Ahoy, squirts! Quint here to fill you in on the Captain America portion of the Marvel panel.

Kevin Feige started the panel which began with a teaser for Captain America, a film that has only been shooting for 5 days.

The teaser was WW2 footage… typical stuff: planes bombing, anti-aircraft guns firing, soldiers marching, superimposed over what is obviously a very slow reveal of the red, white and blue shield. Roosevelt’s Day of Infamy speech plays over this footage as text appeared on the screen:

Our courage and strength led us into battle, stories emerged of heroes … but one story has never been told.

Bam, the full circular shield. Is shown, then fades to black as text appears: Every army starts with one man.

Captain America’s silhouette, shield on the arm, standing in near profile. To black.

“Next summer meet the world’s first avenger.”

Chris Evans turning around in costume, very much like the designs we’ve seen over the last month or so. No wings on head, but very much a practical army suit.

The title hit and then the zinger (you know the zinger… every trailer has one… you think it’s over and then BAM something else) was of Evans launching the shield right at camera.

I particularly liked this shot as it looked like the shield had a real weight to it and… well, it looked like how Cap throwing his shield should look. What can I say?

Then they brought out Joe Johnston, Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving for the panel discussion.

- A question was asked to Johnston about the tone of the film. He said he loves Raiders of the Lost Ark. “At no time when watching that film do you feel it was made in 1936. It feels as modern today as it did back (when it was released.” He said you only get one chance to tell the origin story and promised it won’t feel like a movie made in 1942. I guess this was his way of telling people that it won’t feel old and stupid because it’s set during WW2.

- Evans on the pressures of taking on such an iconic character: said he has to put the magnitude of the project in a separate part of his brain so he doesn’t melt into a puddle of mess.

- They are 5 days into shooting. “Eased into it. We did some nice, gentle scenes to get my feet wet.” - Evans

- Hugo Weaving was asked about the voice. It is German, obviously, he said. Some of the Red Skull’s voice was inspired by Werner Herzog.

- Joe looked at all the Captain Americas in comic history. “I’m a fan of the (Ed) Brubaker version of Captain America.” He’s borrowing Brubacker elements visually, especially for the suit.

- Going slightly more modern than the original Captain America, which he said was basically just wearing PJs with the stars and stripes on it.

- As of this appearance Evans hasn’t shot any of the actual movie in the suit. The teaser was built from costume tests.

- Entire film takes place in the early 1940s. (says Feige)

- Johnson wanted an actor that could pull off Steve Rogers pre-serum and that’s predominantly why he cast Chris Evans.

- Weaving said he’s still playing with the mask, getting it to work properly. He didn’t elaborate, but I assume it’s a nice prosthetic piece.

They cut the Q&A short, but showed an extended scene from what they shot last week.

Norway, May 1942. Two men stand in a stone castle as one of the walls is busted inward, crushing one of the men. The room fills with Nazis as they restrain the older gentleman (who looked just like Finch from Potter, but I’m not 100% positive it was actually David Bradley).They go to an elaborate coffin, with an intricate stone design on top. “Open it! Quickly! Before he gets here.”

Of course “he” is The Red Skull. Hugo, looking sharp in an SS uniform, is silhouetted in the hole the Nazis busted into the keep. After a beat, he comes down, obviously feared by his crew. His face is just normal Hugo Weaving as he approaches the terrified older guy that may or may not be Finch from Potter.

“It took me a long time to find this place,” Weaving said with an eloquent menace.

“What you seek is just a legend!” says the Old Man.

:Then why make such an effort to conceal it?”

Weaving easily pushes the heavy stone slab off the coffin, revealing a skeleton clutching a cube, which Weaving called the Jewel of Odin’s treasure room. The Cosmic Cube? I don’t remember if it’s tied to Thor in the books, but I like them already tying these franchises together.

Weaving holds the cube, looking at it and suddenly smashes it. It’s a fake, a decoy and Skull saw through it. “It is not something one buries, but I think it is close, yes?”

He walks to an elaborate door with a carving on it of a large tree. Tree of the world, garden of wisdom… and fate… Weaving says as he admires it. He reaches out and touches a snake eye in handle, which opens a container filledwith a glowing blue light. Weaving looks longingly inside and then back up at the old man. “You have never seen this, have you?” The old, defiant man answers: “It is not for the eyes of ordinary men… “ With a wicked smile Weaving says: “Exactly!”

End of scene.

Gotta say, it’s not exactly the kind of footage that makes you want rip your clothes off and dance a mambo, but I love it when they bring rough footage, especially this far out. The cinematography was sharp and this is coming from someone in the “Joe Johnston prove you’re going to make a good movie” camp, but Johnston earned some respect with the footage he showed. It looks fun, but not goofy. Great look, good performances and a fun feeling to it.

Can’t wait to see more of the suit. I’m not sure what I think based on the split second I saw it moving… In one shot it looked a bit… baggy… on him. I trust they’ll make it work and this is only the first week of photography.

I’m fading fast, but that’s what went down at the Captain America panel!

-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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