First Avenger Is it mandatory that Captain America be played by an American?

[tamron]

This is a topic that has been discussed off and on for years in Captain America casting threads. I wanted to take an official poll on it.

I believe that is necessary that the actor playing Captain America be an American. I feel like the actor chosen should embody the character like Chris Reeve to Superman, and his nationality is key to CA.

 

[BETArayBill]

Cap def. needs to be played by an american it would be like james bond being played by an american its just wrong.

 

[Wiseman]

Captain America can be played by anyone who sounds american, that's all there is to it. I'm more of a patriot then most people on this site and I say this is a non-issue. He's gotta look like Captain America, and sound like Captain America should sound. That's the only criteria, I don't care where he's from

 

[chiefchirpa]

Well, "mandatory":
- There are lots of good American actors. Give em a chance for just this _ONE_ role. For the other hundreds Marvel roles, any nationality will be okay.
- This is the first official Captain America movie, where future movies will be based on. I don't mind a German Captain America in the future, but for this _FIRST_ movie, give it to an American.

But "mandatory" is not 100% strict.

 

[Compi716]

Mandatory? Not really.

Preferred? Absolutely.

 

[Triad]

Mandatory? Not really.

Preferred? Absolutely.

I'm with you.

 

[BestGirl]

I think you mean "Should it be mandatory that Captain America be played by an American?"

I simply don't care. I want the best actor possible for the role, though I guess it would be a plus of he were American.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I think you mean "Should it be mandatory that Captain America be played by an American?"

I simply don't care. I want the best actor possible for the role, though I guess it would be a plus of he were American.

Agree 100%

I want the best actor, I don't give a crap what country he was born in. Robin Hood is a British cultural icon, yet he's being played by an Aussie. Batman is a Amercan Icon, yet he is...also played by an Aussie....I SMELL CONSPIRACY!

Just kidding, really though, we have lots of examples like that. Sherlock Holmes is being played by an American. And It doesn't get much more American than Abraham Lincoln, and yet we have a non-American playing him as well.

Really, no one's going to care if a non-American plays Cap, and if they do, they're stupid. You want the best possible actor playing one of your favorite characters, regardless of their heritage.

 

[Wiseman]

Agree 100%

I want the best actor, I don't give a crap what country he was born in. Robin Hood is a British cultural icon, yet he's being played by an Aussie. Batman is a Amercan Icon, yet he is...also played by an Aussie....I SMELL CONSPIRACY!

Just kidding, really though, we have lots of examples like that. Sherlock Holmes is being played by an American. And It doesn't get much more American than Abraham Lincoln, and yet we have a non-American playing him as well.

Really, no one's going to care if a non-American plays Cap, and if they do, they're stupid. You want the best possible actor playing one of your favorite characters, regardless of their heritage.

Christian Bale is british not Australian

 

[Infinity9999x]

Christian Bale is british not Australian

Ahh, you're right, my mistake. I got it mixed up with Ledger.

 

[jab1118]

I want the best actor, I don't give a crap what country he was born in. Robin Hood is a British cultural icon, yet he's being played by an Aussie. Batman is a Amercan Icon, yet he is...also played by an Aussie....I SMELL CONSPIRACY!

Thats kind of perfect though isnt it, ausrailians are just british criminals anyway right?

 

[Nathan]

The guy just needs to look and sound the part.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Thats kind of perfect though isnt it, ausrailians are just british criminals anyway right?

Ohhh, someone's going to tick off some Britst:

 

[BestGirl]

Ohhh, someone's going to tick off some Britst:

More like tick off some Australians. t:

 

[Infinity9999x]

More like tick off some Australians. t:

Haha, yeah. Today just isn't my day, I keep typing the wrong things.

 

[Project862006]

chris hemsworth who is playing Thor people say he should be playing captain America but he is from Australia you wouldn't even know by his voice

 

[Spider-Vader]

I want the best actor, I don't give a crap what country he was born in. Robin Hood is a British cultural icon, yet he's being played by an Aussie. Batman is a Amercan Icon, yet he is...also played by an Aussie....I SMELL CONSPIRACY!

Thats kind of perfect though isnt it, ausrailians are just british criminals anyway right?

Were.

I think Cap should be played by an American, like said before it's if Bond wasn't played by a British person.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I wonder how much b**ching would happen if James Bond was played by an American?

I strongly perfer if an American play Captain (f**king) America but I wouldn't boycott the flick if one didn't.

 

[Timstuff]

I wonder how much b**ching would happen if James Bond was played by an American?

I strongly perfer if an American play Captain (f**king) America but I wouldn't boycott the flick if one didn't.

I agree. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they got a foreigner to play him, but it would be pretty stupid if to get an actor for Captain America we had to outsource.

Seriously though, there are American actors who are up for the job, you just won't find them in internet message board threads. Like you said though, it'd be like getting an American to play James Bond. It just seems kind of stupid, even if it's not a disaster by default.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I agree. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they got a foreigner to play him, but it would be pretty stupid if to get an actor for Captain America we had to outsource.

Seriously though, there are American actors who are up for the job, you just won't find them in internet message board threads. Like you said though, it'd be like getting an American to play James Bond. It just seems kind of stupid, even if it's not a disaster by default.

Honestly, I don't see anything stupid about it. I want the director to pick the person he thinks he can work with, and get the best product out of, regardless of race.

And we already have an American playing a major British icon with Sherlock Holmes, and I haven't heard too many people freaking out about it.

 

[WeaponXProject]

Honestly, I don't see anything stupid about it. I want the director to pick the person he thinks he can work with, and get the best product out of, regardless of race.

And we already have an American playing a major British icon with Sherlock Holmes, and I haven't heard too many people freaking out about it.

I've heard alot of complaints. Alot of Brits work in my building and they don't like it at all. They described the trailer as "rubbish" and the casting of RDJr for Sherlocke completely rediculous.
And his name isn't Captain Britain...if it was I think they would be outraged.

Sherlocke would be more like our Indiana Jones (or vice versa)...I think some people would have a problem with it but not as much as with someone that represents a country.

 

[BestGirl]

I've heard alot of complaints. Alot of Brits work in my building and they don't like it at all. They described the trailer as "rubbish" and the casting of RDJr for Sherlocke completely rediculous.
And his name isn't Captain Britain...if it was I think they would be outraged.

Sherlocke would be more like our Indiana Jones (or vice versa)...I think some people would have a problem with it but not as much as with someone that represents a country.

Is RDJ ridiculous to them because he's American or because he neither looks nor acts like the traditional Holmes?

 

[Sawyer]

I wonder how much b**ching would happen if James Bond was played by an American?

I strongly perfer if an American play Captain (f**king) America but I wouldn't boycott the flick if one didn't.

It would be never-ending....

 

[Infinity9999x]

I've heard alot of complaints. Alot of Brits work in my building and they don't like it at all. They described the trailer as "rubbish" and the casting of RDJr for Sherlocke completely rediculous.
And his name isn't Captain Britain...if it was I think they would be outraged.

Sherlocke would be more like our Indiana Jones (or vice versa)...I think some people would have a problem with it but not as much as with someone that represents a country.

Well, it certainly wasn't anything like when Ledger was cast. I know it's hard for some to remember now because of the whole looking at history through a rose covered glass thing, but the internet pretty much exploded when he was announced as Joker. A good number of people freaked out over that, and not in a good way. There hasn't been nearly the outcry for Sherlock.

Of course, the movie has the added weight of not looking like the traditional Holmes story, being more action-y. Though personality-wise he seems very much like the book Holmes.

 

[WeaponXProject]

Is RDJ ridiculous to them because he's American or because he neither looks nor acts like the traditional Holmes?

I'm not entirely sure.

Well, it certainly wasn't anything like when Ledger was cast. I know it's hard for some to remember now because of the whole looking at history through a rose covered glass thing, but the internet pretty much exploded when he was announced as Joker. A good number of people freaked out over that, and not in a good way. There hasn't been nearly the outcry for Sherlock.

Of course, the movie has the added weight of not looking like the traditional Holmes story, being more action-y. Though personality-wise he seems very much like the book Holmes.

I don't mind RDJr but Im not a Brit so it doesn't hit close to home for me...the movie doesn't feel Sherlocke like at all, though.

The internet exploded from Ledger because no one knew much of him besides his mainstream Knight's, Brother's Grimm and the Taming of the Shrew adaption. Not many had seen his smaller indie movies, including me, so there were doubts.

No matter, I don't have an explanation but I just have this gut feeling that Cap should be American.