Rud Hulk's role in Captain America: Brave New World is one spoiler Marvel Studios has no intention of keeping.
Assuming the mantle of General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross from late actor William Hurt is Star Wars icon Harrison Ford, whose character isn't just the President of the United States in Captain America 4 but also the specially engineered Red Hulk.
Red Hulk Origin Twist Revealed
The box for an upcoming Marvel Legends Red Hulk figure spoiled why Thunderbolt Ross is seeing red in Captain America: Brave New World.
The box's description (shared via Instagram) revealed that Red Hulk is a "monster of Samuel Sterns' making" with skin that radiates intense heat and burns whatever it touches.
Like the character of Thunderbolt Ross, Samuel Sterns made his MCU debut in The Incredible Hulk, played by Tim Blake Nelson.
Nelson is back in Brave New World following his The Incredible Hulk brain mutation, where he's apparently maintained his partnership with the now-President Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross.
He's also expected to assume the title of the Leader in Captain America 4, his villainous name from the comics.
Red Hulk & the Leader's Mysterious Captain America 4 Story
Anthony Mackie's Cap may be the star of Captain America: Brave New World, but Marvel Studios has a story to tell with Harrison Ford's Ross.
Not only is he the new President of the United States in the wake of dramatic MCU events, but he's secretly an engineered Red Hulk and the father of Betty Ross, the Hulk's Bruce Banner's former love interest, with Liv Tyler reprising her 2008 role.
It will be fascinating to see how he juggles these various complexities, the inevitable impact of his Red Hulk transformation, and his relationship with the Leader.
The question now is the extent of Samuel Sterns' role and his plan for this Phase 5 story, as well as how he and Ross connect to other Captain America 4 antagonists, such as Sidewinder, played by The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito, and Rosa Salazar's Diamondback.
Captain America: Brave New World smashes into theaters on February 14, 2025.
