In an interview with the LA Times, director Joe Johnston reveals the reason why Captain America dons his red, white and blue costume in the WWII-set movie:
"The costume is a flag, but the way we're getting around that is we have Steve Rogers forced into the USO circuit." (USO stands for United Service Organizations, which has a mission to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to US uniformed military personnel). "After he's made into this super-soldier, they decide they can't send him into combat and risk him getting killed – he's the only one and they can't make more. So they say, 'You're going to be in this USO show,' and they give him a flag suit. He can't wait to get out of it. It was never in the comics, because they didn't really need it. In comics, he puts on the costume and the reader just justifies because of the nature of the medium."
"So he's up on stage doing songs and dances with chorus girls and he can't wait to get out and really fight. When he does go AWOL, he covers up the suit but then, after a few things happen, he realizes that this uniform allows him to lead. By then, he's become a star in the public mind and a symbol. The guys get behind him because he embodies something special."
There will also be more than one costume in the film. In the initial USO sequences, Cap will be wearing a version that is closer to the classic Jack Kirby-designed costume, but then later as the super-soldier hits the war zone he will be wearing a sturdier, more muted version that he makes himself that is more like battle togs.
"He realises the value of the uniform symbols but he modifies his suit and adds some armor – it will be closer to the Cap costume in some of the comics in more recent years. This approach, it's the only way we could justify ever seeing him on a screen in tights, with the funny boots and everything. The government essentially puts him up there as a living comic-book character and he rips it off and then reclaims some of its imagery after he recognises the value of it. We think it's the best way to keep the costume and explain it at the same time."
Meanwhile, CHUD is reporting that The Invaders will play an important part in the second half of the movie, according to their interview with Johnston. The Invaders were a team of Second World War superheroes that included Captain America, his sidekick Bucky, Namor The Sub Mariner, The Human Torch and Toro. Johnston claims the Invaders will be six member strong in the movie.
And MovieHole has an interview with Chuck actor Ryan McPartlin which reveals that he could go from playing Captain Awesome to Captain America: "The one thing I can't stand are these actors that are twittering about auditioning for Captain America. It's really tacky. With that said, it is in the casting process and like many other actors, I read for it, so we'll wait and see what happens. Regardless, I'm pretty psyched to be Captain Awesome for the time being.” We reckon he’d be a great choice.
