Harrison Ford is portrayed as the perfect General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross in Thunderbolts fan art after rumors he will take over the role.
Harrison Ford Is Introduced As General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross In Marvel’s Lightning strikes fan art, bringing the rumor cast to life. After William Hurt appeared as General Ross in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, starting with 2008 The Incredible Hulkthe team of villains and anti-heroes known as the Lightning strikes it had been expected for years to make an MCU debut, which was finally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. General Ross’s status, however, was unknown after Hurt passed away earlier this year. But now Marvel may be in for a recast as Ford was reportedly the first choice to take over the role.
Although the announcement of D23 2022 of Lightning strikes revealed an ensemble cast of returning MCU actors, including Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbor as Red Guardian and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, General Ross did not appear to be involved. Fans have shown support for Ford as General Ross following rumors of his casting, and a source has even said the role was a foregone conclusion before the D23 announcement. Ford was mainly focused on promotion Indiana Jones 5 at that point, meaning all potential Marvel-related projects took a back seat.
With fans supporting the theoretical casting, artists like rahalarts on Instagram have already pictured Ford as General Ross in his military uniform, and another in his classic suit and tie. On Twitter, agtdesign10 even added Ford to a Lightning strikes poster with the Red Hulk looming behind him, referring to Ross finally making that transformation in the MCU. In both artworks, Ford wears General Ross’ signature mustache and looks just as serious as the General himself. See the full art below.
​​​​
Why Harrison Ford Makes Sense as General Ross
Ford already has a strong relationship with Disney through his work on Star Wars and Indiana Jones, so he makes sense as a strong, known quantity to take on the role. Despite his extensive filmography and success as an actor, Ford has yet to play a superhero, which could make him a fantastic addition to the MCU as a veteran action hero-type entering the superhero genre for the first time. Recasting General Ross also provides more storytelling opportunities for the Lightning strikes and the bigger MCU, like the introduction of Red Hulk, so Ford’s casting could mean future sequels or even spin-off series, as Marvel has favored lately with shows like She-Hulk: Lawyer and Moon Knight.
While Ford’s casting hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s exciting for fans to start introducing him as General Ross right now. Standing above the team of villains in poster art, Ford is already at home as the leader of the Thunderbolts. Whether Ford is cast as General Ross or not, fans will have to wait until Lightning strikes releases in July 2024 to see if Ross’ character continues in the MCU.
Source: agtdesign10, rahalarts
