UPDATE: According to THR, the role Redford woudl be playing is “an older member of secret government agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and one source describes the role as similar to the one played by Ralph Fiennes as M’s replacement in last year’s James Bond movie SKYFALL.”
Well, this is a surprise. Deadline is reporting that Robert Redford is in negotiations to join the cast of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. No word on what role he may take, but I would put my money on a government-related character, be it S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other agency. That’s all speculation on my part, but it feels like the right fit for Redford in this type of film. Certainly, his presence adds a lot of weight to an already impressive cast that has Chris Evans donning the shield as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky/The Winter Soldier, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Frank Grillo as Crossbones, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill. Tossing in some Redford just makes it that much cooler.
Former THOR and THE AVENGERS castmember Max Hernandez, who played S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell, confirmed that he’d be continuing his character’s run through the Marvel Cinematic Universe by joining CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and dropped some story hints along the way via Twitter, saying:
So, it’s a much bigger role in a much darker Captain America story. Lots of twists and turns. And lots secrets about the Marvel Cinematic Universe revealed! I can’t say much more or the Marvel cops will revoke my S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance! Trust me you will all freak out in the theatre when all is revealed!
Based on Ed Brubaker’s classic run in the Captain America comics, the story goes a little like this:
As Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he’s reunited with James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, who is now brainwashed Russian assassin known as the ‘Winter Soldier’.
As a huge Cap and Winter Soldier fan, this is my most-anticipated movie of 2014. I’m a little nervous about directors Anthony and Joe Russo, but only because they’re as-yet-unproven on the big-budget scale. However, I’m hopeful they will show us all that they can bring it.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is slated to hit on April 4, 2014.