Red Skull Confirmed as Captain America Villain

Joe Johnston, director of the forthcoming The First Avenger: Captain America, has been doing press all day out in Los Angeles for his new movie The Wolfman and ShockTillYouDrop.com Managing Editor Ryan Rotten had a chance to talk with Johnston about the movie and what to expect.

Johnston confirmed that the Red Skull will indeed be the villain of the first movie and told Ryan a bit more about why they decided to set the majority of the movie during WWII:

"Virtually the entire story except the bookends are in World War II because we all recognize we have one chance to tell the origin story of how he became Captain America, you can't tell a modern story and then go back and tell the origin story. If you're going to do it, let's do it. Let's do it first. Everyone wanted to tell an origin story. There was a version where it was a modern story and it didn't work."

Hopefully, we'll have more word on Johnston's plans for the movie and answers to some of the many questions that have been on your minds, including the all-important casting of Steve Rogers and what other characters may be appearing in the movie. Johnston did say at the that they definitely are going for an American actor, preferably an unknown, and they hope to have that person by the end of February.

The First Avenger: Captain America is currently scheduled for release on July 22, 2011.