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

[chiefchirpa]

That's completely flawed logic. If Marvel picked a foreign actor it would only mean that out of all the people they had audition, he did the best. What you fail to grasp is the nature of how a film works. A studio only has so long to cast, Marvel doesn't have the time to have every single actor in the US who could play Cap audition for them. They would select a group of candidates they deem most likely to be a good fit for the role and go from there.

Now, had they had open auditions, and in those auditions were a few foreign actors, and from all the candidates a foreign actor was picked, it simply means that the said foreign actor was best for the role. It by no means implies that Marvel is saying there are no capable actors in the US to play Cap. It simply means they picked the one person who did best at auditions.

Tell me, how come Marvel have decided to get only American actors? Obviously there are a couple of hidden considerations that has to be thought about in finding the right Steve. It's not as simple picking an egg from a basket. There are hidden considerations that force Marvel on their decision. This is their property & they know what's best for it even if you might not understand. I understand it clearly from the beginning, being a plain observer of movies and oft-reader of the monthly comics.

You're talking about open auditions - so if that auditions have a strict US citizen/green card requirement, will it net only a handful of people? I optimistically say no. There will be more than enough American candidates to select so they can keep the gate closed for the international candidates just for _this_ role only & keep it wide open for dozens of other Marvel roles. Casting calls have always have set of requirements like you have to have a certain height, ethnicity, look and even with that requirement, it doesn't stop movie companies to get their men & women.

Again, this is all moot. Marvel has decided because of their own considerations which are almost quite obvious to me. You can argue all you want, but the actor who will play as Steve Rogers is still going to be an American.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea there is alot of reasons that we dont know why they are likely to only want cap be american. I still say first casting calls/auditions will be strickly for americans and if they dont find their steve there then open it to international casting auditions.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

It would be preferable but I'd rather they go with whoever can do it the best.

 

[BT18]

Mandatory: No
A good idea? Yes

I still think Wolverine should have been played by a Canadian.

 

[chiefchirpa]

No, I don't think Wolverine should be played strictly by Canadians.

 

[360sculptguy]

I wouldnt like how the press and marketing would be effected by having a non-american playing the role. It wouldnt hurt the movie necessarily as a foreign actor with the right personality could laugh off say... Letterman's, inevitable "so you're playing Captain America?... aaaand you were born in (country other than america)?" Answers about playing Captain America would just be better(?) coming from an American. Theres not the small but added hurdle of decidng whether the actor "gets" what it is to be American. It would just be a non-issue. The week the movie comes out the star will be plastered all over tv. If he is Australian or British or Irish I would find it hard to go into the movie the next day and not think about how well he does an American accent.

 

[Webhead2006]

yea i said it before since the marvel guy has said they want strictly and american for steve. First start out with strictly US casting calls for a few weeks/etc.... Then if the dont find someone they like or if they do find a few, then expeand to other countries and say if they see someone they like that guy go head to head with the american guy and who ever is picked is picked.

 

[terry78]

It's basically a matter of pride, that is what it comes down to. We have our pop culture icons here in America, but Cap is an AMERICAN icon, literally. It would just feel a little off putting if he wasn't from the states. Most of the writers from the UK write Cap decent, but they have their own spin on him that is different than what American writers do.

 

[Webhead2006]

yea though as we know right now the marvel guy kevin has specifically said they want an american for the role. so untill we know how casting auditions go we wont know if an american will end up being steve.

 

[tallsy_1]

I agree that it shouldn't be mandatory but is preferable.

The casting thread has come up with plenty of good suggestions, so it's not as if there isn't an American actor who can play the role.

I also that marketing concerns play a role. You don't want to do anything that will hurt you with any segment of the audience. So why pick a needless fight with those people who want an American to play Captain America? Particularly when so many qualified candidates have been listed.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea i am sure they could come down with a top list of say 5-10 qualified picks who are americans and fit the bill of steve rogers.

 

[terry78]

You notice that whenever casting lists come up for movies like this, we immediately go for actors that aren't from the states a lot of times, that is pretty much showing how lax we are for top tier actors here in the states that fanboys feel can carry the roles.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

- Feige said that the actor who plays Cap will be American. No Australians, Brits, etc.

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/07/2...n-america-movie-plans-considering-will-smith/

 

[Webhead2006]

Yup that was brought up not to long ago flawless. And really there is tons of wonderful american born actors who could do the role well.

 

[NEXUS 6]

Let any foreign actors that have the look for this role and want to play a superhero be Captain Britain or Union Jack if they are British (for either of these rules, I want a similar rule of the actor being English), Hank Pym, Ka-Zar, Havok, or Hawkeye. And thats just the significant, blonde Marvel heroes that I can list off the top of my head.

 

[Franklin Richards]

I'm not saying there isn't. And really, now that Marvel has confirmed that they are going only American, this discussion is pretty much moot.

However, my whole point was that I simply wanted the best guy for the job, and had that guy turned out to be foreign, I would have been fine with that.

I'm not pushing for a foreign actor. In fact, I can't even think of a foreign actor I'd like to play the part to be honest, but I'm just standing by the fact that I want the best people possible involved in this project, regardless of where they grew up.

Ok... it's obvious you know nothing about acting.


Would you be ok with a woman playing Captain America? If she looked the part and sounded like an American man?

I wouldn't for a few reasons. No matter how good the actor is there are certain casting considerations that must be taken into account. There are certain roles that cannot be played by the wrong person.

A woman cannot understand the role of Hamlet. The role is singularly male. Just like the role of M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias is singularly female. I would never BELIEVE that a man could understand or empathize in the slightest what it is like to lose a daughter that came out of his body. He could study. He could read. He could research. But the bottom line is he would never fully connect with the soul of the part.

And we the audience would see and feel that.


There is an ineffable quality to acting that can only be addressed in the casting.



And Captain America is one of those roles.

 

[Timstuff]

I seriously don't get why some people are so insistent that Marvel should look at non-American actors for the role. It's not like there aren't any American actors who are right for the part, nor have I seen any non-American actors who strike me as being particularly good for it. Cap CAN be played by an American, SHOULD be played by an American, and WILL be played by an American. I don't see why this debate hasn't ended. Did Sam Worthington really leave that strong of an impression on people after Terminator Salvation? I thought he was OK, but nothing to write home about-- especially not for Captain America, since he's only 5' 10" and is Australian (and not particularly good at faking an American accent).

 

[ChinoXL]

Either way it would be fine with me as long as the actor is capable.

 

[Katsuro]

I dont get why this would be any different than Batman being played by a non-American, which everyone seems to be fine with. Sure, this guy just happens to have "America" in his name, but so what? I suppose he needs to be an actual Captain too then, eh?

All that matters is that we believe the character is American. Whatever country the actor may have happened to be born in really has nothing to do with anything, does it?

 

[terry78]

I dont get why this would be any different than Batman being played by a non-American, which everyone seems to be fine with. Sure, this guy just happens to have "America" in his name, but so what? I suppose he needs to be an actual Captain too then, eh?

All that matters is that we believe the character is American. Whatever country the actor may have happened to be born in really has nothing to do with anything, does it?

Captain America is a symbol of America. It's not just enough to be able to get into character, an actor that was born and lived here their whole life will "get" what the character means moreso than someone from across the pond. That's just how it is. The greatest method actor will never compensate for a guy that has lived in the country and knows what it means to be one. The way non-American writers portray Cap already proves how little they know.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Captain America is a symbol of America. It's not just enough to be able to get into character, an actor that was born and lived here their whole life will "get" what the character means moreso than someone from across the pond. That's just how it is. The greatest method actor will never compensate for a guy that has lived in the country and knows what it means to be one. The way non-American writers portray Cap already proves how little they know.

No, no they won't. That's completely flawed logic. I've lived in my America my entire life, but it's not going to help me act as Cap any more than any other actor. Simply because the America Cap grew up in, and is a part of, we have no more in common with than the British do. We've grown up in a radically different world from Cap, so different we might as well be from another country. Being an American doesn't give the actor's an edge at all in terms of portraying Cap.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I don't know if I would use the term "mandatory" but it would be pretty stupid if the actor wasn't American.

As for comparisons. While it's true that Wolverine, a Canadian is played by an Australian, his name isn't "Captain Canada".

 

[terry78]

No, no they won't. That's completely flawed logic. I've lived in my America my entire life, but it's not going to help me act as Cap any more than any other actor. Simply because the America Cap grew up in, and is a part of, we have no more in common with than the British do. We've grown up in a radically different world from Cap, so different we might as well be from another country. Being an American doesn't give the actor's an edge at all in terms of portraying Cap.

I disagree. Never mind how the media would have a field day with it. "They can't even find an American to play...Captain America?!"

 

[Webhead2006]

Well we know right now for at least first rounds of testing they want to go with full born american actors, their is plently out their. Then if they dont settled on someone or want to have an american guy test against a non american they will test non americans. Though i am sure marvel/disney/paramount dont want to deal with negative press of getting a non american for cap.

 

[Franklin Richards]

No, no they won't. That's completely flawed logic. I've lived in my America my entire life, but it's not going to help me act as Cap any more than any other actor. Simply because the America Cap grew up in, and is a part of, we have no more in common with than the British do. We've grown up in a radically different world from Cap, so different we might as well be from another country. Being an American doesn't give the actor's an edge at all in terms of portraying Cap.

What? You got me on the "Pay-No-Mind" list?

Ok... it's obvious you know nothing about acting.


Would you be ok with a woman playing Captain America? If she looked the part and sounded like an American man?

I wouldn't for a few reasons. No matter how good the actor is there are certain casting considerations that must be taken into account. There are certain roles that cannot be played by the wrong person.

A woman cannot understand the role of Hamlet. The role is singularly male. Just like the role of M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias is singularly female. I would never BELIEVE that a man could understand or empathize in the slightest what it is like to lose a daughter that came out of his body. He could study. He could read. He could research. But the bottom line is he would never fully connect with the soul of the part.

And we the audience would see and feel that.


There is an ineffable quality to acting that can only be addressed in the casting.



And Captain America is one of those roles.