Joe Johnston: Captain America Is The "Most Powerful And Fastest Olympic Athlete + 25%"!

Joe Johnston: Captain America Is The "Most Powerful And Fastest Olympic Athlete + 25%"!

The director of Captain America: The First Avenger discusses how they grounded the movie and character in reality, including the physicality of the super soldier and the Nazi inspired HYDRA...

By JoshWilding - Jul 13, 2011 05:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Captain America
Source: MARVEL

On The Importance Of Reality Behind Captain America: The First Avenger:

"I don’t like it when someone says, ‘Wow! What great visual effects!’ because that means the story is buried. The music, the visual effects and the action sequences are there to tell the best story. [Captain America] does some amazing things that none of us can do, but he doesn’t break any laws of physics. We made rules for him, and we stuck to them."


On Establishing A Grounded And Realistic Set Of Moves For Cap:

"We felt it was necessary to ground the story in reality. When you have a guy throw a ship through the air…and the audience decides that’s not real, they can lose interest. There are many examples in [comic book] films where a line is crossed and audiences say, ‘I don’t believe it anymore.’ We walked a pretty fine line on that. If you take the most powerful and fastest Olympic athlete and add 25 percent, that’s what [Captain America] is."


On The Red Skull And "Nazi Inspired" Bad Guys, HYDRA:

"The enemies are really HYDRA…who are inspired by the Nazi design. The important thing for me about Red Skull is that I wanted to make sure that you could see [actor] Hugo Weaving under the makeup. It was important that Hugo be able to act; he can emote and he can give a performance and be very expressive inside the makeup."


With an all star cast which includes Chris Evans as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Chester Phillips, Stanley Tucci as Abraham Erskine and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Captain America: The First Avenger will be released in 3D on July 22, later this month!




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hervatting
hervatting - 7/13/2011, 5:51 PM
'' I don’t like it when someone says, ‘Wow! What great visual effects!’ because that means the story is buried.''
:)
Crowskyler
Crowskyler - 7/13/2011, 5:54 PM
I completely agree with you, Joe. The visuals are there to carry the story, not to take over. Which is what I hear happened with Green Lantern...
Pooh
Pooh - 7/13/2011, 5:56 PM
I hope the stunts are as good as Blonsky in The Incredible Hulk.
Reasonnnn
Reasonnnn - 7/13/2011, 5:58 PM
@Intruder Agreed.

rockerdude22
rockerdude22 - 7/13/2011, 6:05 PM
This man knows what's up! This is the right way to go when making a movie. Seriously, why can't the 22nd just get here?
TayDee
TayDee - 7/13/2011, 6:10 PM
Cant wait! This may be the best cbm out of the 4 released this summer!
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/13/2011, 6:22 PM
He'd better have his signature agility, dammit.
Oxion
Oxion - 7/13/2011, 6:23 PM
Saving judgement till I see the movie, everything else is irrelevant.
NeoBaggins
NeoBaggins - 7/13/2011, 6:23 PM
Grounded in reality. I keep hearing director after director apply that to their film. They are in love with Christopher Nolan. This may actually be better than I'm expecting.
hervatting
hervatting - 7/13/2011, 6:32 PM
@NeoBaggins

GL was the final evidence that viewers are more critical not just about comic flicks , although a lot of people still go crazy for transformers ( transformers is almost in every discussion about bad films)
superpooper
superpooper - 7/13/2011, 6:32 PM
I can't see Hugo Weaving under the makeup. Maybe once I hear his voice combined with it I will. I like his approach to Cap. Very much like Batman, although Cap would kick Batmans ass in a fist fight.
superotherside
superotherside - 7/13/2011, 6:37 PM
When you have a guy throw a ship through the air…and the audience decides that’s not real, they can lose interest.

lol X-men: First Class anyone? I agree it should be oh wow look how awesome the special effects are! cough Transformers cough cough... it should be this was a really great story...
Bodwulf
Bodwulf - 7/13/2011, 6:41 PM
Grounded would have been fighting in WWII against Nazis. Not laser cannons and fake cars and subs. Will have to watch this for what it is and give up my hope it was a movie about Cap in WWII. :(
riddlemethis09
riddlemethis09 - 7/13/2011, 6:49 PM
Even a mighty red wood is grounded. Yet, so much of it goes beyond the roots, and that is what makes the red wood awe-inspiring. Still, that base is needed, or else even the greatest of tree will fall.
There's a little metaphor for my view of "grounded in reality" films. I think it is good a thing, but those fantastical elements are what make this genre really.
hervatting
hervatting - 7/13/2011, 6:52 PM
@riddlemethis09

That's the thing , they should first focus on the character depthness and then bring on the spectacular effects we love so much :)
Jakeroo
Jakeroo - 7/13/2011, 6:56 PM
"The enemies are really HYDRA…who are inspired by the Nazi design.

Why do a WW2 origin story and take out the Nazis?

hervatting
hervatting - 7/13/2011, 6:58 PM
@Jakeroo

Maybe the fuhrer will make a cameo :)
Drewsterville
Drewsterville - 7/13/2011, 7:06 PM
@Jackeroo @Intruder calm down and get the sand out of your vagina already.
ALmighty1080
ALmighty1080 - 7/13/2011, 7:10 PM
lol batman is that on an off day
InFamouslyCool
InFamouslyCool - 7/13/2011, 7:25 PM
...I wonder if they're going to stick to those "rules" in the avengers when thor and iron man are flying around doing some crazy shit.

the most powerful and fastest olympic athlete (plus 25%) cant [frick] with the hulk.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/13/2011, 7:27 PM
Lol at the guys with superman avatar coming to this article. They're so funny.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/13/2011, 7:29 PM
@infamously- c'mon, you know cap isn't about brute force, right?
Fogs
Fogs - 7/13/2011, 7:29 PM
@infamously- c'mon, you know cap isn't about brute force, right?
NeoBaggins
NeoBaggins - 7/13/2011, 7:34 PM
Nolan would look lost trying to direct an X-Men film.- Intruder

That's an interestuing sentiment considering what an actual X-MEN director had to say.

"It's not like the other X-Men movies which I think is important. I think they need to sort of take on a new... you know, what 'Batman Begins' did for all those Batman movies? We bloody well need it. I'm not saying it's going to be as good as Batman Begins, but it's the same sort of attitude,"- Matthew Vaughn

Pretty humble guy. I hope they provided him with a napkin or two to wipe his face after saying that. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was a cool film. So, in a way, I can thank Nolan for that. Awesome.
continuezero
continuezero - 7/13/2011, 7:34 PM
Doesn't break any laws of physics? How about the way he's leaping through the air? Or his Indestructible Shield? Or the fact that it can ricochet off walls with precision? I'm ok with all that...I want more but let's not say it doesn't defy any physics.
superpooper
superpooper - 7/13/2011, 7:37 PM
@riddlemethis Wow. That was some serious tree-hugger wisdom you just threw down right there dude. Nice.
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/13/2011, 7:38 PM
Aklash, what's so funny about that? Please elaborate. If it's anything to do with being a "DC Fanboy", then you're already wrong.
batmanrises
batmanrises - 7/13/2011, 7:41 PM
Oh ok so Joe Johnston is allowed to say "grounded in reality"? Sure.

I think saying he's only 25% stronger and faster than an Olympic class athlete is selling the character way short.

I'm really trying to like what I'm hearing about this movie, but I just am not. Here's hoping for a pleasant surprise.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/13/2011, 7:41 PM
Sorry dude, not about you. I'm kinda lazy to explain stuff right now :)
Fogs
Fogs - 7/13/2011, 7:43 PM
Batmanrises - but it is what cap's about... The peak of human condition, nothing more. His training and strategy do the rest for him.
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/13/2011, 7:44 PM
Oh, all right then. That's fine. Both Marvel and DC are great, in my opinion.
batmanrises
batmanrises - 7/13/2011, 7:48 PM
"The Super Soldier Serum has metabolized and enhanced all of his bodily functions to beyond the peak of human efficiency."

From the Marvel website. The serum made Blonsky flip around like a deranged monkey in TIH. I want to see that level of agility from Cap or it's a cop out.
riddlemethis09
riddlemethis09 - 7/13/2011, 7:50 PM
superpooper@ i hope that is a good thing to you! haha. still very much looking forward to this movie!
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/13/2011, 7:51 PM
Agreed, batmanrises. Cap should have better agility than Blonsky did, though.
batmanrises
batmanrises - 7/13/2011, 7:53 PM
Yea i meant better
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