Hollywood legend Harrison Ford explains his reasoning for joining the MCU as its new Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: New World Order.
It was revealed in October 2022 that Captain America: New World Order will feature Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross, and the actor now explains what made him join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The legendary Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor takes over the reins of Thunderbolt Ross from the late William Hurt. Ford’s seemingly uninterested comments on Star Wars for the last few years makes the idea of him joining a mega-franchise such as the MCU shocking, but the actor had a very simple reason for doing so.
During an interview with THR, Ford got candid about his decision to join the MCU. According to the star, he accepted the Thunderbolt Ross role in the MCU because he wanted to please his fans while doing something he had never done. Ford also spoke about how he saw all the MCU actors having a great time in the franchise, which piqued his curiosity. Check out the full quote below:
I can’t explain myself to myself, I just work here. (Laughs.) 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.
What Role Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross Can Play In The MCU’s Future
Ford will debut as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: New World Order, the first movie of the hero that does not star Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, but rather focuses on Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Rumors claim Ford’s character will be the new President of the United States, and that Captain America will deal with a Hulk-focused plot. The latter makes sense, given the return of villain The Leader and Thunderbolt Ross from the MCU’s sole Hulk standalone movie, The Incredible Hulk.
The MCU has been ramping up its Hulk-related stories in the past few years, which started with the character being a central part of 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Since then, Marvel Studios has taken a major leap with its Hulk content by releasing She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a series focused on Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters, which featured Mark Ruffalo’s character and introduced the Hulk’s son, Skaar. The series also included a plot where villains were trying to take She-Hulk’s blood, something that could play into The Leader’s plans in Captain America: New World Order. There is a real chance Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross will become the Red Hulk.
Red Hulk is Ross’ Hulk form from the comics, which could come into play in the MCU through the character having contact with the Hulk’s blood. Ford playing Red Hulk would make the choice of recasting Thunderbolt Ross make sense, given the character would then be poised to have a big role in the future of the MCU. That future journey could include Ross coming face-to-face with Banner again, but both characters would be played by different actors. Strangely, Ford is said to not appear in Thunderbolts — a movie based on a team that takes his character’s name — instead he is so far just confirmed for Captain America: New World Order.
Source: THR
