Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts has reportedly found its new Thaddeus Ross in legendary Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford.

Following rumors that Marvel was eyeing Ford to take over the role of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for the late William Hurt, Jeff Sneider of The Hot Mic With John Rocha and Jeff Sneider reports that the Blade Runner alum's casting has indeed come to pass. Sneider's initial report has since been corroborated, with /Film independently confirming that Ford has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thunderbolt Ross.

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As one would expect, Ford's Thunderbolt Ross is expected to play a major role in the upcoming Marvel Studios film Thunderbolts, which is currently scheduled for release on July 26, 2024 to close out Phase Five of the MCU. However, Sneider reports that Ford will also appear as Thunderbolt Ross in fellow Phase Five film Captain America: New World Order, which is itself scheduled for release on May 3, 2024 -- a couple of months before Thunderbolts.

Thunderbolt Ross' Marvel Journey So Far

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross first appeared in 1962's Incredible Hulk #1. Thunderbolt Ross is a longtime nemesis of the Hulk, who -- initially unbeknownst to him -- is actually his own son-in-law, Bruce Banner. In 2008's Hulk #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness, Ross fist transformed into the infamous Red Hulk. Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk would eventually come to lead the 2012 incarnation of the Thunderbolts.

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Thaddeus Ross was first portrayed in live-action by Sam Elliott in Universal Pictures' 2003 film Hulk. The aforementioned William Hurt then took over the role in Universal and Marvel Studios' 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, the second-ever entry in the MCU, following Iron Man. Hurt subsequently reprised the role in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021). However, Hurt passed away on March 13, 2022 at the age of 71.

Late last month, the aforementioned Sneider first reported that Ford was Marvel's top choice to replace Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, though Marvel insiders denied that Ford had actually been cast at that point in time. Sneider later reported that Marvel initially planned to announce Ford's casting at this year's D23 Expo, though Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy vetoed the idea, so as to keep the focus on Indiana Jones 5, which is currently slated for release on June 30, 2023 and will mark Ford's last outing as the titular character.

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Thunderbolts Hits Theaters in 2024

Created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, the original incarnation of the Thunderbolts first appeared in 1996's Incredible Hulk #449. The team is often viewed as being Marvel's equivalent of DC's Suicide Squad, consisting primarily of anti-heroes and reformed supervillains who work for the government. The MCU's Thunderbolts lineup consists of Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts releases in theaters on July 26, 2024.

Source: The Hot Mic With John Rocha and Jeff Sneider; /Film