As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has continuously expanded in the 15 years since its launch with Iron Man, the franchise has managed to assemble quite an array of on-screen talent. The MCU has signed some of the biggest names in Hollywood for both recurring and one-off roles, as well as leading and supporting characters. Whether it be Tommy Lee Jones in the first Captain America, Glenn Close in Guardians of the Galaxy, Samuel L. Jackson throughout his numerous appearances as Nick Fury or Florence Pugh as Yolena Belova, the MCU has managed to bring on countless stars ranging from modern darlings to Hollywood royalty.
One of the latest major stars to join the MCU is none other than Han Solo and Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford, who will be stepping into the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. After William Hurt, who previously played the role, passed away in early 2022, Ford was hired to take over as the character moving forward.
Hurt debuted as the character in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and went on to appear in the MCU on four other occasions – Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow. Ford will be making his debut in the role in Captain America: New World Ordernext year, before also appearing in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie as well. Here are seven reasons why Ford is the perfect actor to step into the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross.
7 Star Power
The first and most obvious reason is that Ford is a major star. Even that feels like an understatement. Ford is one of the biggest stars in the history of Hollywood, and he’s a huge get for the MCU. Even though it is the biggest franchise in the world, even the MCU needs some star power to drive interest in its films sometimes.
While there are some recognizable faces set to appear in Captain America: New World Order, and the cinematic debut of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson in the role of Captain America will definitely drive a lot of conversation, the inclusion of a major star like Ford in the cast will add a lot to the movie’s momentum.
6 Following William Hurt
Considering the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross was previously played by an actor of Hurt’s talents, there was no way the role was going to be taken over by an unproven or unrecognizable actor. After Hurt’s passing, some fans online believed that Marvel would choose to write the character out of any future films entirely, simply because Hurt was so closely associated with the role.
Since Marvel Studios decided to continue with the character, they needed to hire a big name to take on the role after Hurt, and Ford is definitely up to the task. Hurt left some pretty massive (some might say Hulk-sized) shoes to fill, but if anyone is capable of stepping into them, it could only be an actor of Ford’s caliber.
5 His First Superhero Movie
With as extensive a career as Ford has, it’s honestly somewhat surprising that the actor has never appeared in a superhero movie before. He’s done everything from big-budget adventure movies, to contemplative sci-fi films, heavy award-winning dramas, and children’s animated features, but not once has he stepped into the world of superhero cinema.
With that, his role in the MCU will be a first for the legendary performer. When speaking about this topic with THR, Ford stated that “I thought, ‘Everybody else seems to be having a great time.’ I watch all these terrific actors having a good time [in Marvel movies]. I like doing something different to what I’ve ever done and pleasing people with it. So I’ll try a piece of that.”
4 He Makes a Great President
Very little is known at this point about what role “Thunderbolt” Ross will play in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, but what we do know is that the character is not remaining stagnant. When he appears in New World Order, Ross will have upgraded from a general to being the President of the United States. While playing a character in a superhero film may be new for Ford, playing the U.S. President is not. Just over 25 years ago, Ford famously played the fictional President James Marshall in the film Air Force One.
The role is one of Ford’s most iconic, and it is one of the most memorable performances he has given throughout his entire career. While the character of “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts is likely to be very different from President Marshall in Air Force One, Ford has already proven that he has the gravitas and charisma needed to play that kind of political leader role.
3 He’s a Good Fit for the Captain America Series
Another reason why Ford is a good choice to take over the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU, is because Ford, as an actor, is a really solid fit for the Captain America franchise. As the series continues beyond Chris Evans’ Steve Rodgers, there are sure to be some changes and additions, but the core of New World Order is likely going to feel very similar to films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Ford is an actor who will slot into that tone and type of storytelling very well. Part of why is because he’s a distinctly American movie star.
Beyond playing the President in Air Force One, Ford has also played deeply American roles like Jack Ryan in 1992’s Patriot Games, Indiana Jones throughout all the Indiana Jones films, and various other roles in films like the Jackie Robinson biopic 42, American Graffiti and, most recently, the Yellowstone spin-off/prequel series 1923. Yes, there are a lot of American movie stars out there, but Ford stands out among them simply because he brings an atmosphere of Americana and patriotism into many of the roles he takes and the performances he gives.
2 His Acting Talents
Ford didn’t get to be the iconic and respected movie star that he is just through sheer luck and good looks. The actor has also proven to be an incredible performer on more than one occasion. In addition to his star-making performances throughout the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, Ford has also shown a desire to take on more meaty and dramatic roles throughout his career. One of his all-time best performances comes from the legendary sci-fi noir film Blade Runner, and he has also given deeply nuanced and acclaimed performances in films like What Lies Beneath and Witness; the latter of which he received an Oscar nomination for.
On top of that, in the last decade, Ford has proven that his dramatic abilities have continued to sharpen over time, as he gave an outstanding performance in 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, and, just in the last six months, he has delivered some of his finest work in years through both 1923 and the AppleTV+ series Shrinking. Even if you took Ford’s star power and reputation out of the equation, he would still be an excellent choice to play “Thunderbolt” Ross, purely because of his capabilities as a performer.
1 Possibilities of Red Hulk
Moving away from all the legitimate reasons that Ford would be great in the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross, there’s one massive factor that has to be taken into consideration. That is that this character, in the comics, becomes the infamous Hulk antagonist Red Hulk. The MCU has yet to take this route with the character, but the plot developments in She-Hulk and the myriad of characters from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk that are returning in the new Captain America film are making it look increasingly likely that Ross will finally transform into Red Hulk in either New World Order or Thunderbolts.
Just take a minute to imagine Ford playing the President of the United States and then getting angry and turning into a giant red rage monster. It’s absolutely ridiculous, as it should be. The idea of seeing Ford transform into the Red Hulk is just too cartoony and campy not to be a major selling point.
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