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Seven Fascinating Things You Probably Don't Know About 'Captain America: The First Avenger' [List]

Here are seven fascinating things you may not know about Captain America: The First Avenger. Millions have seen the blockbuster film Captain America, but there are still new things to learn.

While I've seen it a bunch of times, did you know that Hayley Atwell grabbed some breast in the film? Captain America rode a motorcycle with a fitting name. What was it? Was Red Skull's accent intentionally mad? Why wasn't co-creator Joe Simon in the film?

Read on to learn seven fascinating facts about Captain America: The First Avenger

1. Rogers Really DID Use a Body Double

Many, including IMDb say that Steve Roger's skinny body is all Chris Evans. This is partly true. They used computers to digitally shrink Evans as Steve Rogers, but they used a body double for scenes when he was lying down or standing still.

"They would use a smaller guy...for reference points as far as what things like clothing looked like on a skinnier person," Evans said. "But there are only two or three shots in the film that are actually my head on a smaller body. Anytime my body is static, sitting in a car or lying on a table, they would do head replacement. But if there's any kind of body action, it's all me."

The "smaller guy" is Leander Deeny, an English stage actor, director and author of children's books. He's listed in the credits, along with playing the barman.

“Leander is the unsung hero of this,” Edson Williams, visual effects supervisor for Lola, told The Wrap. “He was very dedicated and he was very aware of mimicking Chris’ timing. He wasn’t trying to get his performance out there. It’s his biggest credit and it’s a role where you never see his face."

In an interview with actress Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Atwood, she said, "He is a very intelligent, well-respected theater actor.
"What was amazing, physically, was watching him watch the monitors when Chris Evans would do a take. He would then mimic every single move, even the breathing. They would do certain takes, and if you could see the breath in his face, you could see the breath in his chest, at the same time. That is the kind of detail that Leander Deeny put into it.
"He knows he is a skinny guy. He is self aware, but I don't think he has a complex about it. He is very comfortable in his own skin. He is a performer, and he is really good at what he does."
Reference: capesonfilm

2. The First Thing Hayley Did When She Saw Chris' Chest Was Grab It.

The scene in the film when Rogers steps out of the chamber was the first time she had seen Chris without his shirt on. It was pumped up and covered in baby oil. She said her first reaction was to "grab his breast" to make sure it was "real."
Reference: Tribute Films

3. Captain America Rode A "Liberator"

Captain America's motorcycle is a modified Harley-Davidson Cross Bones. The studio originally wanted a 1942 WLA Army motorcycle, but they no longer exist.

It was based on an existing civilian model, the WL. Fittingly, the nickname of the bike was the "Liberator" and Steve uses it to rescue the POWs from the camp.
References: Fox News AutoBlog

4. Hugo Weaving Chose Werner Herzog As His Voice Because It Was "Wonderfully Mad"
When Hugo Weaving played the villain "Red Skull" his distinctive German accent was based on two people: Werner Herzog and Klaus Maria Brandauer. He leaned more towards the German director Werner Herzog. Weaving said, "The more I listened to Werner Herzog, the more I found him amusing … there's something kind of wonderfully mad about him."

Herzog's voice-overs are legendary in the industry as his films Bad Lieutenant, Grizzly Man, and Rescue Dawn. Ryan Iverson, creator of "Werner Herzog Reads Curious George" called it "that authoritative, avuncular Bavarian sound."

If you've never heard Herzog before watch the video below.

Reference: Comic Book Movie

5. Red Skull's Makeup Was Light, But His Coat Was Heavy

There were a total of seven thin silicon make-up appliances to Hugo Weaving to make his face look like it was a red-colored skull.

The make-up designer David White told Shockya, "The Red Skull prosthetic was broken down into a total of seven pieces. This was to make the application process as clean as possible; it’s easier to glue down, and helps with the movement. The thinner the prosthetic, the more difficult it is to apply. Hugo’s makeup was very, very thin in areas."

On the other hand, his coat weighed over 22 pounds.

"If you look at Red Skull, this coat weighs a ton," Wardrobe designer Anna Sheppard said, "I wanted leather, and this is the kind of leather that is thinnest, but still works in this, but it’s such a construction to follow the design that it’s unbelievable. It’s probably about 10 Kg. It looks OK on the mannequin, but poor Hugo... really feels the weight."
Reference: Superherohype, Shockya

6. The Director of the Worst Captain America Film Claims It Could Have Saved By CGI

Captain America: The First Avenger is technically the sixth film adaptation of the comic book hero. A film made in 1990 is widely regarded as the worst film ever made about the Star-Spangled Avenger.

To prevent the shift in perception from switching actors, director Albert Pyun hired one actor to play both Steve Rogers and Captain America. While Matt Sallinger had a reasonably good body, it was impossible for him to play the weak Rogers and the muscle-bound super-soldier convincingly.

Director Joe Johnston had the same dilemma and solved it with computers. Pyun said, "It’s interesting to see how the availability of CG really solves a lot of the challenges I had, like the shield and the transformation."

While this would have solved technical problems, it wouldn't have solved the script described by "Entertainment Weekly" as a "shapeless blob of a plot".
Reference: LasVegasWeekly, Entertainment Weekly

7. Stan Lee Had a Cameo, But Co-creator Joe Simon Did Not

The answer of who created a Marvel character always ends with Stan Lee saying he created it. However, since he always worked closely with artists and others, there's always a vigorous debate.

A name that doesn't come up much is co-creator Joe Simon. Lee himself said, "Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s Captain America was the first comic I read that made me feel like I was watching an exciting action movie."

So, since smiling Stan Lee had a cameo in the film why didn't Joe Simon?

There are many conspiracy theories claiming Marvel gave Lee preferential treatment and they're right. But, the simplest answer is that Kirby is 98 and can't travel much. The studio invited him to tour the London film set and attend the Los Angeles premier, but he declined.

They set up a private screening for Simon to attend. He couldn't hear much because of poor hearing, but remarked, "that was okay because there was plenty of action".
Reference: KirbyMuseum

Which fact surprised you about the film? Is there a surprising fact about Captain America: The First Avenger you'd like to share?
[Image Source: imdb]
Update: Grammar changes


  1. Chris Evans needed to be nude in this for me to fully get the Captain America experience.

  2. Most surprising? Herzog reading Curious George!
    I feel for Hugo - that's a heavy coat and he's not a really big dude.

  3. Beside agreeing with the first comment here :) I'm also fascinated with the fact that Chris Evans got only 300,000 dollars to star in this one. I thought he is getting more money for his films.

  4. That Curious George video is unintentinally funny.


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