Warning: This article contains spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.Marvel’s original plans for Captain America: Brave New World may have included a major MCU death that would have changed the movie’s ending drastically. Captain America: Brave New World introduces two new MCU villains with an extensive comic book background. Samuel Sterns reveals his Gamma-mutated appearance for the first time in seventeen years, and Thaddeus Ross tranforms for the first time on-screen after a few short appearances as a secondary antagonist to Hulk and the Avengers. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk doesn’t appear in Captain America: Brave New World, but two of his most important antagonists provide Captain America with his biggest battle so far.

Despite its high-stakes plot and intense action scenes, Captain America: Brave New World features very few deaths. Joaquin Torres suffers a life-threatening injury while defending Celestial Island from the Leader’s attacks, but he makes it through and promises to be part of Captain America’s new Avengers team once he recovers. Every hero and villain in Captain America: Brave New World survives until the end of the film, except for the MCU’s Dennis Dunphy, who apparently dies before getting to receive his own superpowers and taking up the Demolition Man moniker. However, Captain America: Brave New World‘s reshoots may have saved another character’s life.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Trailer Funeral Makes Most Sense To Be For President Ross

Captain America: Brave New World’s Reshoots May Have Rewritten Thaddeus Ross’ Fate

After a brief recap of Thaddeus Ross’ presidential campaign at the beginning of Captain America: Brave New World, Ross visits his wife’s grave and laments his broken relationship with his daughter Betty. Captain America: Brave New World‘s ending sends Thaddeus Ross and Samuel Sterns to the Raft, where Ross reunites with Betty. However, it seems like Captain America: Brave New World almost ended very differently, as behind-the-scenes footage that didn’t make it into the movie shows Betty Ross and Sam Wilson attending a funeral. Sam Wilson’s injured arm in this deleted scene suggests it would have taken place at the end of the film.

The most logical reason why Betty Ross and a beaten-up Sam Wilson would meet during a funeral in Captain America: Brave New World is President Ross’ death, probably after his fight with Captain America as Red Hulk. After all, President Ross’ Red Hulk transformation is the secret side effect to the heart medicine Samuel Sterns created for him. After such a fierce battle, it would make sense for Ross to suffer a heart attack. Some parts of Captain America: Brave New World may have changed significantly during reshoots, and President Ross’ death may have gone the same way as Seth Rollins and Rosa Salazar’s Serpent Society characters.

Harrison Ford’s Ross Dying In Captain America: Brave New World Would Have Been A Huge Waste

Red Hulk Deserves More Than A Single Action Sequence In The MCU

President Ross’ Red Hulk transformation is undeniably one of the most exciting action sequences in Captain America: Brave New World. Yet, Captain America and Red Hulk’s fight only lasts a few minutes, and Ross gets sent to the Raft right afterward. While Red Hulk’s screentime in Captain America: Brave New World is limited, it still seems likely for Ross to return in a future project, where he could transform back into Red Hulk either by himself or under Samuel Sterns’ influence. Had President Ross died, Red Hulk’s brief fight with Captain America would have been his only MCU appearance — a huge disservice to the character.

Red Hulk teams up with the Intelligencia, the Thunderbolts, and even the Avengers in the comics. As Red Hulk, Thaddeus Ross also participates in events such as World War Hulks, Avengers vs. X-Men, and Fear Itself, jumping between villainous and heroic roles depending on convenience. In the MCU, Red Hulk could fully redeem himself and join the Avengers if they need new members. Otherwise, Ross could lose control again and let Red Hulk’s rage take over in a future fight against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. There are plenty of creative possibilities for the MCU’s Red Hulk.

President Ross’ Death Would Have Made Hulk’s Absence Even Worse

Red Hulk’s Death Would Have Stripped The MCU’s Hulk From Yet Another Villain

Unfortunately, Hulk’s complicated movie distribution rights have kept Bruce Banner from starring in another solo movie since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. As a result, Hulk has only fought other heroes’ enemies in crossover movies and certain heroes’ solo тιтles. After Hulk fought Abomination in The Incredible Hulk, he has faced villains such as Loki, Ultron, Hela, and Thanos, but he hasn’t fought classic Hulk villains such as Absorbing Man and the U-Foes. Bruce Banner’s absence in Captain America: Brave New World is difficult to ignore, as the Leader and Red Hulk are Hulk’s most famous enemies.

Had Red Hulk died in Captain America: Brave New World, Marvel would have put the final nail in the coffin of an eventual “Hulk vs. Red Hulk” battle. Thaddeus Ross’ MCU story began with his pursuit of the Hulk and his attempt to replicate his power in the Abomination, kicking off a chain of events that led to his torture of Samuel Sterns and Sterns’ subsequent revenge plan that resulted in Red Hulk. Bruce Banner’s original Hulk is central to Red Hulk and the Leader’s MCU journey. Marvel’s decision not to add Hulk to Captain America: Brave New World is already a blow to the hero. Taking away the possibility of fighting Red Hulk in the future would have been an insult to the original Hulk.

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