THE SHIFT Star Neal McDonough Talks Possible MCU Return As CAPTAIN AMERICA's Dum Dum Dugan (Exclusive)

THE SHIFT Star Neal McDonough Talks Possible MCU Return As CAPTAIN AMERICA's Dum Dum Dugan (Exclusive)

Neal McDonough has played a lot of great villains over the years, but he portrayed one of the MCU's bravest heroes not too long ago as well. Now, The Shift star shares his take on Dum Dum Dugan's future...

By JoshWilding - Dec 01, 2023 02:12 PM EST

In The Shift, after a tense encounter with a mysterious stranger with otherworldly powers, a man is banished to a tyrannical, parallel Earth where he fights to get back to the woman he loves.

That "mysterious stranger" is The Benefactor, played by screen icon Neal McDonough. The Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow alum is no stranger to playing terrifying villains, but he has a few heroes under his belt as well. Among them is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's fan-favourite Howling Commando, Dum Dum Dugan. 

McDonough first played the cigar-chomping soldier in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and has since reprised the role in everything from Agent Carter to What If...? Earlier this week, we spoke with Neal about his work in The Shift and asked if he thinks a return to the role is a possibility. 

"Well, we did the film, Captain America, then we did Agent Carter and then some shorts, video games, and all kinds of stuff," he says in the video above. "I hope…it’s hard, because for Dum Dum, I gained probably 40lbs of weight. I always say, I’d wake up at 4am and eat an entire chocolate cake. I’d eat and lift and eat and lift all day and grow that massive moustache."

"To get that big again, yes, I would enjoy that challenge, for sure. I loved playing Dum Dum," McDonough added. "He was very near and dear and very close to who I am in real life. So, you never know. I’d love to see it come back."

It would be awesome to see the Howling Commandos back in action, particularly as there's still so much more that can be done on screen with the World War II team. The Multiverse opens the door to heaps of different opportunities, though, and we're expecting Neal to reprise the role in What If...? season 2 at the very least. 

We'll bring you the fully transcribed interview with Neal soon; in the meantime, you can watch our conversation with him and The Shift filmmaker Brock Heasley above. Here's the trailer, and our chat with Sean Astin and Kristoffer Polaha


In this modern-day retelling of Job, Kevin Garner (Kristoffer Polaha) embarks on a journey across worlds and dimensions to reunite with Molly (Elizabeth Tabish), his true love. The narrative unfolds as a dystopian drama and sci-fi thriller, where a mysterious adversary, The Benefactor (Neal McDonough), disrupts Kevin's reality. Faced with infinite worlds and impossible choices, Kevin must navigate through an alternate reality, resisting The Benefactor's tempting offer of wealth and power. As survival hangs in the balance, Kevin fights to return to the familiar world he cherishes and the woman he loves.

The Shift arrives in theaters on December 1, 2023.

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HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 12/1/2023, 2:15 PM
So mad they didnt cast him as Albert Weskert in the RE movie. Guys a great actor, would love to see him as Magneto.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 12/1/2023, 6:29 PM
@HammerLegFoot - I think Hopper was a solid pick too (honestly, the whole cast was imo), but McDonough would be perfect
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 12/1/2023, 2:39 PM
I would love the Howlers to be back in present day somehow.

Or alternatively multiverse classic Howlers.

But the Sgt Fury fan in me is just excited that we're getting Amy Hennig's game (eventually).
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 12/1/2023, 6:31 PM
@TheManWithoutFear - I wouldn't mind seeing Fury Sr. teaming up with the Commandos and maybe even Isaiah's Captain America either
DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/1/2023, 3:40 PM

Excellent actor.

Great in most anything.

Would make a great Sebastian Shaw.

The1st
The1st - 12/1/2023, 3:52 PM
@DocSpock - Would have been great in a lot of cbm roles he's mostly aged out of. Could have made a good beyonder...if the mcu was kang centric currently and a little younger.
JonC
JonC - 12/1/2023, 3:40 PM
"I’d wake up at 4am and eat an entire chocolate cake. I’d eat and lift and eat and lift all day and grow"
...wait, so i can eat chocolate cake and work out... sign me up!
Origame
Origame - 12/1/2023, 4:08 PM
@JonC - yup, that's called bulking.

Wouldn't recommend it though. It's just getting fat and muscles.
URCOMMENTSUCKS
URCOMMENTSUCKS - 12/1/2023, 3:49 PM
The more I look at in retrospect, the more I realize how Captain America trilogy isn't as good as I remember. I wish if the first two movies were set in WW2, with a more grim and realistic tone. The first would be about Steve first meeting Bucky at the boot camp and then going on some military quest ala Saving Private Ryan style and coming face-to-face with the Red Skull, who I wish was really just a Nazi scumbag like he is meant to be, instead of the McGuffin-chasing non-Nazi. The second movie you could have introduced The Howling Commandos and maybe even the OG Nick Fury (maybe retcon it that Sam Jackson's Fury is in fact Nick Fury Jr) and them finishing off the Red Skull in a Dirty Dozen style, with the movie ending with both Steve and Bucky frozen in an arctic ocean after they would both try to stop Red Skull's missile or whatever. And then the final movie could've been The Winter Soldier.

But, you know, I could be sitting here all day rewriting MCU for my liking. But at least Cap's trilogy is not a cluster[frick] like Thor's now-quadrilogy.
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 12/1/2023, 8:52 PM
@URCOMMENTSUCKS - THIS 👆🏽!!! MARVEL could be utilizing the multiverse excuse to produce stand alone films like this, and give sequels to those films that bring the most profitable returns!

Imagine "What If??" All over the board!

What if CAPTAIN America was found in the 60s-70s?

The Commandos could go all out! MI meets A-Team... but nahhh, instead of that, let's make unfunny girly shitcoms on blockbuster budgethar,










KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 12/1/2023, 8:53 PM
@KennKathleen - * budgets, that nonstop flop.
grif
grif - 12/1/2023, 3:58 PM
i really need to have a cap trilogy marathon soon. i have only seen 2 and 3 a few times each.
Monkeyballs2
Monkeyballs2 - 12/1/2023, 6:09 PM
@grif - They're shit.



Sorry. I couldn't help it, buddy.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/1/2023, 3:58 PM


I don't think anyone really feels like, oh he should return.
grif
grif - 12/1/2023, 4:05 PM
@marvel72 - yeah when and where is kind of a head scratcher.
LilJimmy
LilJimmy - 12/1/2023, 4:19 PM
Dum Dum Dugan sounds like something a Street Fighter character would say
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 12/1/2023, 4:30 PM
@LilJimmy - he was a Street Fighter character https://i.ibb.co/3C840r8/Bison-2009.webp
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 12/1/2023, 4:21 PM
It’d be great to have him and the howling commandos show up in a Logan flashback. Maybe even Cap.
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 12/1/2023, 4:28 PM
Such an underrated actor that deserves more roles.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/1/2023, 4:40 PM
Apparently I'm a dum dum for liking mayo on my grilled cheese.. They're missing out lol
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/1/2023, 4:40 PM
Hollywood is saved! Maybe lol
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/1/2023, 4:44 PM
@bobevanz - it's the best Godzilla movie ever. He's supposed to be the bad guy, it took them almost 70 years. You can say it's boring, most of these are lol most of the time it's filler for monster fights. This time they make a story that makes you actually care about the people in Tokyo. Dolby Cinema had my jaw drop from the true spectacle, and the sound design is mind blowing lol. The first skreeonk gives chills haha 11 stars!
Vigor
Vigor - 12/1/2023, 6:51 PM
@bobevanz - I wish you had this excitement for mcu haha
Almost saw it today thanks to your enthusiasm for it. But movie tavern near me didn't have it and I didn't feel like driving 25 mins to the nearest amc
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 12/1/2023, 6:49 PM
I always wanted them to do a movie or a show showing some of the events of CATFA during some of the missions. They basically just showed it in the montage. It would've been cool to see the Howling Commandos in something more than those short scenes.
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 12/1/2023, 6:57 PM
He was good on Arrow.
LiteraryJoe
LiteraryJoe - 12/1/2023, 7:13 PM
Nice one @joshwilding - Neal is a force.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 12/1/2023, 8:18 PM
Yeah, he's one character that they should've kept around.
Repian
Repian - 12/1/2023, 8:41 PM
He could be Bullock in Matt Reeves' Bat-universe.
BritishMonkey
BritishMonkey - 12/1/2023, 9:19 PM
He's my absolute favourite Bruce Banner so if they find something nice to use him again for Dum Dum that works I'd be happy.
But I won't lose sleep over it not happening.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 12/1/2023, 9:31 PM
[frick]! Hollywood is finally getting it!!!!!!!! Keep recycling! Everything!
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 12/1/2023, 9:32 PM
And, make 'em gay!
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 12/1/2023, 9:33 PM
Not @DocSpock gay...but, you know...
DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/1/2023, 9:48 PM
@OriginalGusto1 -

Ugh. When I was a kid, gay didn't even mean that yet.

Though I learned early on as a youngster not to sit in Uncle Bigfoot's lap.

OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 12/1/2023, 10:40 PM
@DocSpock - when you were a kid..the beverly hillbillies was an upcoming event.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/1/2023, 10:47 PM
@OriginalGusto1 -

You are right. I was 5 when it debuted. My Mother watched that & Hee Haw religiously. That explains when I'm such a well-balanced lovable contributor to society.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 12/1/2023, 10:54 PM
@DocSpock - it's a joke, man. If you want therapy...I'm very wrong for that...
Gmoney84
Gmoney84 - 12/1/2023, 10:54 PM
Always wished they would've had him in the opening flashback scene of Ant-Man set in the 1980’s and in Endgame when Tony and Cap are at the Shield base.
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