William Hurthad said he was “really excited” to return as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Rossfor the fifth time inCaptainAmerica: Brave New Worldprior to hisunexpected death in 2022.
Producer Nate Moore discussed the newCaptain Americamovie and details about theRed HulkwithEntertainment Weekly(viaThe Direct), and how he spoke with Hurt about returning as Ross, who is now President in the new film.
“He was very excited to come back, to be quite frank. When he passed, it was a surprise. You figure out if it’s worth proceeding with the story you have or trying something else.”
Hurt played “Thunderbolt” Ross in five MCU movies, starting withThe Incredible Hulkin 2008, when he was a General. He returned as Secretary of State Ross eight years later inCaptain America: Civil War. He followed that up inAvengers: Infinity War, Avengers:End Game,andBlack Widow. His Ross was well-received by fans and critics, and the role was a bit of a change from the dramatic roles he played in his storied, Oscar-winning career.
Marvel Studios and the producers had tomake a decision if they were going toreplace Hurt or not as Rossespecially since the character later becomes the Red Hulk. Once the decision was made,Harrison Ford was cast as Rossand Moore added that it wasFord himself who was interested in joining the MCU:
“It just so happened that Harrison Ford reached out to Kevin Feige [Marvel Studios' President] about potentially playing in the Marvel sandbox.”
The Promotions forCaptain America: Brave New Worldare Ramping Up
The newCaptain Americasequel opens in about a month-and-a-half on February 14th, and themarketing has really kicked into high gear. Movie theater-goers were recently treated to agiant Red Hulk standee(although some said it looks more like the Mark Ruffalo Hulk), thefirst image of The Leader(Tim Blake Nelson returning as Samuel Sterns), morecharacter first looks, andtrailers. Expect even more previews and news to come out as the film gets closer to its release.
Marvel Studios Producer Finally Reveals Why ‘Captain America 4’ Needed to Change Its Title
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ was originally announced under a different title, so why was it changed?
The journey to the fourthCaptain Americamovie hasn’t been smooth. Originally titledCaptain America: New World Order, it was originally planned for release on August 04, 2025 before thename-change toBrave New Worldand was pushed back to July 19, 2025. However, following reported negative test screenings in late 2023, the filmunderwent extensive reshootslast year, about four to five months of filming. Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider said three major sequences had been cut, and the film was delayed again to its new date, August 24, 2025.
Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has taken up the shield of Captain America inBrave New World, which is directed by Julius Onah (Luce) with a script by Onah, Peter Glanz, and Matthew Orton. Joining Mackie, Ford, and Nelson are Liv Tyler (returning as Betty Ross), Giancarlo Esposito as villain Sidewinder (leader of the Serpent Society), and Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres and the new Falcon, Wilson’s right-hand man.
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
