Was Will Smith Offered Captain America?
Filed under: Action, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Just when you thought Marvel was trying to get a blue-eyed, blonde-haired muscle head to play Captain America in their upcoming live-action flick, MTV sneaks onto the scene with one whopper of a rumor. While speaking to Derek Luke about Miracle at St. Anna up in Toronto, the actor let slip that, as far as he knows, Will Smith was offered the part of Captain America. Bet you didn't see that one coming.
Now keep in mind this is just a rumor right now -- and Luke could either have the wrong info or he could be screwing around; we don't know. However, I wouldn't put it past Marvel to switch things up and throw Smith into the role. Not only did Smith do a fine job as a homeless, alcoholic superhero in need of rehabilitation in this summer's Hancock, but the dude would guarantee a gigantic opening box office. As MTV points out, Marvel has changed the color of characters before; most notably with Nick Fury (who used to be a middle-aged white man, and was recently played by Samuel L. Jackson in Iron Man).
Hey, I'm all for it. We're close to electing the first African American president in the United States, so why not bring on the first black Captain America*? Just makes the eventual Avengers flick that much more interesting, huh?
The First Avenger: Captain America is due in theaters in May, 2011.
*Actually, Smith would technically be the second black Captain America; Isaiah Bradley (name of character) was the first.
UPDATE: AICN tells us that Marvel has debunked this, saying they've never offered Will Smith the role.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-08-2008 @ 3:13PM
Michael Midnight said...
Steve Rogers, the blue-eyed, blond haired, and white Captain America was not the *first* Captain America. The first one was Isaiah Bradley, a black man. The US gov't were experimenting first on black men before moving on to white men. This retro-active change in Captain America's history happened in "Truth: Red, White, & Black" and if the Marvel Cinematic Universe are using plot threads from more contemporary stories, this fits the bill. Maybe Will Smith is playing Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America, the first one!
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9-08-2008 @ 3:18PM
malren said...
See, now that I FULLY support, it's a good, engaging storyline, it addresses the real-world issues of the military carrying out some pretty messed-up experiments on black people and it doesn't screw up Steve Rogers' history just for the sake of being progressive and showing off your PC credibility.
Hopefully you are 100% on point.
9-08-2008 @ 3:21PM
Erik Davis said...
Hmm, well it is called The First Avenger, so that makes sense. Thanks for the correction (and info), as I wasn't aware.
9-08-2008 @ 3:14PM
malren said...
No.
Fastest way to make me NOT see this film is to screw with Cap just for the sake of it. There is no point other than to say "Look, look what we did, aren't we clever and progressive? Applaud us for our political correctness!"
Just tell the god-damned story right and cast a lantern-jawed Kansas farmboy-lookin' Steve and stop pandering.
That's what this is. Pandering. And I'm sick of it. There are plenty of black superheros that could be elevated into starring roles. Will Smith just helped create a good new piece of black superhero mythology. He did it (obviously with help from directors and writers and so forth) without pandering, without stepping on decades of history. It was a good and ambitious movie that has a lot of potential going forward.
That's how you advance the idea of black people in lead roles in comic-style action flicks. Just create new characters that work and make a decent film. Pandering by changing Captain America to a black guy only points out the racial divide. It angers people because it's cheap, and it creates resentment where none need be present.
My $0.02. YMMV.
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9-08-2008 @ 3:17PM
Michael Midnight said...
Ack! I should have explained more. I don't think (and hope) that the movie focuses on the black Captain America, I was more thinking of Will Smith's appearance being more a cameo that builds on the history of Captain America in the same way that Iron Man had his Gold Suit before his Red/Gold one.
10-21-2008 @ 12:16AM
945stevenb said...
AMEN!!!! Enough is enough already. Let's just stick to the formula and quit messing with America's icons just for the sake of appearing "politicaly correct". Maybe we should retell the legend of John Henry and have him be white just to make things fair. When are we going to stop with all of this white guilt crap! Captain America was a white guy...get over it!!!
9-08-2008 @ 3:18PM
Travis Tidmore said...
Midnight,
You beat me to the punch I was about to correct Erik for saying it would be the first black Captain America.
But what if they are telling both stories, maybe mixing it up and telling Isaiah Bradley and Steve Rogers storylines together, and then of course you'd only have Steve Rogers in the Avengers movie, although you could have Bradley as an old man, or his grandson from Young Avengers.
But at the same time they could just be making Steve Rogers into a black man, although I'm not sure how that would play, being as a black man leading the troops in WWII might not have gone over big with much of the soldiers at that time. But it would at least be interesting.
Maybe Smith can convince them to have his son play Bucky, J/K.
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9-08-2008 @ 3:23PM
Michael Midnight said...
Actually you're right there. They can sorta do both Rogers/Bradley ala Godfather too along as the core story is good. And yeah, Smith's older son would be a good consideration for Patriot, as long as he acts as good as his father.
9-08-2008 @ 3:26PM
Monkeydog said...
We all know Stephen Colbert is the real Captain America anyways.
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9-08-2008 @ 3:53PM
Koby said...
Actually Marvel didn't switch things up for Nick Fury in Iron Man they just used the Nick Fury from their Ultimate line of comics. In that line of comics, Nick Fury looks almost EXACTLY like Mr. Samuel L. Jackson.
There's a rumor that they asked him to use his likeness in trade that if they ever did a Nick Fury on screen, he'd get to play the part.
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9-08-2008 @ 4:27PM
Blair Mitchelmore said...
Nick Fury is black, and based on Samuel L Jackson, in the Ultimates universe. But every other universe, multiverse and omniverse before that had Nick Fury as a white man. So yes, Marvel did change the race of Nick Fury.
9-08-2008 @ 5:22PM
Scott K said...
OK. Yes, Marvel "switched up" Nick Fury from the traditional version to a Sam Jackson looking guy in the Ultimates. But the movie Iron Man did not switch it up, they went with the Ultimate Nick Fury, who is a popular, well known character within the comic world. He wasn't just randomly cast as a black guy in the Iron Man cameo.
Going with black Captain America is not the same at all. The Captain America most people know, love, and want to see on the big screen is Steve Rogers. Will Smith starring in Captain America is a huge mistake.
9-08-2008 @ 5:13PM
Batzarro said...
The only thing better than Will Smith casting rumors is will Smith casting confirmations...
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9-08-2008 @ 5:16PM
eugene said...
Will Smith would make an AWESOME Captain America. He has acting ability, the physicality and most importantly, the sheer Charisma to pull off the role.
I don't see this as stunt casting, rather as casting the right man for the role.
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9-08-2008 @ 9:18PM
aaron said...
Well eugene I don't like you now lol.
Maybe Smith will be the Falcon?
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9-08-2008 @ 9:35PM
eugene said...
Aaron,
Well, he wouldn't be an awesome Steve Rogers, but he would be an awesome Captain America... if that makes sense.
And the WWII angle would be a tough sell.
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9-08-2008 @ 11:06PM
edgejedi said...
no no no no no no no please god no. I have nothing against will smith...but it just wouldnt work...not just because he's black...but because you would look at him and go "that's will smith in a cap mask."
please say this is just a rumor.
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9-08-2008 @ 11:18PM
Sabi said...
if they go into the isiah bradley thing then it better be short lived...otherwise i will be pissed, i still want steve rogers to be brad pitt or dicaprio, even though i feel there are probably some other better candidate.
but please make the isiah bradley thing small and short, or just dump it
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9-08-2008 @ 11:53PM
Joe said...
Does any one know what version of Captain America will be used in the movie. Will it be the CA that was in WW2 and fights with Wolverine or some other time. If it is CA in WW2 I wonder if Wolverine would make a cameo in CA seeing as Marvel has been showing different marvel characters show up in the movie. But if it is CA fighting in WW2 will CA be put in a Cryo chamber because the serum that made CA is failing and no one will find a way to keep him alive until Marvel makes the Avengers movie.
I know this is off topic but because it is talking about Will Smith I would hope it would be ok. I my self do not see Will being a good CA may be a better choice for him would be John Stewart. I always thought Will could play John Stewart. John is the Green Lantern for people who do not now the comics. A lot of people know Hal Jordan but I always liked Stewart more and I think Will could pull off GL really well.
Playing GL would not be Marvel but DC would be just as good. I think WB is looking to bring out more DC movies and to me WB should try to get will to play GL plus if WB really want to have people see Hal Jordan you could always have him as his villain form that being the Parallax. I was liked Hal as that guy more any way over the first GL.
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9-09-2008 @ 12:09AM
Cannen said...
Actually, according to the marvel site, on the page I am linking, the first Capitan America was Rogers. Read at the 5th paragraph.
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Bradley,_Isaiah
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