Casting Report - THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA

Well, if the reports are true then Chris Evans has been offered the role of Steve Rogers, Captain America. The past couple weeks have seen a whirlwind of releases, claiming that various actors were up for the part. Numerous teen-television heartthrobs were on the list as were "The Office"'s John Krasinski, Ryan Phillippe, and Channing Tatum.

Is Evans the best man for the job? I can't say. Of all the actors listed in connection with the iconic role, he is certainly at the top. It's just such a troublesome character to cast. The actor needs to be younger, but not too young, famous, but not too famous, capable of period acting and physically impressive. Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Thor didn't require such delicate selection. Most of the candidates seemed too young, too limited and/or lacked the physical characteristics of the super-soldier. You also have to consider the level of talent now at play in the Marvel movieverse. Downey Jr., Edward Norton, Samuel L. Jackson are all big names to put together for the impending AVENGERS film. You can't go adding someone to the mix who can't hack it with the big boys. Chris Hemsworth (THOR) isn't a very well-known actor, but he seems to possess a certain presence (see: STAR TREK) that makes him acceptable in the company of bigger stars. And also, not to offend any Thor fans out there, but he is no Captain America. The actor playing Cap needs to be more relevant than the one playing the Norse god.

Evans possesses a lot of qualities necessary to take up the shield. He is young, but he can pass for mature. He appears to be somewhere in between the skinny private Steve Rogers, and the jacked up Cap, meaning he could pass for both parts. He's well-known, but he's not a huge star. This film will likely raise his profile, putting him more on-par with Downey Jr. by the time THE AVENGERS gets rolling. As far as his ability to portray someone from the WWII era, that has yet to be seen. From a glance, it might appear that Evans doesn't have the best acting chops in general, but I'd disagree. He's played some corny roles and done some lame films, but I feel like he could turn it up a notch if he wants to. He's great in SUNSHINE. Though it's a supporting role, the quality of his performance was one of the first things I remember commenting on when leaving the theater.

There will, no doubt, be a fair share of naysayers, but I'm content. Yes, he played the Human Torch in the two FANTASTIC FOUR films, but those sucked and don't really matter in light of the new path that Marvel Studios is cutting. The Fantastic Four are supposedly getting a reboot anyway, so some other actor will take up the Torch's mantle shortly and claim the role as his own.

Congratulations Mr. Evans. You've been given the ball.

Now I'm interesting in who's going to fill the shoes of Cap's best bud, Bucky.