The question of who will wield the shield is one of the most intriguing casting mysteries in contemporary Hollywood.  It appears that Marvel has narrowed the field down quite a bit, though it is still unclear whether the studio will decide to go with a relative unknown or someone with a modest resume like Chris Evans (the Human Torch in the FF movies).  The success that directors like J.J. Abrams who chose Chris Pine for Star Trek and James Cameron who went with Sam Worthington for Avatar have enjoyed certainly tends to indicate that casting unknown actors is no deterrent to creating a box office bonanza.

According to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has already crossed a number of names off the well publicized list of Captain America wannabes (see “Captain America Casting Underway”) including John Krasinski (The Office), Michael Cassidy (Smallville), and Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl).  Actors who are “still in the running” include Wilson Bethel who starred in HBO’s Generation Kill and is currently appearing in the Young and the Restless, Mike Vogel (Cloverfield), Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers, Tron Legacy), and Chris Evans, who is currently shooting the movie Safety Point in Texas.

According to The Reporter, Marvel Studios wants to sign its Captain America to a 9-picture deal, with The Avengers film being the second movie.  The Captain America movie is set to debut on July 22, 2011.