Filming for the Captain America sequel, The Winter Soldier began today with Marvel Studios marking the occasion by
releasing the first official photo of the production. The studio has also revealed more details of the movie. Robert Redfords character is now confirmed as Alexander Pierce, a former agent now undercover sleeper brought back into SHIELD by confidante and current head of SHIELD, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) will play a much bigger role in the film than simply a cameo, as previously thought, fighting alongside Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans) and new character Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie), a superhero who can fly and telepathically communicate with birds. Together they square off against a host of villains in the form of Crossbones (played by Frank Grillo) a former henchman of the Red Skull, Batroc the Leaper (played by UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre) a French kickboxing mercenary, and Caps former sidekick, Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier (played by Sebastian Stan) a brainwashed Soviet assassin. The first film was set in 1943 but the sequel will take place after the events of The Avengers, though with actors Haley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter (Caps love interest in the first film), and Toby Jones (Arnim Zola, HYDRA scientist) returning for the sequel, it looks like there will be flashback sequences in the film. Caps new love interest for this movie is confirmed as Agent 13, or Sharon Carter, Peggy Carters descendant (played by Emily VanCamp). While in the comics Sharon has been portrayed alternately as Peggys daughter or niece, factoring in the timelines it looks likely Sharon will be recast as Peggys granddaughter. Returning cast members include Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, and Maximiliano Hernández as Agent Jasper Sitwell. Filming is underway in Los Angeles and will continue to Cleveland and Washington DC. Directed by brothers Anthony and Joseph Russo (Community, Arrested Development), Captain America: The Winter Soldier is scheduled for release on April 4, 2014