Joe Johnston to Direct Captain America Movie

Captain America has taken a step closer to film reality, as Joe Johnston has signed on to direct First Avenger: Captain America for Marvel, with Kevin Feige producing, and Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito and David Maisel Executive Producing, this according to The Hollywood Reporter.

There’s still no script for the film, but Marvel is reportedly hearing pitches and expects to hire a screenwriter(s) soon. In early October, Production Weekly confirmed what was previously announced, that is, Marvel is looking for a film set during World War II, which will tell the origin of Steve Rogers as Captain America.

Johnston has been in talks with Marvel for two years, and Captain America was a natural progression for the director, Fiege told THR. "This is a guy who designed the vehicles for Star Wars, who storyboarded the convoy action sequence for Raiders of the Lost Ark, " Feige said. "From Rocketeer to October Sky to The Wolfman, you can look at pieces of his movies and see how they lead to this one."

Captain America is slated to debut in theaters on May 6, 2011, before that summer’s already-scheduled Avengers film, which will see the teaming of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. Marvel has been sowing the seeds of an interconnected universe in its live action films, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark appearing in Hulk, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury speaking to Stark in Iron Man about the Avengers, and Captain America’s shield making cameos in both Iron Man and (kind of) The Incredible Hulk.

Marvel's film release schedule sees two "Avengers" movies in both 2010 and 2011: Iron Man 2 on May 7, 2010 and Thor on July 16, 2010; with Captain America on May 6, 2011 and The Avenegrs on July 15, 2011.