Harrison Ford‘s Thunderbolt Ross aka Red Hulk is confirmed for Captain America: Brave New World. However, fans are wondering if Red Hulk will also appear in Thunderbolts*. This question is not surprising, considering how the Thunderbolts team and Thunderbolt Ross interestingly share the same first name. Moreover, there are also likely fans who believe Thunderbolt Ross to be the inspiration behind the Thunderbolts’ team name, which has led to them asking if Ross will show up in the movie.
Here is everything you need to know regarding Thunderbolt Ross’ Red Hulk return in Thunderbolts*.
Will Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross return as Red Hulk in Thunderbolts*?
Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’ Red Hulk is not returning in Thunderbolts*.
This is because Kevin Feige mentioned at the Thunderbolts* panel at San Diego Comic-Con that Thunderbolt Ross and the Thunderbolts team are not connected. Moreover, Ford’s absence in the Thunderbolts panel effectively confirmed he was not reprising his role of Ross/Red Hulk in the movie.
Prior to this, however, there were multiple online reports from sources like The Hollywood Reporter, suggesting Ford would reprise his role of Ross in Thunderbolts.
Why Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross won’t appear in Thunderbolts*?
Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross is not appearing in Thunderbolts*, because there is no connection between the character and the team.
Kevin Feige mentioned at the Thunderbolts panel that in 85 years of comic book history, artists and writers who worked on stories for both Ross and the Thunderbolts just coincidentally ended up using the same name.
Moreover, Thunderbolts will likely feature Lewis Pullman’s Sentry as the main antagonist. As such, the creators likely could not find space to include Ross’ Red Hulk as another antagonist.
Thunderbolts is scheduled to be released on May 2, 2025. The film stars ensemble cast comprised of Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Olga Kurylenko, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Lewis Pullman. Jake Schreier, known for Paper Towns and Robot & Frank will direct the movie.