Will Smith Is Not Captain America (Probably)

Ladies and gentlemen, you can put off the awkward self-examination of your racism for another day, as AICN talked to Marvel, and Marvel denies offering Smith the role of Captain America, or even talking to Smith. Shockingly, it may be true that Derek Luke?the actor we’d never heard of?is not the Hollywood know-it-all he might believe himself to be. At any rate, I’m proud to have done my part to pass this goofy rumor throughout the nerdernet.

During the general freak-out yesterday, several TR commenters mentioned Isiah Bradley, the star of Marvel’s Red, White and Black, and the African-American the government tested the super-serum on before giving it to noted honkey Steve Rogers. And Marvel has already said the Cap movie will be a WWII period piece. Here’s a wacky thought: what if Marvel has offered Smith a cameo as Bradley? Admittedly, it’d be hard to include Bradley in the Cap origin without bringing some real race-related discomfort to what should probably be a regular superhero flick, and I’d doubt Marvel would want anyone to have awkward feelings about their most patriotic superhero. It’d take some hella big balls to through in even a nod to Isiah Bradley?which is why it would be pretty damn cool.