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It's official: Harrison Ford really will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Han Solo himself actually has signed up to fly casual as General Thunderbolt Ross in the next Captain America movie

After weeks of rumors, it’s official: Harrison Ford is joining the MCU, starting with the next Captain America movie — and who he’s playing suggests that he might show up in other movies, as well.

Deadline is reporting that the Star Wars and Indiana Jones veteran will replace the late William Hurt in the role of General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross in 2024’s Captain America: New World Order, the first Captain America movie to feature Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the Star-Spangled Avenger.

Interestingly enough, Ross as a character first appeared in the MCU in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk — the same film that introduced New World Order’s villain, Samuel Sterns, as played by Tim Blake Nelson. Whether or not this means that New World Order is going to have a gamma radiation theme overall remains unclear, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the comic book version of Ross eventually became a Hulk himself: the overpowered Red Hulk that debuted in comics back in 2008.

The Red Hulk would go on to become a member of the team that (coincidentally) shared his name, the Thunderbolts… leading many to speculate that Ford will make an appearance in the Thunderbolts movie also scheduled for a 2024 release — or if that movie is directly connected to the next Captain America movie in some way. After all, Thunderbolts does feature U.S. Agent and the Winter Soldier, two characters Sam Wilson shared the screen with in the Disney+ Falcon and the Winter Soldier series…

Captain America: New World Order is being written by Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman, and directed by Julius Onah. The feature is scheduled for release May 3, 2024.


Wondering what superhero movie is out when? Sure you are; that’s why you need this list of release dates that we’re constantly updating.

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Graeme McMillan

Staff Writer

Popverse staff writer Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.

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