"I Was Flattered And Insulted": Stanley Tucci Recalls Being Cast In Captain America: The First Avenger As A Much Older Character And Why It Was One Of The Greatest Roles He's Ever Had
Stanley Tucci reflected on his time in Captain America: The First Avenger, saying he considers the MCU role it one of the best in his career. Tucci has an illustrious career in Hollywood, receiving acclaim for many of his excellent performances. He has starred in a number of Academy Award-nominated films, like Spotlight, and is in the middle of an awards campaign for his role in Conclave. It's easy to forget that Tucci portrayed an important MCU character who played a crucial role in Captain America's origin.
Tucci played Abraham Erskine, a scientist who created the original Super Soldier serum. Erskine was forced to give a prototype version of the serum to Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. Red Skull. He later fled Nazi Germany and moved to America where he perfected the serum for Steve Rogers. Erskine was assassinated by a HYDRA agent shortly after Steve took the serum, but Tucci did reprise the role in an episode of What If...?
In an interview with Variety, Tucci recalled his MCU role in The First Avenger specifically, saying it was one of his "greatest roles," despite the age gap between him and Erskine.
I loved 'Captain America: The First Avenger,' it was one of the greatest roles and jobs I’ve ever had. I was there for three weeks and had a wonderful time, and I also loved playing that character. I was cast as a 70-year-old man at the age of 50, so that was disturbing, but that’s all right; I was flattered and insulted at the same time … You have to mix it up, as they say.
What Stanley Tucci's Captain America: The First Avenger Comments Mean
Tucci had a small role in the very early years of the MCU. Erskine had limited screen time in the first Captain America movie, and Tucci said he was only there for "three weeks." It shows that starring in a Marvel film can be a great experience for many actors, especially those who spend much of their career working on smaller films. The other part of his comment illustrates how it was somewhat ridiculous for Marvel to cast Tucci in this role.
The Hunger Games actor was significantly younger than Erskine, so Marvel could have saved themselves some time and money from the makeup department by casting someone around the character's age. However, Tucci is a phenomenal performer, and Marvel wants to hire the best talent. It's not noticeable upon a rewatch, and The First Avenger is better with Tucci's involvement.
Our Take On Stanley Tucci's Captain America: The First Avenger Comments
Many actors have positive experiences working on Marvel movies, even if they are still stigmatized by many in the film community as lesser films. Prestigious actors like Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, and Michael Douglas aren't expecting to be nominated for their work in superhero projects, but they still enjoy doing it because it gives them the chance to take on a weird role in a blockbuster production. Tucci's Captain America: The First Avenger experience is a perfect example of why many actors want to work with Marvel.
Captain America: The First Avenger
- Release Date
- July 22, 2011
- Runtime
- 124 Minutes
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Nigel Gostelow, Stan Lee, Alan Fine
Cast
Captain America / Steve Rogers
Peggy Carter
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