DBWI: Joel Schumacher doesn't direct Captain America

1990's Captain America, directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Stan Hey, is certainly one of Marvel's classics, if not a pretty good, fun predecessor to the MCMU [1]. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a brilliant actor for Cap, accent or not, and it even inspired the film's iconic subplot of internment during the war; so much so he was actually nominated for an Oscar (among four others the film got).

However, things could have been a lot different. When the film rights were purchased by Cannon in 1984, Death Wish director Michael Winner was attached to direct, but creative differences and usual studio mess-ups led to Winner dropping out, among the directors. Joseph Sargent, Albert Pyun, and Tobe Hooper were among those floated around, but ultimately Schumacher got the director's chair

What if Schumacher never got to or turned down Captain America? Would Marvel have gone down, particularly on the silver screen?

[1] Marvel Comics Movie Universe

Batman Forever is directed by a then-obscure Brad Bird in this timeline.

For the record, Captain America here is not just Batman Forever in Marvel's clothing. Red Skull (much older here) is played by Alec Guiness. The oscar nomination comes from both his fish out of water nature and how Cap (renamed Sven Rogenstein here) was involved in the internment of german and japanese-americans, including his own family, and reacts in silent horror when he learns what has happened to them, specifically beaten by guards to near death.)
 
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1990's Captain America, directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Stan Hey, is certainly one of Marvel's classics, if not a pretty good, fun predecessor to the MCMU [1]. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a brilliant actor for Cap, accent or not, and it even inspired the film's iconic subplot of internment during the war; so much so he was actually nominated for an Oscar (among four others the film got).

However, things could have been a lot different. When the film rights were purchased by Cannon in 1984, Death Wish director Michael Winner was attached to direct, but creative differences and usual studio mess-ups led to Winner dropping out, among the directors. Joseph Sargent, Albert Pyun, and Tobe Hooper were among those floated around, but ultimately Schumacher got the director's chair

What if Schumacher never got to or turned down Captain America? Would Marvel have gone down, particularly on the silver screen?

[1] Marvel Comics Movie Universe

Batman Forever is directed by a then-obscure Brad Bird in this timeline.

Why he got nominated for an Oscar is beyond me. Schwarzenegger just didn't loot good in that outfit, which had nipples on it for some reason. IMO Captain America is a dud, like the even worse sequel from 1992 it's over-the-top, obnoxious, and boring. Tommy Lee Jones was an awful Red Skull and the special effects are cheap.

I guess if the movie hadn't been made, there'd be less late night jokes about Captain America being the Governor of California in 2003.
 

Dolan

Banned
Why he got nominated for an Oscar is beyond me. Schwarzenegger just didn't loot good in that outfit, which had nipples on it for some reason. IMO Captain America is a dud, like the even worse sequel from 1992 it's over-the-top, obnoxious, and boring. Tommy Lee Jones was an awful Red Skull and the special effects are cheap.
It's kind of split opinion though, Schwarzenegger's "Realistic Bodybuilder" Cap Costume, and Tommy Lee Jones contrasting with sissy, effeminate Red Skull was either received as loved (by half of the audience), or loathed (by another half of the audience).

Yes it was over-the-top, but Captain America was indeed marking the return of slapstick comedy as mainstay of mainstream movies, like it or not. Plus the way Red Skull spanked Bucky is either deemed too seductive and gay, or extremely hilarious.
 
While the movie is certainly a key part of history and thus development of the MU, it... shows it's age. It's simplistic campy fun when even then most people wanted bigger things, and it plays into a lot of stereotypes I'm uncomfortable with.
Which is why DC has dominated the movies. A diverse set of genres (detective fiction in Gotham, Tragedies and High Fantasy for ww, and a more lighthearted philosophy action flick from Supes) and perfect casting are important, but Marvel made parodies of the superhero genre when
-it was still niche
-and when it was still forming cinematically

Basically marvel shot themselves in the hand with the lessons Joel gave them. But Disney bought them and gave us the Spectacular Spider-Man, so I'm happy
 
(OOC: For the record, Captain America here is not just Batman Forever in Marvel's clothing. Red Skull (much older here) is played by Alec Guiness. The oscar nomination comes from both his fish out of water nature and how Cap (renamed Sven Rogenstein here) was involved in the internment of german and japanese-americans, including his own family, and reacts in silent horror when he learns what has happened to them, specifically beaten by guards to near death.)
 
While the movie is certainly a key part of history and thus development of the MU, it... shows it's age. It's simplistic campy fun when even then most people wanted bigger things, and it plays into a lot of stereotypes I'm uncomfortable with.
Which is why DC has dominated the movies. A diverse set of genres (detective fiction in Gotham, Tragedies and High Fantasy for ww, and a more lighthearted philosophy action flick from Supes) and perfect casting are important, but Marvel made parodies of the superhero genre when
-it was still niche
-and when it was still forming cinematically

Basically marvel shot themselves in the hand with the lessons Joel gave them. But Disney bought them and gave us the Spectacular Spider-Man, so I'm happy

James Cameron did a great job with Spiderman. After Batman Forever crashed and burned, Spiderman helped revive the superhero genre. IIRC Cameron wanted Schwarzenegger to do a cameo in Spiderman, but after the embarrassment that was Captain America II he had no interest in returning to the role. The Worst Director Razzie that Schumacher won for Captain America II was well deserved...
 
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