Here we go again, Channing Tatum’s name is now also being thrown into the mix for the lead role in Joe Johnston’s “The First Avenger: Captain America.”
The film currently has a June production start date, a tentative release date of July next year and even a villain with Hugo Weaving attached to play Red Skull but still no leading man.
Tatum’s link to the film though seemingly confirms our suspicions that perennial cheapskates Marvel are actually opening their wallets with more audience familiar names and faces like Tatum, Ryan Phillipe and Chris Evans being added to the previous list of unproven cinematic talents including John Krasinski, Mike Vogel and even another new name Wilson Bethel (Btw, EW says “Tron” star Garrett Hedlund is now out of the running).
With careers trajectories that are unfortunately heading the wrong direction, Phillipe and Evans, have likely broken the 300K figure regardless and Tatum is just starting to hit his stride. The actor broke the box-office run of “Avatar” with the drippy romance film “Dear John,” should be filming Steven Soderbergh’s “Knockout” at the moment, is due to shoot Dito Montiel’s “Son Of No One” with Al Pacino, Ray Liotta, Terrence Howard and James Gandolfini next and has Kevin MacDonald’s “Eagle Of The Ninth” due for release this fall.
He’s definitely hot right now and actually has the aura and physicality of a superhero which has us thinking he might do what Chris Hemsworth did with “Thor” — swoop in at the last minute to win the role. But then again, his presence in “G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra” was virtually non-existent. At the very least, Marvel do seem to have woken up from their dream. Krasinski, really?
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Marvel has begun the search for love interest, Betsy Ross, saying that Keira Knightley has already been approached for the role. However, the studio is still looking at other actresses for the part. As we previously reported, Krasinski — in the brief moment he was the “virtual lock” for the role — was apparently already reading against potential female leads. Knightley was approached last week and you can bet she wasn’t the only one. We’re sure the names will start leaking like busted plumbing over the next couple of days.
UPDATE: That didn’t take long did it? Along with Knightley, fellow Brits Emily Blunt and Alice Eve are also reportedly being considered for the part of the female lead. The role is now being touted as a character named Peggy instead of Betsy Ross, possibly referring to Peggy Carter, a WWI girlfriend of Steve Rogers’ who herself is an “American agent serving with the French Resistance with standard military training and is handy with a gun.”
Blunt was notably set to play Black Widow in Marvel’s “Iron Man 2” before having an option exercised by Fox which meant she had to withdraw to star in “Gulliver’s Travels.” Both parties would likely be ruing that past opportunity which should put Blunt in good stead for this role should she want it, right?
