He doesn’t look a day over 35! But one of Marvel’s earliest champions, Captain America is still going strong nearly 75 years after his comic book debut and is more popular than ever! In honor of Cap’s milestone, ABC will broadcast a special one-hour retrospective on January 19th, at 9pm, just prior to the Season Two premier of ‘Agent Carter’. The special is called ‘Marvel’s Captain America: 75 Heroic Years’ and will feature commentary by the man who embodies him on the big screen, Chris Evans, as well as a bevvy of comic book insiders and Hollywood stars.
Contributors include Marvel’s Chairman In Emeritus Stan Lee; Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, and Chloe Bennet; Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb; Marvel co-president Louis D’Esposito; ‘Agent Carter’ herself actress Hayley Atwell; and family members of Cap’s creators, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ opens on May 6th, 2016 and ABC promises that the special will “unveil an exclusive announcement from Marvel Comics,” which will surely have something to do with that release.
As described in the press release, ‘Marvel’s Captain America: 75 Heroic Years’ “follows the history of Captain America from 1941 to present and explores how the character has been a reflection of the changing times and the world he has existed in throughout the years.”
Indeed, Cap has rolled with the times. He came to patriotic life just as the United States entered World War II, inside a comic housed beneath a cover depicting him brazenly socking Adolph Hitler in the face! After being frozen and thawed out in the 60s, during the Watergate Era, he became disillusioned and abandoned his star-spangled identity, becoming Nomad, the man without a country. During the no-nonsense Reagan Era, Steve Rogers once again gave up his identity when the government wanted a more aggressive brand of justice. John Walker assumed the identity as a violent vigilante that could have easily fit in with 80s action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Charles Bronson.
Most recently, the title of Captain America was adopted by Sam Wilson, Rogers’ longtime partner who is African American and has found himself opposing anti-immigration bigots… and been attacked by FOX News in REAL LIFE!
But Cap leapt from the comics page onto the big screen in 2011 in the blockbuster ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ with Evans as Cap and Hayley Atwell as his true love Peggy Carter– a character so popular she now headlines her own show. Evans has reprised the role in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ and the two ‘Avengers’ movies. Next summer’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ is one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
What’s your favorite Captain America era? Are you excited to see this 75th birthday celebration?
Source: Entertainment Weekly