Fresh Look At Captain America’s Villain

You may have seen this, but it’s still interesting – we’ve now gotten out first proper, non trailer-grabby, clear look at Hugo Weaving as the eeeevil Red Skull in Captain America, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.

Kids, you know how your parents tell you to eat your veggies and scoff fruit because it’s good for you? Don’t listen to them! This unfortunate soul was brought up almost entirely on tomatoes and look what happened to h… Sorry, no, we’re being told that it’s actually Johann Schmidt, a weapons developer for the Nazis during World War Two who takes the same serum given to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). But instead of going on to become a muscular, square-jawed hero, Schmidt becomes the horrific cross between a dodge ball and a Halloween mask that you see below. Turns out the serum increases your inner qualities, which in Johann’s case were scheming, seething, ugly wrong-i-tude.

EW also talked to **Captain America **director Joe Johnston, who explained why he thought Steve Rodgers was such a great hero to bring to the screen: “For Steve it’s a very personal thing. At one point he says, 'I don’t like bullies, I don’t care where they’re from.' He makes a complete physical transformation to a perfect human specimen. But inside he doesn’t change at all. It must be tempting to go back and say 'I’m going to get that guy who beat me up in high school.' He does get revenge in the film, but on the Nazis — not on people who maybe picked on him. Before he gets the injection, the doctor tells him: 'Whatever happens, stay who you are.'"

And he also had some choice words for Zack Snyder and the team aiming to make a new Superman. “How do you make a guy who is invincible seem real? Kryptonite, that is his one weakness, but I don’t know. It’s much easier with a guy like Steve Rogers who has all kinds of built in weaknesses, because of who he was and how he grew up.”

To see the full-size image, click the pic above to head to Entertainment Weekly.

We’ll see if Johnston succeeded on July 29.