Can you see John Krasinski (Jim from The Office) wielding the iconic Captain America shield? Well, according to THR’s Heat Vision blog, Krasinski is currently on the shortlist along with five other actors who are under consideration to play the lead role in Marvel’s next-slated superhero blockbuster. Screen tests are schedueled to be conducted this week and next week at Marvel’s Manhattan Beach headquarters.

Those vying for the role along with Krasinski include Michael Cassidy (Smallville and also tested for the Superman when McG was attached to direct several years ago), Patrick Flueger (starred The 4400 and recently appeared in Brothers with Tobey Maguire), Scott Porter (TV’s Friday Night Lights)  Mike Vogel (Cloverfield) and Gossip Girls’ teen heartthrob Chace Crawford. The studio has put a 30-day hold on the actors where they cannot seek for or commit to other future projects. The First Avenger: Captain America is being directed by Jumanji, Jurassic Park 3 and The Wolfman director Joe Johsnton.

So what do we think about this buffet of choices? As much as I adore John Krasinski, I mean C’mon! Is he really going to be able to put on 30 pounds of muscle and shake the awkward, goofy comedic sensibility he has thus far displayed in his career, and replace it with toughness, menace and badass…ness? Probably not. I don’t know that much about Captain America or his alter ego Steve Rogers, other than, he begins as a sickly young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States’ WWII effort. So, just by judging on a physical appearance level, I’d go with Scott Porter from Friday Night Lights.

He’s young, 31, and is already in great physical shape. He’s got natural blonde-ish hair and has a very similar face to Steve Rogers (see image above). It has also been proven in the past several years that you don’t need an A-lister to be the face of a blockbuster franchise. Christian Bale certainly was not “on the map” before Batman Begins. And I’m sure almost no one had heard of Chris Pine before Star Trek. So if Marvel surrounds Porter with the right A-list level as the supporting cast (love interest, villains), The First Avenger: Captain America should be a surefire hit. Not to mention that Marvel is ultimately setting this franchise up to interlace with  The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor  and other Marvel superheroes for the inevitable Avengers movie, coming in 2012-ish. Bet on Marvel making a final casting announcement with in the next month or so.

What Do You Think? Discuss.