Simply Everything

By Peter K. Lam

Chris Evans Confirmed for Captain America!

I wrote a blog about Chris Evans being offered the role of Captain America yesterday and it now appears that he accepted! Newsarama reports that Chris Evans has accepted the offer and he joins a select few actors who have gotten to play more than one Marvel character.

I think this is a good move for the franchise. Marvel is trying to build a cast for the Avengers and adding Chris Evans to the mix will definitely mesh well with all the other actors.

So, as of now, we have Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. I don’t know who else will be part of the Avengers team but this cast is looking good so far!

By Peter K. Lam

Chris Evans as Captain America?

The Hollywood Reporter has exclusive news that Chris Evans has been offered the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the upcoming Marvel Entertainment movie, “Captain America.” Chris Evans is no stranger to movies based on comic books and graphic novels. He was in the first two Fantastic Four movies, and will be starring in DC’s “The Losers” which will be in theaters Spring 2010. The problem right now is that Chris Evans is schedule to film called “What’s Your Number?” this summer but if he accepts the starring role for “Captain America,” he will also have to start shooting for that this summer as well. Both sides have yet to comment on the latest developments.

I think that Chris Evans would be great as Captain America. He definitely has the look for the role. Captain America is supposed to be an all-American looking guy who most people can relate to. He’s kind of your average guy with a superheroic side. Chris Evans definitely has that all-American wholesome goodness. He looks like a typical guy from the midwest which is probably the look Marvel was going after.

I believe that the story for the movie will follow the origins of Captain America from when he was scrawny Steve Rogers into brawny super soldier, Captain America. If Chris Evans accepts this role, he will be starring in at least three “Captain America” movies, the “Avengers” and probably a few other Marvel movies. Chris Evans will work perfectly into the crossover movies. His appearance kind of fits well with the rest of the cast that’s building for the “Avengers.”

So at this point there has been no response on if he’ll accept the offer but I really hope he does. The other choices for the role (ie John Krasinski, Michael Vogel, Channing Tatum, et al.) might not fit well with the rest of the cast that Marvel is trying to assemble. Michael Vogel would be my next choice should Chris Evans opts out. Now it’s time to wait and see…

By Peter K. Lam

Disney Acquires Marvel for $4 Billion

I was surprised by the announcement of the Disney/Marvel merger earlier today. It came out of left field. I think many people in the comic book industry had no idea this was in the works. Marvel Entertainment has been doing pretty well with its growing film franchises based on their popular and well-known characters. With the establishment of Marvel Studios to oversee the film production, one would assume that Marvel had no intent of selling their business to another corporation. What’s done is done I suppose. So what does this merger actually mean for Marvel’s business and the fans?

From a business standpoint, Marvel made a smart move. Merging with Disney will only strengthen their brand. Now with Disney as their financial backbone, Marvel will have longevity and the ability to further expand their brand and reach an even greater audience. Disney is a powerhouse and so is Marvel in its own right. Combining their businesses will probably increase overall revenue in the long run for all parties involved.

For the fans, this may be seen as good or bad news. Disney is a very family oriented business developing such projects like Lion King, Snow White, and others. How will a company with this kind of track record deal with inherently violent and gorey Marvel films like Blade and Punisher?

Disney used to own Dimension Films which had the original Scream franchise. One would hope that Disney will once again take a step back and allow creators do their jobs without interference. The worst possible thing would be for Disney to get involved in the creation of the Marvel films and possible screw it all up. If they step back like they did while they own Dimension Films, this merger will be a good thing for everyone. If they do get involved in the creative process for the Marvel films, I fear that the essence of what make Marvel films great will be lost.

It was also reported that current Marvel Entertainment CEO, Ike Perlmutter, will continue to oversee operations after the merger. This is a good sign in my eyes. Hopefully this means that Disney will allow Marvel to operate pretty much as it always has but now with a powerful financial backing that was missing before.