Deadline confirmed the news last October that Harrison Ford would be taking over the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross — previously played by the late, great William Hurt — beginning with Phase 5 title Captain America: New World Order. At the time, details about the character and the film’s plot were being kept tightly under wraps.
But in a new interview with EW published today, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed that, in New World Order, Ross has become president of the United States. It’s familiar territory for Ford, who famously played a combat-trained Commander in Chief in Wolfgang Petersen’s 1997 actioner Air Force One.
Feige:
One unfamiliar aspect of the role for Ford could be portraying Ross’ alter ego, the Red Hulk. That would likely require the actor to don a motion capture suit and, well, Hulk out. While Red Hulk has not been confirmed as an element in any of the upcoming MCU films, Ford’s co-star in Marvel’s upcoming Thurderbolts movie, David Harbour, is all for it.
“If I am lucky enough to see that happen, if I am lucky enough to experience that,” Harbour told Comic Book.com, “I will savor it like you will not believe. I mean, can you imagine how angry that guy would be in a green suit with ping pong balls all over it?”
Feige said Ford is “embracing this role. He’s tireless with the amount of work that he does,” which could come in handy if the ping pong ball suit is involved.
Filming on New World Order will begin “relatively soon,” according to the MCU boss. The film is set to bow on May 3, 2024.