Marvel signs Joe Johnston to direct Captain America

After years of talks, Marvel Studios has officially hired Joe Johnston to direct First Avenger: Captain America, part of an ambitious slate of major comic adaptations the studio is set to finance over the next several years.

The character has been around in various forms since 1941 and is a member of the Avengers, another high-profile series in development. The announcement that the studio had hired Johnston, mostly recently the director of Hidalgo, was meant with disappointment by fans.

Although never an acclaimed filmmaker, Johnston is a Hollywood veteran, with credits that include October Sky and Jumanji and go back as far as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Still, there has been been the requisite complaints that Johnston is a slight choice to sculpt a new franchise, which may or may not be justified. After all, the same could once be said of Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man, whose previous credits had topped out with Zathura and Elf. The Iron Man brand, of course, has turned into one of the most valued contemporary franchises.

Johnston is also widely credited for saving Universal’s wayward reboot of The Wolf Man, which burned through directors before Johnston finally came on board. Now a done deal, that movie is set for an April release.

Whatever the case, fans will keep a rabid eye on the production as it progresses through development, which should be swift. First Avenger: Captain America is set to open May 6, 2011.

Related links:
News: Marvel links with Paramount; Iron Man 2, more on the way
News: Jon Favreau spills beans about Avengers line-up
News: In wake of Iron Man's millions, Marvel piles up future films

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