Warning: Possible spoilers ahead for Captain America: Brave New World.
Despite having a career in Hollywood spanning nearly 50 years, Harrison Ford can be surprisingly reticent when it comes to talking about the movies he’s acted in. Aside from his tongue-in-cheek mandate that nobody would be able to play Indiana Jones besides himself, Ford, up until recent years, has built a reputation for being reserved, guarded and purposely grumpy in interviews leading up to his featured work.
Which is what makes the fact that Ford seems more communicative, excited and expressive about his upcoming role in Captain America: Brave New World all the more promising. Ford plays General Thunderbolt Ross, and in what might be the worst kept secret in Marvel Cinematic Studios history, Ross’ raging Red Hulk alter ego in Brave New World. The 82-year-old actor paid tribute to the late William Hurt, who played Ross in five previous MCU films, up until his passing in 2022 to prostate cancer.
“I’d like to think the character was a great fit for me,” Ford said at a recent press conference for the film. “I was honored to be able to do my work on top of a foundation that a wonderful actor, Bill Hurt, provided for the character.”
Ford continued, “And the story is a wonderful extension of the stories that Thunderbolt Ross has been part of. I’ve watched Marvel movies and seen actors I really liked, really admired, have a great time. And I thought, ‘Hey, I want me some of that.'”
When asked about the preparatory process of turning into a gamma-radiation-fueled rage monster, Ford joked, “I just went for it. And nobody stopped me.”
Ford thinks that Red Hulk and Ross (if they make it out of the events of Brave New World of course) have a place in future MCU stories.
“I hope he can come back. I hope there’s a story in which he can develop into something other than the Red Hulk. I think we have the capacity to shift shape between Hulkness and humanity, but that’s really not my department. I was very happy with the opportunity to play in this playground. What an amazing group of people to work with, and what an imaginative reality. So I was looking forward to having a piece of the action.”
Ford also added some witty commentary on the role on a recent episode of the Jake’s Takes podcast.
When asked who would in a fight between Mark Ruffalo’s green Hulk and his Red Hulk, Ford replied, “It does fall into a category. It falls into the ‘who shot first’ category. So the answer is Greedo,” jokingly referencing a controversial scene that was redone by George Lucas involving his Star Wars character Han Solo and an assailant.
It wasn’t all jokes however. When asked why an actor would want to star in a Marvel Studios film, Ford answered that it’s for fun and for the audience’s excitement, but there also has to be some strong, emotional connective tissue that makes it resonate as well.’
“Nobody does this kind of movie except for fun. It’s fun. Actors get to act, do silly stuff, but they don’t do it silly. They do it sincerely for the audience’s pleasure, for expanding the universe, their limits of your imagination,” Ford replied. “But it’s got to have a human context. It’s got to have some emotional realities that you can feel what you’re seeing. Otherwise you’re just looking at it. Unless you can feel it emotionally relate to it, it’s not useful.”
Ford reinforced the notion that he’s genuinely to have been in a Marvel film on a recent episode of Good Morning America.
“It’s a Marvel movie for God’s sake. And it’s got all of that smash and grab, running, jumping and falling down stuff. Being in a Marvel film is a privilege. It’s an introduction to a whole new genre.”
Ford added that choosing a favorite role he’s starred as “would be like comparing your children one to the other” because “each film is a different opportunity.”
“It’s kind of a fantastic way to spend your life,” he added.
What do you think of the fact that Harrison Ford says he’s ‘honored’ to play General Thunderbolt Ross in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Brave New World hits theaters on February 14th, 2025.
