Have Marvel forgotten to announce the Captain Britain Movie?

With all the latest film news from Marvel causing a lot of excitement fans of Captain Britain are wandering when it will announced that the popular UK hero will get the movie treatment. Sadly it seems Cap isn’t on Marvel’s movie radar and he might never grace the silver screen, even though his story and character would appeal to superhero film fans worldwide.

But why is there no chance of a Captain Britain film being made, and what are the supposed barriers that are stopping it?

Join me now for a look at why a Cap film could just be the next Hollywood blockbuster, and how the alleged barriers to its completion are nothing that can’t be easily overcome.

Before we get into the article take time to appreciate this imaginary Captain Britain film poster from DubiousAJ.

The first major barrier to be overcome for a Captain Britain movie and one I commonly encounter is people saying just how will a UK super hero movie appeal to non-Brits? This always makes me quite confused as to me it’s like saying Europeans wouldn’t watch a Captain America movie because they are not American, whereas cinematic history proves that people will not ignore a film just because it doesn’t primarily feature heroes from their native country. Other UK heroes such as Blade, Robin Hood, Thunderbirds and many more have had international appeal, so I feel it’s wrong to say a Captain Britain film would only appeal to a UK audience.

The next barrier to a decent Cap film is just what would the plot be and how much respect should it pay to the original source material? I discussed some of this here in my previous thoughts on a Captain Britain move and re-reading the article I find myself still of the same view in that source material should be honoured but should never stand in the way of a good story.

Take for example the origin of Captain Britain, all good super hero movies to me have to start with a solid origin story and often this is linked into the main plot of the film, like the Joker killing Batman’s parents and starting him onto the path of caped crusader. Captain Britain’s origin is a double-edged sword in that it successfully propels him into being a believable hero but its roots are firmly wedged in UK folklore which may not be easily digested by all who got to see the film. Here is where the filmmakers shouldn’t be afraid to tone down Cap’s origin if they feel its heavy UK flavour might be off-putting, I personally wouldn’t change a single line of dialogue but sometimes if you want your hero in a movie you have to accept minor changes.

Captain Britain in the Avengers by DubiousAJ

The last barrier to a Captain Britain movie is the casting, as superhero films live or die based on which actor dons the spandex of the hero and who fills the villain’s boots. Hollywood likes big names to draw in audiences and increase box office revenue, but would Marvel take that risk with a Captain Britain movie, or if it had a relatively low-budget could they even afford to cast someone famous? Previously I have been in favour of Benedict Cumberbatch playing Captain Britain and I still hold by this view-point, though I think David Tennant could give him a run for his money as well. All I know is Captain Britain needs an actor who understands the character and as long as they can do a passable English accent it doesn’t matter if the are from the UK or not, the lines could always be dubbed over afterwards just so we don’t get Dick Van Dyke instead of Brian Braddock.

Hell, people are even calling for Stephen Fry to take the role thanks to this picture.

Though I agree with @MothTwiceborn in that he would make a better Merlyn.

So there you have it my thoughts on how a Captain Britain movie could easily be the next big Marvel success. Would you like to see a Cap movie, who do you think should direct or star in it and what plot from Cap’s past might make a good film?

Let me know in the comments below.

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