Summary
It’s finally been confirmed that the Red Hulk will debut inCaptain America: Brave New World, and a newMCUtheory could explain exactly how this major Marvel villain is born. Following the tragic passing of William Hurt in 2022, Harrison Ford was revealed to have been cast as Thaddeus Ross ahead of the character’s return inthe MCU’s Phase 5. Thefirst teaser trailer forCaptain America: Brave New Worldhas confirmed that, 16 years after the character’s debut in the MCU, Ross will finally become the Red Hulk in live-action.
Marvel Comics' Red Hulk debuted in 2008’sHulk (Vol. 2) #1, but wasn’t revealed to be Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross until 2010’sWorld War Hulksstoryline. This transformation has been highly-anticipated throughout the character’s entire MCU history, so theRed Hulk’s debut inCaptain America: Brave New Worldis hugely exciting. However,this confirmation has raised questions about how Ross, now the President of the United States, will actually become the Red Hulk, but one wild MCU theory may have found the answer.
Theory: Betty Ross Is Dying In Captain America 4, But Her Father Has A Plan
Liv Tyler First Portrayed Betty Ross In 2008’s The Incredible Hulk
Back in March 2023,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed that Liv Tyler would be returning asBetty Ross inCaptain America: Brave New World, Thaddeus Ross' daughter who hasn’t been seen in the MCU since 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk. Betty’s return could be hugely important toBrave New World’sstoryline, as one theory posed byReddituser TaskMister2000suggests. In fact, this theory posits thatBetty Ross may be dying of a mysterious illness inBrave New World, prompting her father to go to extreme lengths in an effort to save her.
Another returningThe Incredible Hulkcharacter inCaptain America: Brave New Worldis Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, who is now operating asthe supervillain, the Leader. FollowingThe Incredible Hulk,Sterns was taken into SHIELD custody, so it’s possible that President Ross may have forced the super-genius villain to try and find a cure to Betty Ross' illness. This could not only tease Betty’s evolution into her Marvel Comics alter ego, the Red She-Hulk, but could also inform President Ross' own transformation into the Red Hulk.
The Leader Could Get His Revenge By Transforming Ross Into The Red Hulk
TaskMister2000’s theory suggests that Samuel Sterns' Leader could somehow escape from the clutches of President Ross.Captain America: Brave New World’strailer has shown the Leader out in the world and speaking to persons unknown on the phone, suggestinghe may be hatching a revenge plot against Ross for forcing him to work for the last 16 years. This creates a solid and understandable backstory for the Leader turningPresident Ross into the Red Hulk, as he could retro-fit his cure for Betty into the Red Hulk serum for Ross.
Samuel Sterns became the Leader inThe Incredible Hulkafter an open wound on his head was exposed to Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood, and he was taken into SHIELD custody in Marvel Comics’The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week, which is considered canon to the MCU.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis set to be jam-packed with villains, including Samuel Sterns' Leader, a brainwashed super-soldier Isaiah Bradley,Giancarlo Esposito’s mysterious MCU character, and now President Ross' Red Hulk. While the latter may be the most physically powerful, this theory suggests that the Leader will be pulling his strings. This will set him up to be one of the most formidable villains in the entire MCU, and, more than that,Captain America: Brave New Worldcould completely divert from the typical villain story.
Captain America 4 Theory Avoids A Major Problem With Typical MCU Villain Stories
In many past MCU projects, villains have become enhanced simply because of their hunger for power. This has been the case inIron Man,Captain America: The First Avenger, Ant-Man, The Falcon and the Winter SoldierandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, among many others, soCaptain America: Brave New Worldshouldn’t just repeat this pattern.It would be easy for President Ross to become the Red Hulk willingly in an effort to get even more power, but this wouldn’t make sensefor the narrative or the character.
Why Harrison Ford Was Recast As Thunderbolt Ross In The MCU
Harrison Ford has taken over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU, set to make his debut in Captain America: Brave New World.
Thaddeus Ross has always been vehemently in opposition to the world’s superheroes, so it’s unlikely he’d willingly become superpowered himself. Instead, theReddittheory suggests thatthese abilities will be forced on Ross, completely negating the typical power-hungry villain storyline from previous MCU projects, and creating new layers of conflict and drama forCaptain America: Brave New World. This would bring something new and fresh to the MCU, while introducing one of the franchise’s most highly-anticipated villains ever.
Betty Ross’ Death Could Set Up A Much-Wanted MCU Story For Bruce Banner’s Hulk
If this theory turns out to be true, the Leader will exact his revenge on President Ross, transforming him into the Red Hulk, and damning Betty Ross to meet her bitter end, as her cure would have been wasted. On the surface, Betty Ross' death won’t have much impact on the MCU, given the fact that she hasn’t been seen in the last 16 years. However, should Bruce Banner get word of Betty’s demise, this could take a very different direction.Betty was Bruce Banner’s original love interest in the MCU, so her death could spell bad news.
Captain America: Brave New Worldcould tease his return to the more brutal, unadulterated and animalistic Hulk.
Hearing of Betty Ross' demise could unleash some primal anger in Bruce Banner that reverts him to the much-wanted “Savage Hulk"from the MCU’s early days. Marvel Studios has been criticized for “nerfing” the Hulk in recent years, butCaptain America: Brave New Worldcould tease his return to the more brutal, unadulterated and animalistic Hulk. This could even form the foundation of theMCU’s rumoredWorld War Hulkadaptation, with the Hulk’s rampage threatening a great many heroes, all because of the Leader’s vendetta.
Captain America: Brave New World
Cast
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.After meeting President Thaddeus Ross, Sam is caught in a global crisis. He must expose the mastermind behind a sinister plot before the world descends into turmoil. Captain America: Brave New World marks the big-screen debut of Sam Wilson as Captain America, and Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
