Many fans of Captain America have been waiting years for a big budget Captain America film.  Shortly after the release and success of last year’s “Iron Man” film, Marvel Comics announced that we would also be seeing a film staring Thor, The Avengers, and Captain America.  Like most comic book fans I’m worried.  I’m worried it’s going to suck big time. 

Almost no comic book movie is perfect.  Very few have come close.  I would say the first Donner/Reeve “Superman” film and the more recent “Iron Man” and “Dark Knight” have made nitty picky and overly critical fan boys (like myself) the most happy.  What makes most comic fans cringe the most is when Hollywood decides to make changes to the character or the story.  Sometimes it works like Richard Donner’s vision of Krypton.  The “ice” was loved by the fans and the look has now been incorporated into current DC continuity thanks to Geoff Johns and Richard Donner himself who co-wrote the story “Last Son” for “Action Comics”. 

Although Captain America doesn’t hit theaters until 2011, we’re already starting to hear casting rumors.  A rumor was circulating that Will Smith was going to get the nod and play Captain America.  Thankfully that has turned out not to be true.  Still I would like to say something if it did happen.
First off: in my opinion, Will Smith is not that great of an actor.  He’s entertaining and does comedy very well.  From what I saw in the biopic “Ali” I did not think it warranted an Oscar nomination.  And of course the pink elephant in the room answer is that he’s black. 
Now a few years back Marvel changed their continuity with the story “Truth: Red, White, and Black,” which showed that there was a black Captain America prior to Steve Rogers.  This was a very good story and I would love to see them have this as a spin-off type film.  But Steve Rogers is white and I think he should stay that way. 
In Iron Man, we see a black Nick Fury in Samuel L Jackson.  In the Ultimate Universe which is separate from the regular Marvel Universe, this is the case.  There was even talk of making Cap black prior to the Ultimates launch, but Marvel decided not to go with it. 
I don’t think it’s racist for me to want a white Captain America.  I simply want a comic movie to closely match what we see in the comic.  So I hope Will Smith isn’t Captain America.  I hope they go with a young twenty-something actor who looks like Steve Rogers.  I want blond hair; no brown or black.  Robert Downey looked like Tony Stark come to life.  Ed Norton in my opinion does not look like Bruce Banner.  He’s a great actor, but I didn’t like that they went with him.
With all that’s been said here, the most important thing is the script.  The film is supposed to take place during World War II.  I want the authenticity of “Saving Private Ryan” mixed in with a shield-carrying Captain America.  I wonder if we’ll see Bucky?
It’s a long time until 2011.  Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.