Weaving to don the Red Skull

While much of the hype surrounding Marvel and Joe Johnston's First Avenger: Captain America flick has concentrated on who will play the titular hero , the studio have quietly been setting about casting the project’s villain, Red Skull.

And news has emerged today that none other than Hugo Weaving is tipped for the part.

In the comics, the character’s real name is Johann Schmidt, and his knowledge of terrorism and sabotage lead to him working with Hitler in 1941.

He becomes an effective figurehead for Nazi propaganda thanks to his red skull mask, which eventually leads to many confrontations with Captain America throughout World War II. Skull aside, his USP is the fact that, despite having no super powers, his genius smarts make him a formidable foe.

Weaving’s reportedly just about to sign the contract, while negotiations are at a critical stage.

His involvement definitely gives us hope that the folks at Marvel will make the right choice when it comes to casting America. Weaving is a perfect fit for the Red Skull, boasting both the physical wiles and mental agility required to play such a conniving, malicious villain.

We expect news of America’s casting is just around the corner.

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Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.