Simon Pegg Expresses Interest In Captain Britain Movie

By the time the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done for, every actor on Earth will have played a superhero in a movie or two — and Star Trek's Simon Pegg knows exactly which one he wants.

Speaking in an interview with JoBlo, the English actor fielded a question regarding what superhero character he would want to play if the decision was up to him — and the choice appeared to be simple. 

"I mean, Captain Britain was this Marvel superhero that I loved growing up, 'cause he was the British member of that community," Pegg said. 

"I even have a Captain Britain mask when I was a kid," he continued. "But I fear I would probably be slightly too old now, but if they do have... If a Captain Britain movie comes about, they're gonna need a British cast, so... I'll be waiting."

Of course, this doesn't mean that a Captain Britain movie has been announced, is being worked on, or will ever happen. But as the MCU in particular continues without any signs of slowing down, it's only natural to look at the comic book characters yet to grace to screen, wondering when they might get their chances at a movie.

According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, discussions have happened about potentially developing a Captain Britain movie, but publicly at least, the discussions are just that: All talk. 

"There are a lot of actors that come in and ask us about that part," Feige acknowledged. 

Though the name may make him sound like just a palette-swapped version of Captain America, the truth about Captain Britain is a little bit more complex. 

The character, aka Billy Braddock, was created by the American staff of Marvel Comics for use in the UK market, being gifted his powers by Marvel's version of the wizard "Merlyn" (as opposed to the more traditional "Merlin".) Despite early difficulties in drawing readership, the hero began to appear in more widely-circulated team-ups over the years. 

While the character struggled to gain a foothold in the Marvel canon, his profile was raised by a team-up comic series called Excalibur, which focused on a team of mutants led by Captain Britain operating in the UK.

If Marvel does commission a Captain Britain movie, it likely won't happen for a good number of years. The next confirmed movies on the way in the MCU include Ant-Man and the Wasp, set for release on July 6, and Captain Marvel, due to touch down on March 6, 2019.