I don't know why, but seeing this Poster has calmed SOME of my worries, I mean this is NOT just a poster, this is a work of art (Click to see the full image):
That said, I have my reasons for worrying about this movie. Captain America is a VERY tricky character.
The Ultimate Universe started off as a relatively good idea. Starting with Ultimate Spider-Man, and Ultimate X-Men, then followed by The Ultimates (which is this universe's version of the Avengers), the Ultimate universe was a Universe where the Marvel Characters are much younger than the main (616) Universe. Spider-man is still in high school, the X-men are all mostly teens, the Fantastic Four have JUST become Fantastic and the Ultimates have just been formed. In this universe Nick Fury is modeled after Samuel Jackson (who we all know plays Nick Fury in Iron Man 1 and 2 and who will also be featured in the Avengers Movie).
The Ultimate Universe started off with a Bang. It was a fresh new Marvel Universe that was easily accessible to an Audience who maybe has been wanting to get into comic books but has been too intimidated with all the back story of the Main Universe. Yes, the Ultimate Universe was a little grimmer than the Main Universe.
Well, the X-men was little Grimmer, Professor-X was kind of an ass, he left his wife and troubled mutant son to go with Bromantic partner Eric Magnus Lehnsherr (aka Magneto) to help other Mutants (apparently not his own son). Professor X also secretly lust after Jean Grey and is lightly more manipulative in this series.
The Ultimates themselves however were alot darker than the X-men. Doctor Hank Pym (AKA Antman/Giant Man) strikes his wife (the Wasp) ONCE in a moment of psychotic rage (he took meds to keep his bipolar tendencies under control but they effected his work as a scientist) in the main stream universe. In the Ultimate Universe he beats her Viciously and after she shrinks down to her "Wasp" size he sends his army of ants to find her and then goes after her with a can of bug spray, this actually isn't a new thing in the Ultimate Universe as apparently when they dated in college, Hank's favorite game was "Lets punch Janet's head through a wall". Captain America is also a bit of a jerk (I guess he is a pastiche of the "Angry American") one could TRY to argue that it was the Ultimates that ended up Influencing Captain America (unlike the Main Marvel Universe where Captain America Influenced the other Heroes).
Doctor Banner (AKA the Hulk) is also kinda skeevy in this Universe.
Now, I like Marvel's inter connected movie Universe. Ironman/Tony Stark/Robert Downey Jr. appearing at the end of The Incredible Hulk, Nick Fury Appearing in Iron Man... and so on. It makes the Universe feel connected. What i DON'T like is the fact that the Marvel Movie Universe seems to be drifting towards the Marvel Ultimate Universe.
Case in point, the Nick Fury design is Based on the Ultimate Version of Nick Fury. The Hulk formula in the Incredible Hulk was said by General Ross to be an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier formula that created Captain America (in the Ultimate Universe Banner was consciously trying to recreate the Supersoldier formula, testing it on himself it turned him into the Hulk... as the Hulk he also ate people...)
Which Brings me to Captain America's costume. Here is a side-by side comparison of the Captain America costumes from the Ultimate and Movie Universes. The one one the left is from the Ultimate Universe, the one on the right is the Movie concept:
The Costumes are very similar.
Now this is the original Captain America Costume:
Now I know the IDEA behind why the changes in costume were made. The Ultimate, and Movie costumes are more designed for a Soldier than for a superhero. Which grounds the Character in more realistic terms. They did the same thing to the Batman costume in batman Begins. Grounded it in reality. Which is all well and good, if Captain America was just a soldier, even a special opps soldier. The Problem is, Captain America is more than that. Captain America is Symbol. He was always meant to be a symbol. The idea behind the costume in the comic books was that the American government wanted to create a Super soldier, yes, BUT they also wanted to create a living banner for the soldiers fighting in World War II. They wanted the American soldiers, who were bogged down in the trenches, far from home, and fighting a relentless tireless war to be able to look up and see standing beside them the living embodiment of their country.
Yes Captain America is a soldier. He fights, if he needs to he kills, just like any good soldier.
I think the real problem I have with the idea of this movie, is that they can mess it up so badly. Ultimate Captain America is a Macho, Testosterone filled Bully. And a Xenophobe. Maybe he was the Captain America for the times, Ultimates did first come out in 2002. America was angry and still reeling form attack, and heavily entrenched in war. Maybe Marvel wanted to give us a Captain America who kicked ass first and then asked questions. But THIS is not who I want MY Captain America to be:
This man is Not who I want Representing MY America.
THIS is the man I want MY Captain America to be (Click each image to see the full image) :
As I said before, the Poster at the beginning of this post helps to calm some of my worries, and truth be told I cannot put my finger on WHY that is. Its an overall feeling. It FEELS like this movie might live up to the potential. The writers and Director have to go about this the right way. They have to attack this film like it's a war movie, not an ACTION movie. War movies and Action movies have two VERY different feelings to them.
This has to be along the lines of something likes "Flags of our Fathers," "Saving Private Ryan," or "We were soldiers" not films like "Platoon," or "Full Metal Jacket". That is not to say that the latter two are not good films, in fact they are great films. But they are not right for a Captain America film. "Full Metal Jacket," and "Platoon" are about the dehumanizing effects the horrors of war has on the soldiers. However, the other films are more about how soldiers rise ABOVE the horrors of war and become better people, or if not become better people, then retain their humanity.
All that said, it is still a superhero movie. It should have SOME good all Nazi ass kicking action in it. But at least for THIS film, which is an origin film AND as such spends much time in the WWII era, it needs to have its Primary focus on Steve Rogers, the man and the soldier who goes on to BE the HERO. This is a very different kind of superhero. Captain America never thought of himself as a hero, he was always just a soldier. To him, the heroes were the men, women, and children (remember this was World War II and the Resistance movements were comprised of ANYONE willing to fight) who died fighting for what they believed in. OTHERS called him a hero. He is one of the only superheroes who knows what it is like to lead people into war, and in the case of many, to their deaths. It is precisely because of this reason that leading the Avengers should not be a decision that he takes lightly (but that's a discussion for another time).
For now, that poster leaves me feeling hopeful, because looking at it brings to mind the true image of Captain America. He is the living embodiment of the American Spirit. If you look at the poster you could take Captain America out of it COMPLETELY and the poster would still look right. But add him TO it, and the image changes, you see the soldiers in the fox hole shooting and crying out in battle, and then you see supporting them from behind Captain America, his shield raised, and giving those soldiers the strength of will to fight, and the ability to inspire hope when it seems lost.
Because in the end I think THAT is what Captain America truly stands for: Strength of will, Inspiration and Hope. Not Power, not agression, not the glory of war.
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