Two photos and the internet goes ablaze. Not surprising really. Captain America starring Chris Evans, and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull opens on July 22. Below is the first good pic of Evans in costume from the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. I like it. Like The Ultimates version, plus the more realistic versions that Marvel have been showing in their WWII era comics in the last couple of years, with the wings gone and more pouches. He looks like a patriotic soldier.

Also released today was the first official pic of next year’s Spider-Man reboot. Sure it’s 18 months early, but it’s a good way to start the buzz now. Here’s what I think about the new Spidey costume, as seen worn by actor Andrew Garfield (The Social Network).

1. It has to distance itself from the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films. Sony don’t want people thinking this is Spider-Man 4, seeing as it will be released only 5 years after Spider-Man 3.

2. Gone is the raised silver webbing. I never understood that. I suppose perhaps it made sense from a lighting point of view, and on Venom in Spidey 3, but Peter Parker was supposed to have made the costume himself. In reality, each suit cost $100, 000. On the DVD of the first Spider-Man film from 2002 is a brief clip of some CGI test footage of Spidey climbing a wall. There’s no silver webbing on the costume, and it looks great. Why they dismissed that approach is due to Hollywood logic, but if you see the alternate Green Goblin costumes and wonder why they chose the laughable final version, it’s fitting I guess.

3. It distances itself from the Turn Off The Dark musical costume, which wisely Sony don’t want to be associated with.

4. It’s a subtle redesign from the original, and still used (mostly) comics one. Of course we don’t know what the mask looks like yet (or the boots), but at least this is sleeker and thus more given to acrobatic manoeuvres (especially as it’ll be in 3D). It has simple lines, almost motocross-styled gloves, slightly darker colours and spider emblem legs that go all the way through to his waist. Minor alterations and still recognisably Spidey.

5. Sony execs will surely be watching the internettery light up with comments, but it may be too late to change anything even if they wanted to.

6. Web shooters! Possibly, as shown here, there’s gold, metallic elements under his wrists. That is awesome. I never liked Raimi’s change from web shooters, made from Parker’s scientific skills, into the organic variety.

January 14, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: Captain America, Spider-Man . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments