army. However, he is also a sadistic son of a b*tch, often using innocent people to test these weapons on. So, if Fiennes would mix Voldemort’s mastermind mentality, and Goth’s pure sadism and complete lack of interest in human life (he orders the liquidation of part of a ghetto, I believe, in one scene), you would have the ultimate (no, not THAT Ultimate) Baron Zemo. Case officially closed.
And that's all I've got. Thanks for reading. Avengers assemble!