Harrison Ford is imagined as General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross in Marvel's Thunderbolts fan art, bringing to life the rumored casting. After William Hurt appeared as General Ross in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe movies starting with 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the team of villains and antiheroes known as the Thunderbolts has been expected to make an MCU debut for years, which was finally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. However, the status of General Ross was unknown after Hurt passed away earlier this year. But now Marvel may be up for a recasting as Ford was reportedly the first choice to take over the role.
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Although the D23 2022 announcement of Thunderbolts revealed an ensemble cast of returning MCU actors including Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, General Ross did not appear to be involved. Fans have shown support for Ford as General Ross after rumors of his casting, and a source has even said the role was a done deal before the D23 announcement. Ford was primarily focused on promoting Indiana Jones 5 at the time, meaning any potential Marvel-relted projects took a back seat.
With fans supporting the theoretical casting, artists like rahalarts on Instagram have already depicted Ford as General Ross in his military uniform, and another in his classic suit and tie. On Twitter, agtdesign10 even added Ford to a Thunderbolts poster with the Red Hulk looming behind him, alluding to Ross finally making that transformation in the MCU. In both artworks, Ford is sporting General Ross's signature mustache and looks as serious as the general himself. See the full art below.
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Why Harrison Ford Makes Sense As General Ross
Ford already has a strong relationship with Disney through his work on Star Wars and Indiana Jones, so he makes sense as a strong, well-known quantity to take on the role. Despite his extensive filmography and success as an actor, Ford has yet to play a superhero, which could make him a fantastic addition to the MCU as an experienced action-hero-type first entering the superhero genre. Recasting General Ross also offers more story possibilities for the Thunderbolts and the larger MCU, such as the introduction of Red Hulk, so Ford’s casting could mean future sequels or even spin-off series as Marvel has favored recently with shows like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Moon Knight.
Although Ford’s casting is still unconfirmed, it is exciting for fans to already picture him as General Ross. Standing over the team of rogues in the poster art, Ford already looks at home as the leader of the Thunderbolts. Whether Ford is cast as General Ross or not, fans will have to wait until Thunderbolts releases in July 2024 to see if Ross' character will continue in the MCU.