The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a history of casting both unknowns and the biggest stars in the world, but after the events of Captain America: Brave New World, and moving into Thunderbolts*, I’m worried that arguably their most well-known star yet may not get much more story to tell. Telling any individual story is difficult within the movies of the Marvel Universe, where the larger universe ramifications draw most of the importance. This has caused several story threads to be left behind, and I’m worried this will be the next one.

This has especially been an issue with the MCU’s post-credit scenes trend, which has seen countless characters introduced, only to never be brought up again. There is still hope that characters like Starfox and Hercules could appear in the franchise in the future, but this does not seem to be a priority. With this in mind, when certain characters are actually given logical places to leave their stories, I can’t help but wonder if there is any plan to revisit them again. This is especially true of the biggest star recently added to the universe.

Harrison Ford Is One Of The MCU’s Biggest New Castings

Ford Has Remained One Of The Biggest Stars In Hollywood For Decades

After the pᴀssing of William Hurt, who previously played Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU, I ᴀssumed that the franchise would write out his character. Instead, they went the other way, and brought in one of the biggest stars who has ever lived to replace him. In Captain America: Brave New World, the character plays a significant role as the President of the United States. This follows with one of the most dramatic moves in the series, with Harrison Ford transforming into the Red Hulk.

Marvel has always had a good balance of big and rising stars in their projects. For every career they launch, like Chris Hemsworth or Simu Liu, they bring in a notable and established name, like Brie Larson or Benedict Cumberbatch. Still, few stars of the size and scale of Ford have been brought in to play recurring characters. With that in mind, while Ross has up to this point appeared in several different MCU films, I wonder if Ford’s time as the character will only be in one film.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Ending Sets A Worrying Future Up For Harrison Ford’s MCU Future

I Am Worried That Ford Will Not Appear In Future MCU Projects

The ending of Captain America: Brave New World saw the Red Hulk being talked down from his rageful form. From there, Ross was taken into custody, and his character was stored on the Raft to keep him and others safe. Ross does not appear to be especially interested in escaping from the Raft, and seems to believe this might be the best place for him now. With that in mind, it suddenly seems unlikely that Ford will return to the role any time soon.

Many Marvel villains only appear once before being dispatched quickly, but this would be a surprising choice for Ford. The star has appeared in some of the most iconic films and franchises over the years, and has shown himself willing to return to various genre roles. He played Han Solo in the old and new Star Wars films, and came back as Indiana Jones as recently as 2023. While he has proven himself willing to return to these kinds of roles, I find myself worried that he might already be done at Marvel.

I’m Genuinely Worried The MCU Won’t Fully Use Harrison Ford’s Casting After Brave New World

I Was Looking Forward To Seeing More Of Ford In Thunderbolts* And The Future MCU

Not using Ford again after Brave New World is certainly possible, but it’s also so strange. If Ford was intended to be done away with so quickly again, I don’t understand why it was so crucial to recast the role after William Hurt’s death. After the MCU chose not to recast T’Challa following Chadwick Boseman’s pᴀssing, I figured that they would also be reluctant to recast Ross. When they did, I ᴀssumed that this was done because they had a significant and long-term plan for his character beyond this single film.

This result, especially after bringing in a star as big as Ford, is especially confusing. In addition, Marvel’s Thunderbolts team is canonically named after Ross, and it would be strange if he did not appear there. With that said, perhaps the events of Brave New World are why the Thunderbolts* trailer saw the cast reluctant to use their team name. With Ross in prison, and likely absent from the new film, that could provide the group with links to the US government while feeling cagey Ross’ actions.

I hope that I’m wrong, and that Harrison Ford remains in the MCU for many more years to come. I want to see him fight alongside the Avengers in Avengers: Secret Wars as Red Hulk, and I want to see him restore good relationships with his daughter Betty and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. Ross has had a long and interesting path in the MCU, and it would be disappointing if Captain America: Brave New World was the last time that we saw the character. Sadly, I am worried that it might be.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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