Here’s some news that’s sent the nerdosphere’s collective heart aflutter. Major movie star / minor writer/director / film festival mogul Robert Redford might end up having a role in the Captain America sequel.
Deadline reports that he’s “in discussions” with Marvel, which, contrary to what some other sites are reporting, is no guarantee that he’ll actually take the part.
Redford is being courted for a role as a member of the “senior leadership” of S.H.I.E.L.D., the military / espionage / superhero organization that directs the actions of the various major players in the Marvel cinematic universe. So he’d be Nick Fury’s boss, presumably. That’s pretty cool.
Studios adore snagging respectable actors for their blockbusters, since it lends an air of “legitimacy” to their extremely silly stories about people in spandex suits punching each other through buildings. They’ve been doing it since the very beginning – why else seek out Marlon Brando for Superman?
It’ll be interesting to see whether this becomes a recurring gig in the Marvel universe for Redford, or if his character will be killed off by the end of this film. We’ll find out when Captain America: The Winter Soldier is released on April 4th, 2014.
