The Invaders Join CAPTAIN AMERICA

Devin Faraci of CHUD.com has landed himself a fine scoop in regards to The First Avenger: Captain America – the film will feature The Invaders.

Just who are The Invaders, you ask? Well way back when Cap and Bucky were fighting the good fight against the Nazis in WWII, he didn’t quite do it alone. He had help from The Invaders, a superhero team including the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch (not Johnny Storm, but a flaming android) and his identically powered partner Toro, Union Jack, Spitfire, Blazing Skull, and the Silver Scorpion.

Director Joe Johnston didn’t say which of the aforementioned team members would make it to the film, but rest assured those that do will have a prominent role; “they’ll be in the entire second half”. There may be some logistical challenges, specifically in bringing Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner into the picture – the Human Torch, although different from the character in the Fantastic Four, is owned by Fox, as is the Sub-Mariner. Whether or not Marvel Studios will be allowed to use these versions of the characters is unknown, though in my opinion highly unlikely.

Including The Invaders will no doubt help the film in the foreign markets – the idea of a Captain America film, one so saturated with patriotism, could be a tough sell overseas (hence the title change to The First Avenger). Having a team comprised of various European heroes could certainly bridge that gap in familiarity.

Suddenly, a film that seemed to be based in a fairly non-superhero environment just got a lot less realistic. Alas, I have faith in the film, and am excited to see what they can do with The Invaders. At the end of the day, they’re utiizing the rich source material, which theoretically can only be a good thing.

More news on The First Avenger: Captain America as it develops.