Captain America: Brave New World director Julius Onah recently addressed the decision to keep Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk silent throughout his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The alter ego of U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the Red Hulk is, much like his green counterpart, a manifestation of pure rage, and as such, he does not possess the capacity for communication that his human side does.

Speaking with Collider, Onah explained that the powers that be actually debated how to characterize the Marvel villain in Captain America: Brave New World. He stated: “Whether or not Red Hulk should talk, that was something that came up quite a bit; My feeling was that he shouldn’t, which is what is the case in the movie.” Per Onah, this decision was made in order to further develop Ross’ arc.

The filmmaker elaborated: “The transformation that Ross is dealing with and the struggle that Ross is dealing with emotionally in this film is trying to move away from what he’s been known as, as ‘Thunderbolt Ross.’ The moment you give him language as a Hulk, then people can talk to each other, and you’re moving away from pure id to a more rational being.” Onah explained that Ford felt “the same way” about keeping the Red Hulk as more of a pure rage monster.

The director said that this agreement over the direction of Red Hulk spoke to “how great of collaborators everybody at Marvel is” because “they respected that, and that’s what we got in the movie.”

What The Captain America? Brave New World Director’s Red Hulk Comments Mean

Given the film’s emphasis on Ross moving away from his more antagonistic history in the MCU, Red Hulk can be seen as representing his baser emotions, such as those that inspired him to take a hard stance against the Avengers. Notably, Captain America: Brave New World sees Ross have a change of heart and ask Captain America/Sam Wilson to reform the Avengers. Simultaneously, he is struggling with his transformation into the Red Hulk, a direct result of how he treated Samuel Sterns/the Leader. In many ways, he is facing a metaphorical reckoning with his past sins through becoming Red Hulk.

Even while Ross tries to move away from his past, Red Hulk’s emergence forces him to face his regrets. As such, Onah and Ford’s desire to keep Red Hulk silent makes sense–he is a being of pure emotion that represents every baser, destructive thought that Ross has had. Marvel allowing the director to take the lead on this decision solidified the character’s arc.

Our Take On The Captain America? Brave New World Director’s Red Hulk Comments

While audiences and critics are divided on Captain America: Brave New World, Ford’s performance as Ross is generally considered one of the better aspects of the film. Moreover, the juxtaposition between Ross trying to be a better man and being forced to instead take accountability is heightened by the choice to make Red Hulk a nonverbal villain. Though the film overall suffers from creative indecision, its treatment of Red Hulk—for his brief time onscreen—benefited from Onah and Ford’s collaboration.

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