Yes, I realize that this is not the promised blog about role playing handbooks, but the deluge of Captain America rumors has overtaken my mind recently. Every day my husband and I check for updates on whom the lucky man might be.

We were promised that we would be told the identity of the Captain America actor by the end of February. Obviously, that has not happened.

While I do have my own two cents that I will add later about the actor I think should be chosen, the real fascination here is in how public this whole process has been.

Now, to be fair, Marvel has stated that we should ignore all the rumors, because none of them have been official statements. We simply know that certain actors have read for the part, and some of them have announced/tweeted that they are no longer in the running. That hardly confirms anything on who might actually be chosen.

Plans for a new Captain America movie have been in the works for some time. After the huge success of Iron Man, and the slightly better numbers for Edward Norton’s The Incredible Hulk compared to Eric Bana’s Hulk, plans for an eventual Avengers movie has been the ultimate goal.

Thor is confirmed and cast. They won’t scrap Ant Man rumors no matter how much we groan. And now…Captain America.

Captain America will be set during World War II. The last few minutes will be after Cap has been frozen—as per comic tradition—waking up in the modern world. This of course will then pave the way for the Avengers film.

The role of Captain America is more important than any of the other major players in the Avengers. More important than how perfect Robert Downey Jr. is as Iron Man, or how good Daddy Kirk might play Thor. This is Cap we’re talking about. The leader. The one to shout:

Avengers assemble!

The chosen actor will also presumably need to sign a contract for a potential nine films, including his own, sequels, cameos in others, and all Avengers movies. This is a big responsibility.

Rumors of actors in the running have been spreading for some time, but only recently have things really started buzzing when leaks of actors confirmed to have read for the part filled the internet airwaves.

The list has been huge at times of the potential choices, all (mostly) handsome, tall, mid-20s to early 30s blonde American men. Well, there was one Canadian rumored, but they better not be that stupid.

Now we have been playing the Survivor game, where about once a day an actor drops out of the running. At the time I am writing this, there are three remaining candidates in the rumor mill:

Chace Crawford (“Gossip Girl”), John Krasinski (“The Office”), and Mike Vogel (“Cloverfield”).

Patrick Fleuger from “The 4400″ and Garrett Hedlund from the upcoming “Tron Legacy” are also possibilities.

This whole mess is just unprecedented. I can’t remember a single other time where the before casting rumors took over so much of the internet and caused so much stress. Usually, I’m sitting at home and suddenly, hey, guess what? Robert Downey Jr. just got cast as Iron Man. Sweet. He’ll be perfect. The end. I never get caught up in any initial hype, because there usually isn’t any. It’s all much more hush-hush. So what’s different this time?

My husband has proposed that maybe they are trying to gauge audience reaction to potential actors to help make their decision, since this role is so huge. Maybe that’s true. If it is, then we damn well better get the announcement for Jensen soon.

Can you tell where my two cents are heading?

Jensen Ackles is a fan favorite for the role, but he is being counted out as of late because he will be busy with Supernatural season 6 next year, which shouldn’t be happening anyway, but that’s another blog.

I hear there is a poll at the CW forums to boycott the season and Captain American if the CW doesn’t work something out for Jensen to still be eligible.

Only Jensen would do a worthy job, in my opinion, since he has the right look, amazing presence, and is the most talented actor of the named candidates. But unless they come back and surprise us, it isn’t going to happen.

Of the three rumored remaining options there is only one other actor I could back, and that is Mike Vogel, because at least he looks the part. I don’t care how popular this American The Office show is, that actor is NOT Captain America. I’m sorry, but you have to be at least a little ruggedly handsome for the role, not goofy or likened to Shrek.

And Chase, oh my dear Chase Crawford, how I adore you, but you are not Cap either. You are pretty and young, and Cap needs to be older and masculine looking.

If I can’t have Jensen, then Mike Vogel is it.

But then of course they could still surprise us and announce some unknown or un-rumored actor to fill Cap’s spandex. It’s not like they haven’t done that to us before. And frankly, I would prefer someone out of left field to most of the other options.

Bottom line, the chosen actor has to be someone I can imagine ordering Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man around without me falling into a fit of giggles.

Pray with me fellow geeks that it somehow ends up being Jensen Ackles anyway.

P.S. If they don’t do something amazing on The Colbert Report for the casted actor to claim Captain America’s shield, I will be highly disappointed.

~G³

Next week (really this time), will be “The Evolution of Role Playing Game Handbooks,” from DnD and White Wolf to Serenity.

Thanks for tuning in.

 

Images taken from:
http://www.fusedfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/x-captain-america-cc1.jpg

http://geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2008/news/2008-05-25-colbert-shield.jpg

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