According to Deadline, The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially cast Harrison Ford as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in the fourth installment of the Captain America series.
Ford, the star of iconic movies like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, will debut as the character in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order, where he will join actors like Anthony Mackie, Carl Lumbly, Shira Haas, and Danny Ramirez, among others.
General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross is a United States military officer and the head of the gamma bomb project that transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk. He is also the father of Betty Ross, Bruce Banner’s love interest.
William Hurt previously portrayed General Thaddeus Ross. Unfortunately, he died of prostate cancer in March 2022. Hurt first appeared as General Ross in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk alongside Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner/The Hulk. In 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, he reprised his role as General Ross although the character was then the United States Secretary of State. Hurt again played the role in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and 2021’s Black Widow.
Captain America: New World Order is Anthony Mackie’s first feature film appearance as Captain America, following his appearance in the Disney+ limited series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier alongside Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. Apart from Mackie and Ford, Captain America: New World Order will also feature Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph/Sabra, and Danny Ramirez as Isaiah Bradley, among others.
So far, Ford is slated to appear in the upcoming Captain America movie alone. However, rumors suggest the 80-year-old actor will also star in the Thunderbolts movie scheduled for a July 2024 release.
Thunderbolts is a team of former villains who embark on dangerous missions assigned to them by the government. This team was originally assembled by and named after General Ross. The MCU’s version of the Thunderbolts team comprises Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Taskmaster, John Walker, Ghost, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Each of these characters is portrayed by Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell¸ Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus respectively.
Apart from his MCU role, Ford has other notable projects in the works. He will star in his first major TV role in Apple TV+’s Shrinking as well as in a fifth Indiana Jones movie.
Captain America: New World Order will begin filming in early 2023. The film will premiere in theaters globally on May 3, 2024.
