Dermot Mulroney, who portrays President Ritson of the MCU's United States in Secret Invasion, opened up about the reveal that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross is his successor in Captain America: Brave New World.
In Secret Invasion Episode 4, the U.S. President is caught in the conflict between Nick Fury and Gravik, with Earth hanging in the balance due to the evil Skrull's infiltration.
While it is unknown if Ritson will survive the events of Secret Invasion, many have speculated that the character will die, especially after Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross is the U.S. President in Captain America 4.
Secret Invasion Star Opens up About Major Harrison Ford Reveal
Speaking with ComicBookMovie, Secret Invasion star Dermot Mulroney admitted that it's "bad news" for his character, President Ritson, that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross will be replacing him as the next President of the United States in Captain America: Brave New World:
Wilding: “There’s a lot of rumblings online that Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross could be the MCU’s next president. So, if that is indeed the case, how do you feel about passing this President baton to him?”
Mulroney: “That’s bad news. That’s bad news.”
The Marvel star explained that he is not aware of how Ritson will lose the presidency, with him even speculating that he could be the "vice president under President Harrison Ford:"
Wilding: “Sorry to break it to you.”
Mulroney: “Yeah, no, I knew about this. I don’t know what anybody’s intent is. I couldn’t ask for more. I am so fulfilled and thrilled to have been in Secret Invasion, but I have no concept of whether Ritson survives, lives on, or continues in the storyline. It’d be a thrill, of course. But if I have to lose the next election to one American and it happens to be Harrison Ford, I guess that’s fair enough. And that’s okay. Maybe I can run– There’s nothing about two terms. I could be his vice president, right? I could do two terms as president and then two terms as vice president under President Harrison Ford.”
When ComicBookMovie's Josh Wilding asked if he is aware that Ritson is already an established character in the MCU (the character was mentioned in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Mulroney admitted that he only discovered it later on:
Wilding: “Well, fingers crossed on that one. But you know, Ritson, he’s not a character you can jump into the comic books and necessarily do a ton of research on, so did Marvel Studios help steer you in the right direction when it came to figuring out who this guy is. And you know he’s had a couple of mentions in 'Black Panther: [Wakanda Forever],' his name was mentioned, but do you have any help. Or was it– were you thrown into the deep end with Secret Invasion?”
Mulroney: “No, I even only found out later that he’d been mentioned in 'Black Panther [Wakanda Forever]'. I didn’t know that he was an existing storylined character. So maybe just the thrill of being cast as the President for this storyline was enough."
Mulroney then said that portraying Ritson leaves him with the "wonderful sensation of being dissatisfied and remaining curious:"
"But, it continues to intrigue and I don’t know if all of these questions are going to be answered in 'Secret Invasion.' So then that leaves you with that wonderful sensation of being dissatisfied and remaining curious. And there’s so little curiosity left in the world, and so little things you get to sit there, and wonder about, and not be able to get an answer on your phone. So if that’s part of this show for people, then we’re happy for that."
The President Ritson actor ended by reflecting on Secret Invasion's weekly format:
"It’s good for the brain to wonder, ‘Gotta wait a whole week to find out what happens.’ We used to do that all the time so that’s wonderful the way these shows are released this way and I think it makes it really fun to watch. It has been that way for my family, so I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of it.”
What Is President Ritson’s Fate After Secret Invasion?
With two episodes remaining, President Ritson's fate after Secret Invasion is unknown. Given that he is the President of the United States, it makes sense that the Skrulls' main target.
Based on what was revealed so far, it's possible that Gravik and the evil Skrulls' main mission is to eliminate Ritson at all costs so that they can have full access to the United States.
However, considering that Nick Fury is the one who's protecting the president, it will be a challenge for Gravik to reach Ritson.
Still, the fact that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross is the new president in Captain America 4 strongly indicates that Ritson will not make it out alive despite Fury's best efforts seen in the final trailer.
On the flip side, there's a chance that Ritson will end up stepping down from his position after the crazy Skrull shenanigans in the series.
Secret Invasion is streaming on Disney+. Captain America: Brave New World will premiere in theaters on July 26, 2024.
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