Derek Luke's CAPTAIN AMERICA Character Revealed

Derek Luke's role in Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger has been kept on the down-low since his casting. There was speculatation that he would possibly play Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon, Isaiah Bradley, an African-American man who was also part in the Super Soldier experiment, a younger Nick Fury, or even his father Jack Fury, a character that was created for an episode of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

I just assumed he would be taking on a role of one of the Howling Commandos because their involvement with the film had already been confirmed, and there are several characters there that need actors to fill them. Now his role in that group of commandos has been confirmed as well. 

BlackFilm did some digging around and found out that Luke will be playing a character named Gabe Jones of The Howling Commandos.

Here's a little background info on Gabe Jones:

An accomplished jazz trumpeter at an early age, Gabriel Jones grew up in New York City, spending his youth playing at his uncle Bill's jazz club in upper Manhattan . Winning local acclaim, Jones was exceptionally lucky in receiving coaching in trumpet playing from the legendary Louis Armstrong himself. Jones also gained another teacher in Danny "Drummer" Bellaman, a Harlem-born jazz musician, playing drums. The pair became fast friends, playing nightclubs gigs. Army Intelligence took note of both men joining the war effort. Jones' interest in music gained the attention of the top brass and the Army sent him to a high specialty school where he became an expert in German classical music.

Despite segregation in the armed forces, Jones found himself hand picked by Captain "Happy" Sam Sawyer to enlist in the First Attack Squad, aka the famous Howling Commandos lead by Nick Fury. Jones distinguished himself both with the music of machine guns and his handy trumpet, which he used to jazz countless Howler parties in the barracks and to unusual and effective use in battle.

Previously:

The Howling Commandos were Nick Fury’s Elite squad who fought during WWII. There were several different colorful characters in the group, and it looks like they’ll be fighting along side Captain America in the new movie. According to the report they may not end up being called the Howling Commandos, which is a shame because it’s such a great name. But, it the characters will be part of the larger Marvel Universe, so this won’t be the only movie they show up in. It was confirmed that one character from the group Gabe Jones, would have a place in the movie. He is a black character who is an accomplished Jazz Trumpeter. Jones distinguished himself both with the music of machine guns and his handy trumpet, which he used to jazz countless Howler parties in the barracks and to unusual and effective use in battle.

Here is a little rundown of the history of the Howling Commandos.

Sam Sawyer a U.S. army captain, recruited select U.S. Army Rangers to his "Able" Company. Sawyer assigned Nick Fury the command of the First Attack Squad, nicknamed the "Howling Commandos." Utm and the Second Attack Squad (the "Maulers", led by Sgt. “bull” McGiveney, with Cpl. "Ricketts" Johnson), and, later, Jim Morita's Nisei squad were stationed in a military base in England to fight specialized missions. These missions were located primarily, but not exclusively, in the European Theatre of World War II, eventually going as far afield as the Pacific Theatre, Africa, and, once each, in the Middle East and on the Russian front. Fury fell in love with an English nurse, Pamala Hawley, who died in a bombing raid of London before he could propose to her.

The Howling Commandos' earliest assignment occurred in the autumn of 1942. They were to recover British rocket scientist Dr. MacMillan from a German military base in occupied Norway. Their success brought the attention of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who incorporated the unit into the British Army, and given the title of "Commandos".

The Howlers fought against the likes of German General Erwin Rommel and inter-squad bigotry. Antagonists included Baron Strucker, Captain America's nemeses Baron Zemo and the Red Skull (Adolf Hitler's protégé), and other Axis villains. The Howlers encountered and fought alongside Captain America and Bucky several times throughout the war.

Directed by Joe Johnston, Captain America: First Avenger stars Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Neal McDonough