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Edited by ITMIndiana Jones legend Harrison Ford is set to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in next year’s Captain America: Brave New World (2025). But beyond the fourth Captain America entry, Ford’s character will most likely appear in future Marvel storytelling — that is, at least, if he’s not entirely cut from director Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts (2025) first.
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Following lengthy delays due to the now-resolved WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Thunderbolts is finally gearing up to begin production in a matter of weeks, though there have been plenty of roadblocks along the way. For one, original Sentry actor Steven Yeun parted ways with the project last month, leaving Marvel scrambling to find a replacement in the form of Lewis Pullman.
Thunderbolts’ release date has also been moved around quite a bit in recent years, with the film initially intended to close out the MCU’s Phase Five in July of this year (Deadpool & Wolverine has since snagged the spot). As of yesterday, the film, which stars Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Wyatt Russell (John Walker), and other A-listers, was bumped up to next May, while the Fantastic Four (2025) reboot was shifted to July.
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As Thunderbolts slowly inches closer to its premiere, new information is coming to light about its story, including who may — and may not — be key figures. Interestingly enough, according to Hollywood scooper Daniel Richtman, Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross isn’t in the movie and has nothing to do with the plot, despite widespread speculation.
While this is, at the moment, just a rumor, it does seem to coincide with reports that Yelena Belova, The Sentry, and Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) will take the lead in the upcoming MCU outing, with Ross likely to play a more prominent role in Captain America: Brave New World now that he’s been elected President of the United States.
It’s important to note that Ross is expected to transform into the rampaging Red Hulk in the next Captain America installment. So, if the Marvel Comics are anything to go by, Red Hulk will eventually go on to join the Thunderbolts (after his supervillain arc), making it difficult to believe that he won’t appear in the team-up flick in some capacity.
For now, it’s important to take all of this speculation with a pinch of salt, as it seems highly unlikely that Disney and Marvel would use an actor as high caliber as Harrison Ford for only one MCU project before tossing him out. While there’s certainly potential for him to pop up somewhere in the Multiverse Saga down the line, fans can rest assured knowing he’ll still play a significant role in Captain America: Brave New World.
Thunderbolts arrives in theaters on May 2, 2025.
Which character are you most excited to see in Thunderbolts? Let us know in the comments below!