Bare with me as this will be a history lesson melted in Marvel's fiction. *Got some helping info from Wiki
The master race was a concept adopted as Nazi ideology in which the Nordic peoples represent an ideal and "pure race" that was the purest representation of the original racial stock and ultimately to have originated from Atlantis. The Nazis declared that the Nordics were the true Aryans. Claiming that the Nordic peoples were superior to all other races, the Nazis believed they were entitled to world domination. [3] This concept is known as Nordicism.
Knowing this, I now take you into the Marvel Cinematic Universe where one Adolf Hitler is rising to prominence. In the 20's a man from the legendary Lost City of Atlantis was found by a German fisherman and immediately reported. The fisherman was never heard from again.
The fish-man was held alive and subjected to cruel experiments. Germans saw this as a way to rise from poverty. Some time later, the mythological hammer of Thor was founded, again, by a German who disappeared.
The Germans used these findings as an omen that they will rise to greatness. The ideology of survival and prejudice which was "all the rage" of the time only served to inflate these beliefs. As 1 German floated to the top of the debris, through the help of Anton Drexler, he called to arms the many Germans looking for help.
Drexler, initiated the political rise of Hitler, impressed with his hatred for Jews. Hitler admired the fire in Drexler as well and, maybe, would not have persued politics if not for Drexler.
The man, Hitler, did all that he could to lift the hammer and gain the powers of Thor, all while dissecting the Atlantian. He grew very fond of 3 men in particular, an agent named Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker, a scientist named Dr. Heinrich Zemo and a soldier named Johann Schmidt. These 4 men would stop at nothing to create a person so powerful he could easily lift the hammer and fight for the Nazi's.
It was these experiments that provoked the Americans to create a super-soldier as well believing that an army of supers was the SOLE cause behind these experiments.
Major plot points:
Namor is, of course, the Atlantis native. Zemo is the scientist who invents the formula Strucker and Fury drink in order to stay young. In this, Hitler never shoots himself dead. Skull, obsessed with the fuhrer he wants to be him. That meant sleeping with his beloved after stabbing him in the back ala Caeser. It was Skull who kills himself before the Red Army captures him and that is why they burn the bodies, to hide the truth since noone knew of Hitler's death for sure.
Surviving the war, Zemo concocts an elixer of youth for himself and Strucker. Strucker drinks up and kills Zemo. "No man is my equal."
Strucker, as an agent of Hitler, creates HYDRA as an offshoot of the Nazi's.
Somewhere, a preteen boy sits and listen to the news of the war. His mother calls to him to go play outside. "Donald Blake, for crying outloud, you sit and listen to that radio all day. Go to sleep it's late." "But it's raining, Mom, it's raining Mom, you know I can't sleep when it's thundering outside."
Drexler actually died at 57 in 1942 what if he didn't die, just disappeared as we find out he was just another form of Loki.
*****As with the release of Iron Man, Captain America is released to VHS (I noticed I put DVD in Iron Man; oops not around yet;wonder if anyone will catch it) along with a cartoon of Nick Fury: agent of SHEILD. The movie would show 2 missions in WWII with the Howling Commandos but will then take shape several years after WWII and the overwhelming growing strength of HYDRA provokes USA/NATO to create SHEILD with Fury as lead. He catches up with Strucker and takes a swig of the elixer to keep young. however, years have passed since WWII and he's got some wrinkles. He is modeled after and voiced by Berenger and Strucker is Fiennes.
Thomas Jane (age 25) as Captain America
At Ground Zero; Crow
Cap's story is almost identical to the comics. Maybe he injects instead of drinks and injects the serum
Jane is at the ideal age and I looked at many within a certain age range. Cap has to be relatively young yet look battle-worn when leading the Avengers. Jane has that look. He also has the look of a classic actor from that era of tough men from WWII.
Elijah Wood (15) as Bucky Barnes
Huck Finn; The Good Son
Bucky's story is odd in the comics. Why would anyone, never mind Cap, let a child go into war? As much as it pains me the Winter Soldier story was not around so I will work as if the idea never occurred to anyone. With that being said I came up with a slight alteration of his original bio. The child was a stow-away on his fathers battle jet in the beginning of the war. Although his father died in that mission he piloted the plain, and his father's corpse, back to base. Credited as a hero and cared for by many on the base as a way to compensate his loss, the young child became a spokes-child for the war and flew jets in many USO shows becoming an outstanding pilot, perhaps the best of the war.
Overhearing a mission assigned to Cap to be executed ASAP, he volunteered. As it was top secret, and he was the best, he was now the pilot. Dressed in his USO flag-colored fatigues he set off. 1 mission led to another and that's how he fought with Cap. His death was (permanent) the same.
I chose Wood because, at that age, there was no better and more well known young actor. Wood is overlooked as an actor to this day. He also has the ideal look of Bucky.
John Voight (58) as General Phillips
Coming Home; Runaway Train
Although he doesn't resemble the character much he is one of the most credible actors around back then and today. He is the type that doesn't have to be the star and would steal every scene anyway.
Naomi Watts (26) as Peggy Carter
Tank Girl; Children of the Corn
OK, so the pic is Sharon but I couldn't find one of Peggy. Why Watts? She has always caught my attention through stellar acting and beauty.
Toby Stephens (25) as SGT Fury
Orlando; Twelfth Night
The Howling Commandos will be captured and Fury must ride with Cap and Bucky to rescue them. He's not on the inside of things yet, not as privy to the secrets as Sam Jackson today. On the rescue mission he loses his eye.
Toby is pretty close to Berenger in looks and I believe would do his toughness justice, being able to run along side of Cap.
Willem Dafoe (41) as Red Skull
Platoon; Clear and Present Danger
Takes on a SWF-type of obsession I alluded to earlier. At the Battle of Stalingrad (1942), the worst battle for the Germans (true statement) with defeat and retreat being the result, not many were left alive after Hitler got wind of the failure. (not true) Skull is nearly murdered by Hitler until Skull takes it upon himself to show his allegiance. He dips his face into a vat of flesh-eating chemicals. We can here it sizzle and not a sound of pain from him as we watch his face take on the image of a Red Skull.
Dafoe is my pick because he is the villain. Not only can he scare the crap out of anyone but look at his face. He is a skull-faced, bug-eyed evil man. His thin body would balance Jane's Cap-shape.
Ralph Fiennes (34) as Baron Strucker
Schindler's List; Quiz Show
Strucker is an agent/spy for Hitler. After the death of Hitler and Skull he evolves the Nazi Party into HYDRA. He grows ashamed of the manic Hitler and fears the lunacy of Red Skull. He forms a friendship with Zemo until the day Zemo toasts to their equality.
I chose a rather young Fiennes due to the fact that he must always appear young in later films.
Guy Pearce (29) as Baron Zemo
Snowy River; Dating the Enemy
At 1 point I'd like to see Hitler or the other 2 talking with Zemo about Project Hammod. When the "man" is let out of the air tight chamber he bursts into flames. Not like Human Torch but, rather, on fire. Attack Zemo and get shot to death by the other party.
I chose Pearce because I wanted him as Daredevil, Dr. Banner... well, I wanted him in here somewhere.
Dominic West (27) as Namor
True Blue; Surviving Picasso
Cap saves him, he beats a few Nazis and hits the ocean telling Cap he won't forget they are some good humans out there
He looks remarkably like an Anglo-Atalantean and can act in any role
Victor Garber (47) as Hitler
He gets punched by Cap. Red Skull saves him from being killed by Cap/Bucky/Fury (pick your winner).
I chose him and the others based on real people due to resemblance
James Cromwell (56) as President FDR
Romeo is Bleeding; The People vs. Larry Flynt
Christopher Lloyd (58) as Anton Drexler
Taxi; Dennis the Menace; Adams Family; Back to the Future; Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead
Johnny Depp as Drexler/Loki