In Semi-Related News, Sun Rises In East, Sets In West
Bit by bit, we’re moving towards the hugely ambitious endgame of the first wave of Marvel‘s self-produced pictures. We’ve had two “Iron Man” films and an “Incredible Hulk,” and they’re soon to be joined by “Thor” (look out for our review coming in the next 24 hours) and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” while “The Avengers,” the Joss Whedon-helmed epic that’ll team the heroes of all four franchises, starts filming this very day, ahead of its release a year from now.
Marvel’s plan is so ambitious that many of the actors involved in these pictures have been signed with options for as many as nine films, first among them being Samuel L. Jackson, who’s already cropped up in both “Iron Man” pictures as Nick Fury, the director of shadowy government agency S.H.I.E.L.D — a character originally modelled, in Marvel’s Ultimate universe, on the actor himself. He may or may not be cropping up in “Thor” (we’re not going to confirm anything this close to release, but the info’s out there if you care to look), he’s got a central role in “The Avengers,” and it now seems that Fury will also rear his eye-patched head in “Captain America,” despite it being predominately set in the 1940s.
Comic Book Movie has pictures from Times Square, where filming with Chris Evans, who’s playing Captain America, and Samuel L. Jackson, took place on a Marvel project in the last few days. Jackson’s in his Nick Fury get-up, Evans is in a white t-shirt and cargo pants, and the setting seems to firmly be the present day, which led to speculation that the scene could be part of “The Avengers,” rather than “Captain America.” However, another image from the set shows the presence of “Captain America: The First Avenger” director Joe Johnston, confirming that the shoot is for July’s big superhero flick.
Considering the present-day background, and that the shoot wasn’t part of the main schedule, it seems more than likely that the scene will be a post-credits sting, much as Jackson’s surprise appearance in the original “Iron Man” was, and that it’ll bridge the gap between the main World War Two storyline of Evans’ debut as Steve Rogers, and the more contemporary action of “The Avengers.” We’ll find out for sure when “Captain America: The First Avenger” opens on July 22nd.
In related news, if you’ve always dreamed of following in the footsteps of the likes of Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders into second-string supporting roles in superhero movies, you can now sign up for Fury’s agency at JoinSHIELD.com . Of course it’s all some excuse to sell you a car, and a ticket to “Thor,” but we’re sure the hardcore Marvel nerds will get something out of it. 
