Thunderbolts* gets its own Hulk story, continuing a trend from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first 2025 movie. One of the most criticized aspects of the Multiverse Saga is how characters have gone years without appearing, and many of the MCU’s recently introduced players have yet to interact. Thunderbolts*‘s all-star cast comes as a way to counter that criticism, as characters like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, and more ᴀssemble to form a new MCU team that operates in dark territory.
Thunderbolts* does introduce a couple of new characters to the franchise, but the upcoming MCU team-up movie’s story is all about bringing back characters and putting them in new situations, continuing their arcs from other projects. That is the same stance Marvel Studios has taken with its Hulks. Both Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk and Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk, the latter having been previously played by the late William Hurt, have had their stories continue through other characters’ movies and shows since a sequel to The Incredible Hulk was never made. A Thunderbolts* theory continues that Hulk trend.
Captain America: Brave New World’s Ending Sets Up Red Hulk’s Return
The MCU’s First 2025 Movie Had A Hulk-Centric Plot
Captain America: Brave New World ended with Red Hulk alive. Previously, trailers teased that a military funeral was originally part of the movie. That, alongside set pH๏τos of Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross attending said funeral, led to speculation that Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross would not be alive by the end of the film. However, the funeral was scrapped from the final version of the film, so if Ross was truly the character who was meant to die, that shows how Marvel now has bigger plans for Red Hulk.
Thaddeus Ross was very much alive when he was last seen. Due to his rampage as Red Hulk, which left some injured and destroyed the White House, Ross was sent to the Raft. The MCU’s underwater prison sets up some interesting possibilities for the character’s future. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson talked with Ross at the Raft, and their dialogue confirmed Red Hulk could return, as scientists have yet to find a way for Ford’s character to go back to normal or control his transformations. The Captain America movie sets up Red Hulk’s possible next MCU film.
Red Hulk And Zemo Could Return To The MCU In 2025
The Characters Are Linked To A New Marvel Studios Team
Ford’s Red Hulk is not the only major MCU character currently in the Raft. Daniel Brühl’s Zemo is also trapped there, having been imprisoned at the end of Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both of them have long been rumored to appear in Thunderbolts*, Marvel’s next 2025 movie. The characters are connected to the team in the comics, with Red Hulk having led a version of the Thunderbolts, while Zemo is the team’s most famous leader. With both of them at the Raft and connected to the team, it would make sense for them to cameo together.
The reason behind the move would be simple. As the Thunderbolts will go up against the Void, the dark side of Sentry, Marvel’s answer to DC’s Superman, multiple members of the team are likely to die. By the end of the film, the Thunderbolts could recruit a couple of new members, and that is where Red Hulk and Zemo come up. The characters operate in the same gray areas that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the MCU character who has been ᴀssembling the Thunderbolts, was looking for in the team’s members. As such, their chances of appearing in Thunderbolts* are good.
All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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