Thursday, March 3, 2011

'Captain America' Villain Red Skull Photo Hits The Web

Plus: Director Joe Johnston talks to Entertainment Weekly about the politics of Captain America and 'The Avengers.'
By Kara Warner


Chris Evans in "Captain America: The First Avenger"
Photo: Marvel Entertainment

For all the "Captain America" fans who have been excited by the teaser trailer and magazine features, there have been just as many complaints about the fact that not much has yet been seen of the film's chief and formidable villain, Red Skull.

Luckily for those folks, Entertainment Weekly has the exclusive first look at genre-film favorite Hugo Weaving all red and scary-looking.

EW also scored a meaty interview with the film's director, Joe Johnston, in which he addresses a wide range of subjects, including why a superhuman can be sympathetic, the politics of Captain America (played by Chris Evans) and how much he had to think about Joss Whedon's spin-off film "The Avengers."

"What I like is he's not a superhero in the true sense of the word," Johnston explained of how Steve Rogers/ Captain America is unlike Superman or Spider-Man. "He becomes a superhero but doesn't have any superpowers. He is just the best possible human specimen. Imagine the fastest, strongest Olympian athlete. Add 30 percent. That's Steve Rogers."

Regarding the character's historic and politically charged past (the first issue of the Marvel comic featured the now-famous cover image of Captain America punching Hitler in the jaw), Johnston said that although his film is indeed a period piece, it isn't a "flag waver."

"He was created as a propaganda tool, but he soon became much more than that," Johnston told the magazine. "There are all these incarnations over the decades, but the film is not a flag waver. It's about a guy who wants to do the right thing. And that transcends all nationalities and borders."

Finally, there has been much ado over the fact that several characters who have and will have their own standalone films will come together for Whedon's highly anticipated "Avengers" movie.

"I really didn't [think about it]," Johnston said. "Because this was a period film, because this was the origin story, I didn't have to worry about 'The Avengers,' which was a present-day story," he explained. "We have present-day bookends and bring Cap back at the end, and then I basically hand him off. And 'The Avengers' is its own thing."

Check out everything we've got on "Captain America: The First Avenger."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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