First Impulse: Meet Captain America

Yesterday we learned the identity of Captain America: Chris Evans.


Of course, we already met Chris Evans, perhaps most notably as the Human Torch in the weak "Fantastic Four" movies. Evans failed to stand out in those subpar efforts; in fact, I found his cocky hotshot (sorry) routine generic. He may have been told to just add some energy to the movie, but I kind of just thought of him as some kind of shallow WB Network type.

So, yeah, if I go see "Captain America"--and while I like the character and the comics, I'll be skeptical based on the majority of recent superhero movies--it won't be because of Chris Evans.

Currently, the comic character (the classic version, at least) is an icon of the Marvel universe, a moral compass, someone other superheroes look to for inspiration if not outright guidance. Cap is not just a patriotic symbol, but a real leader. He has, in short, gravitas. I consider it a safe bet that nowhere has Chris Evans been said to have gravitas. Therefore I guess we can assume they're going with a young Captain America, which I suppose is OK--Cap wasn't always the seasoned vet he is now--but it also means another boring origin type of movie. This origin has been rehashed too many times in the comics themselves lately, and I don't really want to see it on screen.

There's another aspect of this casting news that concerns me. Evans already plays the Human Torch. Yes, actors can play different roles, and, yes, they're only roles, but still, it seems like a real lack of imagination and talent in Hollywood. I'm not so upset about the fact that now we can't see Captain America and the modern Human Torch interact in a crossover movie as I am that we are apparently so lacking in solid male acting talent that the same guys are coming up for the same roles. The most prominent example is Ryan Reynolds, who somehow became both Deadpool and Green Lantern.

It's a sad day for Hollywood. Where have all the real men go? I mean, I know the current generation of young male actors was lacking, but this is sad. The scene is so barren that Chris Evans and Ryan Reynolds, neither of whom summon thoughts of John Wayne, are headlining multiple franchise movies. We need an influx of charisma, pronto.