They just announced it yesterday, but Marvel Studios is now going to finally bring one of their flagship heroes, Captain America, to the big screen. Rumors are already surfacing about who would play the blond super soldier who inspired G.I.s of the 1940s to continue to fight the good fight against the Nazis, and the first name on the list so far also happens to be the same guy in the running to play Magnum P.I., Matthew McConaughey.
The man's blond and in good shape, so he could conceivably play the pinnacle of human physical perfection that is Steve Rogers, a gangly kid who took the "super soldier serum" to become just shy of superhuman in his agility and dexterity. Think steroids without the giant heads, the grotesque musculature, the roid rage or the shrinking genitalia. Could he, however, convincingly play the Superman of the Marvel Universe? The paragon of virtue who always seems to know the right thing to do, and accomplishes the even more difficult task of actually doing it? The keen strategist, the moral compass and the most respected leader of the Avengers? If Robert Downey Jr. can overcome the perceptions of his past to play Iron Man, McConaughey might be able to do the same.
If Marvel knows what's best, they'll have the stones to set The First Avenger: Captain America (there's no need to complicate the title of this film like that, by the way) entirely in World War II. That way, they can either show how he matures from that gangly kid into the dutiful soldier who fights for the ideals of America and not any one government administration. Conversely, they can take a cue from Marvel's "Ultimate" line of books, which reimagined Captain America as much more of a hardass, prone to beating up his problems a bit more often than he should. A skillful blend of both would be ideal, to tone down the 'perfect guy' perception Cap has, but without going overboard and losing his moral center.
When written well, Captain America can be a lot more awesome than people give him credit for. McConaughey could probably do a capable job. Just as long as they don't cast Channing Tatum.
