Joe Johnston On How Captain America's 'Howling Commandos' Confined Their Name

Joe Johnston On How Captain America's 'Howling Commandos' Confined Their Name

Adressing the initial name for the elite group, Howling Commandos, in Captain America: The First Avenger, the director details how they retained their comic-accurate name.

By DCMarvelFreshman - Jul 20, 2011 04:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Captain America
Source: Orlando Sentinel



Back in 2010, before casting began on Friday's release of Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Studios' head honcho Kevin Feige revealed that "The Invaders" would surely play a major role in the much-anticipated film. While fans assumed he was referring to the superhero team from the comics with that same name, near the casting process, however, it was realized it was just the "movie name" given to the elite special unit "Howling Commandos." While they're now evidently being referred to as their comic-accurate name, director Joe Johnston recently chatted with the Orlando Sentinel explaining exactly how.

“Originally, we called the Howling Commandos ‘The Invaders,’”" Johnston says. “It wasn’t until my son Henry, who is in high school, came over to spend the summer with me while I was making this, and the Marvel team gave him a video camera and let him go behind the scenes to make a documentary about the making of the movie. And in the credits of his little documentary he credits them as ‘The Howling Commandos.’ He put it on the screen, as a graphic – ‘Howling Commandos.’ And Kevin Feige sees that and goes, ‘You know, that sounds pretty good. Let’s call’em what they are, The Howling Commandos. Why the hell not?’”





Captain America: The First Avenger focuses on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull. Starring Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Stanley Tucci and Hugo Weaving, the film releases July 22, 2011.
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LEEE777
LEEE777 - 7/20/2011, 4:36 AM
Just do an INVADERS movie MARVEL!

Could be up there with WATCHMEN!

Cool stuff @ FRESH!

Damn a Howling Commandos spin off could be cool too!
JackBauer
JackBauer - 7/20/2011, 5:21 AM
Feige is the producer, not the screenwriter :)

Hopefully, one day, we'll get an Invaders film. It could count as one of the 55 movies they make the actors sign up for ;)

I doubt it will be in the movie, but I've been hoping for a little Invader action during a montage battle scene.
reverendjonnynemo
reverendjonnynemo - 7/20/2011, 5:23 AM
Were they not originally called the howling commandos?
DCMarvelFreshman
DCMarvelFreshman - 7/20/2011, 5:26 AM
@LEEE777 Thanks:)

@JackBauer I told myself to get rid of that when reading the original article, but forgot lol Thanks for reminding me:)
FrankGarret
FrankGarret - 7/20/2011, 5:32 AM
Seeing as how only two members of seven were Howling Commmandos in the comics, I'd preferred it if they gave them a brand new name.
EarOne
EarOne - 7/20/2011, 5:33 AM
if only Marvel has the rights to Namor (a mutant) and the Human Torch (the name owned by Fox, as well), they would definitely have been featured in the Cap'n America movie.
avengingson
avengingson - 7/20/2011, 5:49 AM
That would've sucked if they had locked up the The Invaders name on the Commandos. Either way, I'd be excited as hell for this movie. Something I've been wondering forever; who actually does have the rights to Sub-Mariner???
Mr3gg
Mr3gg - 7/20/2011, 5:51 AM
[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/2ujl4k1.gif[/IMG]
RexDartEskimoSpy
RexDartEskimoSpy - 7/20/2011, 6:01 AM
They've been calling Namor a mutant only for a few years. He's definitely not part of the Fox's X-Men license. Maybe Fox's FF license, although he predates "Marvel" comics altogether.
Mr3gg
Mr3gg - 7/20/2011, 6:05 AM


¬¬'
jjmeylar
jjmeylar - 7/20/2011, 6:20 AM
You are what you are, so yeah.
hipnosis
hipnosis - 7/20/2011, 6:37 AM
Its pretty scary that this guy knows nothing About Captain America and he made the movie.....his son DID NOT NAME the HOWLING COMMANDOS....I was reading the Howling Commandos back in the early 70's and they appeared in comics in the 40's....so unless his son is in his 80's, thats really impossible....this Joe Johnson guy is on some major crack...I wonder if the film will even resemble the original story at all....I wonder if Joe Johnson's son also invented America...maybe???
TheOverlord
TheOverlord - 7/20/2011, 6:43 AM
Please don't make a Namor movie...

http://www.cracked.com/article_15679_5-upcoming-comic-book-movies-that-must-be-stopped.html

"...Not every single comic book character can be translated to film without looking ridiculous. Here, we have a character whose costume is mostly an aquamarine thong made out of fish scales..."
BrotherQStark
BrotherQStark - 7/20/2011, 6:45 AM
That does sound better

@LEEE777 They really should do an Invaders movie and I have the perfect Namor

CBArtist
CBArtist - 7/20/2011, 7:15 AM
It still pisses me off that they didn't involve the WWII Nick Fury to lead the Howling Commandos. Especially since he was the one that started them. This is something I would expect from Fox.
MSPaint
MSPaint - 7/20/2011, 8:08 AM
People complain about Gabe Jone's being in the movie because it "doesn't match the perios". How would a black Nick Fury mesh? Just be happy youre getting the damn movie
SKOne
SKOne - 7/20/2011, 8:31 AM
@avengingson - Marvel owns the rights to Namor and all of the other Invaders characters. Universal has the solo film distribution rights along with the Hulk.
juggy4711
juggy4711 - 7/20/2011, 10:22 AM
@Xenix - Namor's 1st appearance was about 30 years before the intro of Marvel's mutants.
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/20/2011, 12:19 PM
Feige you dick... I remember when they were going to be called The Invaders. I can't believe that Johnston almost called them The Invaders in the movie and Feige was okay with it. You mean to tell me it was saved by a teenager, just by chance? If he had never done that, then they would still be called The Invaders. Shows how much Feige cares about the source material.
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/20/2011, 12:21 PM
"Why the hell not?" Why the HELL were they called The Invaders in the first place? Ask yourself that instead, Feige. This is one of the reasons I have a problem with this guy.
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