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We’ve been keeping you up to date on THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA news, and this week some interesting bits came out at The Hollywood Reporter involving potential casting choices for the lead character, Steve Rogers.  Apparently screen tests are going on this week for the highly anticipated Marvel Comics superhero film, which is to be directed by THE WOLFMAN‘s Joe Johnston, the same man that also gave us THE ROCKETEER and JURASSIC PARK III.  The story follows a young man rejected from enlisted service in the Army, who takes a Super Soldier serum, and unwittingly becomes a Sentinel of Liberty fighting for America during World War II.  The title is a foreshadowing of Cap’s eventual involvement in The Avengers superhero team.  Some actors are said to have already tested, and others will get their shot in the next few days.  The list of potentials includes Scott Porter (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Mike Vogel (CLOVERFIELD), John Krasinski (THE OFFICE), Michael Cassidy (SMALLVILLE), Patrick Flueger (THE 4400), and Wilson Bethel (GENERATION KILL).  Chace Crawford (GOSSIP GIRL) was apparently also in talks to screen test, though no deal has been made.  Let’s take a quick look at these names and make a few points, shall we?

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SCOTT PORTER

Scott is going to be my favorite, first and foremost because he’s a buddy of mine.  Seriously, I’m not just saying that to say it.  I got to know Scott when FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS had just started at NBC, and he’s a frequent guest on my weekly podcast.  We’ve hung out on several occasions, and got to know each other rather well.  I see him less now that he’s been shooting CAPRICA up in Canada, but we still stay in touch.  When I heard this news, I immediately texted him to verify whether or not he was indeed in the running.  He is.  In fact he called not long ago saying he owed me another podcast appearance, and if things move forward on this for him, you better believe I’m gonna hold him to that statement.  Scott is an incredible actor, highly praised by critics and fans for his FNL performance as “Jason Street”, and recently appeared in DEAR JOHN and THE GOOD GUY.  He’s also had prominent roles in movies like SPEED RACER and PROM NIGHT, as well as BANDSTAND.  Porter has the rugged good looks and down to earth personality that would be perfect to play Steve Rogers.  But the absolute best reason he should get this – Scott is a HUGE comic book fan.  How huge you ask?  Let me just say this, I’ve been running comic book conventions for over ten years, cataloged rare comic books for a major auction house for the past six years, and I still don’t even come close to his knowledge on character storylines.  You can ask Porter to name you all the members of DC Comics’ LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES team, or Marvel Comics X-MEN teams, and he will not only drop every single name they’ve used but be able to provide a comprehensive back story on each one of those characters.  The guy is not playing around.  Nothing against his FNL co-star Taylor Kitsch, but the fact that guy was cast as Gambit in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE and not Scott is a downright crime.  Porter was even being considered for the role of Superman when the now-defunct JUSTICE LEAGUE movie was in development.  At 6-feet tall and an athletic build, Scott Porter definitely has what it takes to be Steve Rogers, and at 30 years of age, he still has the youthful looks to pull off the young Steve, while delivering the essence of a grown man ready for action.  And in case all of that isn’t enough to convince you, know that Scott is one of the nicest and most generous guys you’d ever meet, and genuinely loves his fans and truly appreciates being able to make a living as an actor.  Porter is definitely our choice for Captain America.

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MIKE VOGEL

Like Porter, he too is 30.  Vogel has been in several films, and chances are you’ve seen him but maybe never identified with his name much.  Perhaps his most notable recent role was playing the lead in producer J.J. Abrams’ highly-hyped though critically-panned CLOVERFIELD.  Mike is also appearing in SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE, opening in a few weeks, though I’m sorry to say his character is fairly forgettable and pretty pointless in that film.  He’s starred in other movies like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003), THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, and POSEIDON.  The problem I see with Vogel is layered.  First off, he’s 5’10, which was VERY noticeable in SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE.  I actually thought he looked shorter than that on screen, and Cap needs to be more imposing.  Secondly, he’s not that strong of an actor, at least in this person’s opinion.  Vogel has had experience playing a vulnerable guy, and does that rather well, but this is a role that requires a tough and commanding demeanor.  Mike Vogel, in my eyes, just doesn’t have it.

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JOHN KRASINSKI

Yet another 30-year-old.  Okay, this one is just plain weird.  I have nothing against Krasinski as an actor or as a person.  But this is Captain America, people.  I don’t think “Jim” from THE OFFICE is the best choice for this character.  In fact, I’m not sure on my most desperate day I could ever put a name like his in the casting pool for this character.  Not sure what Marvel was thinking that day, or why they were thinking it, but I just hope this is only thrown in for the sole reason of mixing things up a bit, and not with any amount of serious consideration.  I will say this much, at 6’3, Krasinski is easily the tallest of the potential names, and perhaps the most well know face in the grand scheme of things, and maybe those were factors on the table when his name was added into the pile.  He’s also had some hit and miss moments in the box office, as LEATHERHEADS and LICENSE TO WED performed very poorly, while AWAY WE GO and IT’S COMPLICATED saw huge critical acclaim.  Love ya John, but stick to network comedy… please.

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MICHAEL CASSIDY

These next three are really going to throw you for a loop, and that’s okay, even I had to look them up.  Michael Cassidy is slightly younger than our previous entries, as he’s only 26.  While standing 6-feet tall, Michael may have the height to pull off Steve Rogers, but his build is fairly average.  It’s hard to imagine him wearing the suit well.  Add to that Cassidy’s acting experience is mostly limited to TV, and shows like THE O.C. and SMALLVILLE.  He’s lacking the big screen experience it would take to tackle this character, and his overall look just doesn’t seem to fit.  If Marvel were trying to appeal to a younger crowd, this might be the way to go, but there’s just something a little too youthful and innocent about Michael, and it’s doubtful he’d be a good fit for the role, at least from where I’m standing on this.  That said, it should be noted that way back when McG was going to do SUPERMAN RETURNS, he was reportedly very impressed with Michael… so there’s that.

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PATRICK FLUEGER

Another 6-foot tall 26-year-old.  After getting his start in THE PRINCESS DIARIES ten years ago, Flueger jumped around playing guest parts on a wide variety of TV shows through the years, before finally landing a recurring role on the fan-favorite sci-fi series THE 4400, which sadly only made it through a few seasons (three total if I recall correctly).  Most recently he’s appeared in the Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal critical phenom BROTHERS, and has a role in the Charlie Kaufman-written MOTHER’S DAY.  This is another case of an actor who has mostly just done TV roles, and may not have the chops to take on the type of character we’re talking about.  Plus (based on the photos I’ve seen of him) Patrick has a thin build, and really doesn’t quite exhibit the right look for Steve Rogers, at least not the Steve Rogers us comic fans know and love.  He’d be a daring choice, and certainly give audiences a fairly expectation-free moviegoing experience, so there’s that to be said.

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WILSON BETHEL

Finally, our youngest entry in the group is Wilson Bethel.  Also 6-feet tall, and turning 26 today, Bethel has a little something going for him the others don’t.  He’s one of the stars of the critically acclaimed war series GENERATION KILL, though only for 7 episodes.  He’s had a much healthier run on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.  His overall acting credits are much more limited than the others in the group, though he’s worked with Uwe Boll, and that kind of endurance can’t be easy (please don’t kill me Uwe!).  Bethel also appears to have a pretty solid build and chiseled features, although his body type is rather lean.  These guys need bulk to play Cap, and if shooting is to begin in May, there’s not much time to get that bulk!  Wilson might make sense for Steve Rogers, but only if he’s able to leave that soap opera acting style behind when Johnston starts rolling.

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Certain insiders are saying that TRON: LEGACY‘s Garrett Hedlund may also get in for a screen test, though initially couldn’t due to his work schedule.  Having interviewed Hudlund, I can say the guy has the look, and he’s definitely got that “flavor of the month” cloud hovering over him lately.  Some fans have said SUPERNATURAL star Jensen Ackles would be a good choice, though he also apparently had a schedule that prevented him from testing.  The studio is said to have the actors on a 30-day hold period while this is going on.  The last time something like that happened was with THOR, and Marvel ended up choosing an actor outside of that window anyway, picking Chris Hemsworth in the eleventh hour.  One thing is being insisted upon, and that is the actor to play Steve Rogers must be an American.  Thank God, no Sam Worthington… seriously, that guy is getting cast in EVERYTHING.  The question now is what do YOU think?  Do any of these actors jump out at you?  Is there someone else realistic and credible that should be on this list?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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