Rumor Control: Chris Pine As New Captain America? – Unlikely

There is a new rumor sweeping across the Interweb this weekend, and it is yet another Chris Pine casting thing. Since the actor hit the big time after his performance as James T. Kirk in 2009’s Star Trek, Pine’s name seems to get attached to every big new project in Hollywood. This time the rumor is that he will be the new Captain America, however comments from the film’s director cast some doubt on this one.

 

Pine as Captain America?

The rumor sweeping around the film and genre sites this weekend started at Cinemaspy, which reported that an anonymous tipster told them that Chris Pine is the "frontrunner" on the short list for the actor to play Steve Rogers/Captain America in the upcoming Paramount movie The First Avenger: Captain America. Cinemaspy admits that this was sent into them as an unverified tip and they have "no way to authenticate it."

This is not the first time Pine’s name has come up with regards to a big project. In the past there was buzz and rumors about Chris Pine being cast in the new A-Team movie and as the new Green Lantern. Pine was recently tapped to be the next Jack Ryan, which is yet another Paramount franchise he will be heading up. So it is no surprise that Pine’s name gets floated as a rumor, and in all likelihood his name gets thrown around at casting meetings in Hollywood all the time as he is one of a small group of hot young actors.

Director looking for an unknown

However, it doesn’t appear that he is the kind of actor the director of  The First Avenger: Captain America is looking for. Director Joe Johnston has said that he wants an American for the role (and Pine does qualify for that), however he has also made it clear that he wants an ‘unknown’. Courtesy of Collider, here are some comments from Johnston from the Wolfman a press conference last week.

Q: With the casting [Captain America], is it about finding the right person, or does it have to be a big name star?

Joe: No, we’re looking for a complete unknown.

Q: So, it won’t be a movie star in the part?

Joe: I hope not. I hope it’ll be somebody that we discover. He’s probably been in something, but you won’t know who he is. You won’t recognize him. And, we’ll surround him with more prominent names. That’s who we’re looking for. Will we find him? I don’t know. It’s tough.

Although you could argue that Pine was an ‘unknown’ before May 2009, that ship has sailed. Pine headlined one of the biggest movies of 2009 and has been featured on numerous magazine covers. He can barely get a cup of coffee these days without being hassled by the paparazzi. Pine is already co-starring with Denzel Washington in a the next big Tony Scott action movie, Unstoppable, now in post-production. And as noted before, he will be appearing in the next Star Trek movie and the upcoming Jack Ryan movies. Chris Pine certainly does not meet the director’s criteria of being a "complete unknown" that they "discover". Regardless, casting will be completed on the film by March 1st, and so we will know by then for sure, if not sooner.

17 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Thank god.

Such a very, very difficult character to cast right, and even more difficult to write and direct for. In clumsy hands, Cap will be buffoonish, or repulsive, or treacly or preachy or just fluffy and ridiculous. He bears all the difficulties of superman with an added minefield of bonus potential jingoism. Tough, tough character in any medium.

Please lets not water our Captain down.
Putting him in too many genre films I think might not be a good idea

I, for one, hope they get the Captain America movie right.

At this point casting Pine would be like casting Matt Damon, the actor might overshadow the whole thing.

I like Joe Johnston’s idea. It worked for Star Trek.

JENSEN ACKLES!!

JENSEN ACKLES!!!

He deserves it. Kid has potential to be the next Harrison Ford!

4

Yes, I hope they get it right. Whoever they cast. I want this one to be good.

cant wait for captain america
they should go with an unknown, i guess Robert Downey jr was fairly unknown before Iron Man and Helmsworth is as Thor fairly unknown.

Iron Man 2, Thor, Cap and Avengers are going to be great series of films.

woah woah woah, Robert Downy Jr was by no means fairly unknown before Iron Man. Just wanted to state that.

Yeah, really, dude. I am currently agreeing with number 8. RDJ is by absolutely NO MEANS unknown. Now, if you meant unexpected? Than yes, the casting of RDJ as Iron Man was fairly unsuspecting. But no, RDJ was NOT an unknown. Hemsworth? Yeah, he is. And I hope he does good. I liked him in the first 10 mins or whatev it was in STAR TREK.

in slight defence of number 7,
ive known of downey jr from growing up in the brat pack period, but im actually sat here thinking of a relativly well known film he has done since, air america and chaplin( in which he was awsome by the way, in my opinion) before it actually clicked in film studios heads that the guy has matured into a excellent actor and then cast him in iron man, tropic thunder and sherlock holmes( he’s good in that but the film is pants, again my opinion)
so if youve grown up in during his downeyside period, then fair enough, he well not be that well known to you. of course 7 could be older than me and also someone may mention a really well known film he was in that i forgot about and all this means nothing.

Pine already plays Captain America…aka James T. Kirk! Kirk has always embodied the spirit of America…the cowboy-meets-diplomat attitude!

And NO anthony that is NOT political trolling, just to head off that potential issue…what ive said above is the reason Roddenberry originated Kirk as an alternative to Pike, who the studios felt wasnt charismatic and gung-ho enough for 60s TV…

ANYWAYS…Great to see Pine getting all these offers or even rumored offers:) Pine could become one of those legendary stars that chart the course of movies for decades to come:) GO PINEY!!!:) <—LOL!!!

Pine would make a great Cap! =D

GO MARVEL!!

#7 says “i guess Robert Downey jr was fairly unknown before Iron Man”

What?

Pre-Iron Man RDJ was more infamous than famous. And before being notorious, he had notoriety, as mentioned above, as an Academy Award nominated actor and a bratpacker. He even did a year on Saturday Night Live!

I’m sorry Chris Hemsworth was cast as Thor first. I think HE would’ve been a great Captain America. Except for the fact he’s not American. Oh well.

He’s too old now, but Robert Redford would have made a great Captain America back in the day.

sure good for him, I just hope this doesn’t interfere with him acting as Kirk for the next Star Trek movie[s]

15

Hey, Redford was a good-looking dude when he was younger, but still….with that beak of a nose on him? Maybe Hawkman instead!