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Captain America 4 reportedly adds Harrison Ford to the cast

Updated Dec 21st, 2022 11:49AM EST
Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Image: Marvel Studios

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New World Order is the official name of Captain America 4, an MCU movie that will hit theaters on May 3rd, 2024. Anthony Mackie is the new Captain America, and the actor recently addressed rumors about Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) returning to the MCU. But he hasn’t spilled any secrets about the upcoming sequel.

We talked about the Red Hulk’s emergence for quite a while, with Thunderbolts being the place where the character might make his debut. But don’t forget that Thunderbolts hits theaters nearly three months after New World Order. Before we discuss this big Captain America 4 surprise, you should know that a big spoiler follows.

William Hurt played Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross for years in the MCU. He’s an iconic supporting character, and he would have likely played Red Hulk in future MCU movies and TV shows. However, Hurt passed away, leaving Marvel in a bind.

Marvel had to deal with a similar event before Hurt’s passing. Chadwick Boseman died a couple of years ago after a battle with cancer. Marvel decided not to recast the role of T’Challa. Instead, the studio chose to pass on the Black Panther mantle to someone else.

Doing the same thing with Hurt’s Red Hulk for Captain America 4 might be impossible. A recast might be more appropriate for the role, especially since Thunderbolt Ross wasn’t a major MCU superhero. We last saw him in Black Widow, where rumors of the Thunderbolts began to swirl.

Who is playing the MCU’s Red Hulk in Captain America 4?

This brings us to the big Captain America 4 Red Hulk surprise. We already discussed an exciting rumor a few weeks ago on the matter. Harrison Ford would play Thunderbolt Ross, a casting choice Marvel wanted to make public at D23 Expo. But reports suggest that Disney’s Kathleen Kennedy was against it, as she wanted Indiana Jones 5 to get all the Ford-related attention.

The Hot Mic podcast is back with more details about Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk. Apparently, the actor closed a deal with Disney to play Thunderbolt Ross. But not for Thunderbolts, where we’d expect to see Red Hulk. Instead, the Red Hulk will appear in Captain America 4 first.

The Harrison Ford casting is supposedly a done deal for the MCU. But only for New World Order. We’ll still have to wait and see if Ford will also appear in Thunderbolts.

Either way, we’ll have to wait less than two years to see Harrison Ford in the MCU if this rumor is accurate. After all, both movies come out in 2024.

As with other casting reports, nothing is official until Marvel’s K.E.V.I.N. announces it. But there’s no denying this is a very exciting Captain America 4 rumor.

Finally, there’s no telling when we’ll see Steve Rogers in the MCU again. We know the character isn’t dead. And we know Steve is off-world. But other rumors say Chris Evans will return to the MCU via a different type of project. There’s even an MCU trademark that seems to be associated with the unannounced project: Nomad.


More Marvel coverage: For more MCU news, visit our Marvel guide.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.