Joe Johnston helming Captain America

The First Avenger has a director

Nov 11th 2008 By Total Film

Joe Johnston is the man that Marvel Studios has picked to bring iconic superhero Steve Rogers to life in The First Avenger: Captain America.

Johnston, who is hard at work finishing up The Wolfman for Universal, will move on to start work on the Cap’s new big screen adventure early next year

He’ll need to gear up as quickly as possible, reports Variety, since the movie already has a release date set for 6th May 2011 in the US.

Avengers assembled

First priority (assuming the studio hasn’t already locked him down and is holding the news for another announcement) will be casting its leading man. America’s also schedule to appear in The Avengers, which is scheduled for summer 2011.

So whoever gets the gig will be busy. For those who’ve never read a Captain America comic, the story finds young Steve Rogers volunteering for a super soldier program originally launched during World War Two.

The Cap’s shield was briefly spotted in Iron Man and he’s rumoured to show up frozen in ice in a deleted Incredible Hulk scene. He’s like the Where’s Wally of superheroes, that one…