Captain America to be directed by Wolf Man director

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo, Jumanji), who’s been busy putting the finishing touches on Universal’s reinvention of The Wolf Man, has been contracted to direct First Avenger: Captain America, for Marvel Studios.

The studio is expected to hire a writer for the project shortly.

THR says that Johnston first met with Marvel two years ago, and those talks turned into Captain America-related meetings.

Originally created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Timely Comics, Captain America is the heroic alter ego of Steve Rogers, who is rejected by the Army for being too sickly and undergoes an experiment that transforms him into the pinnacle specimen of men. Along with an indestructible shield, he becomes a symbol of the war effort.

Captain America disappeared after World War II, but was revived during the early years of Marvel. He later became a member of the Avengers, after being found in suspended animation by the team.

First Avenger: Captain America, which is slated for release on May 6, 2011, will be a World War II period movie, and the character will then appear in the modern day Avengers movie, which is scheduled to be released that same summer, topping off a series of films that began with Iron Man.

Below is a trailer for the 1990 straight to video Captain America film, which starred Matt Salinger as the title hero.