Stanley Tucci had a fantastic 2009. Not only did he star alongside Meryl Streep in the film that earned her yet another Oscar nomination, Julia & Julia, but he also got a nod of his own for Best Supporting Actor in The Lovely Bones. Apparently Tucci wants to continue riding high in 2010 because not only is the Broadway revival he’s directing, Lend Me a Tenor, getting rave reviews, but he’s also got a string of highly anticipated films due out before the year’s end like Easy A and Burlesque. On top of all of that, Tucci plans to keep himself in the spotlight in 2011 because, as reported by Coming Soon, he’s just agreed to play Dr. Abraham Erskine in Captain America.

In the 1940s comics, Dr. Erskine is the man responsible for the Super-Soldier serum used during Operation: Rebirth. A scrawny Steve Rogers signs up to be a test subject in the experiment, receiving injections of Dr. Erskine’s serum, ultimately turning him into the all-around superior human being, Captain America.

As the roster has come together, my disappointment in Chris Evans’ casting has nearly vanished. He’s surrounded by such a promising ensemble, what could possibly go wrong? Okay, a lot can go wrong, but at least Joe Johnston is getting a major boost from the casting department. Let’s just hope the director doesn’t pull a Lovely Bones with this one; awful movie, fantastic performance by Tucci.

By Perri Nemiroff