With an MCU Thunderbolts movie rumored for Marvel’s Phase 5 and Red Hulk a strong contender to appear, Avengers: Endgame could offer a major clue for how General Ross could become his comics counterpart. William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross was last seen in Black Widow (and chronologically at Tony Stark’s funeral), and though he looked entirely human then, Phase 5 could see a major change for the character.

Having reappeared in Captain America: Civil War, Hurt’s General Ross has remained a thorn in the side of superheroes who resist regulation. The Civil War over the Sokovia Accords may appear to be over, but WandaVision confirmed its statutes remained active after the theft of Vision’s body. And Ross is unlikely to simply change his ideological standpoint simply because Tony Stark died. In the wake of WandaVision and Falcon & The Winter Soldier’s events, he’s arguably even more likely to be pressing for regulation. And what better way to do that than by leading a Thunderbolts team of alternative heroes to show the Avengers the other side of the coin?

Related: Who Are MCU's Thunderbolts? Team Members, Origin & Comic History Explained

In the comics, Ross’s Red Hulk alter ego led The Thunderbolts team alongside a host of antiheroes and conscripted villains, and the rumored Thunderbolts movie should include Ross as the leader, even if he’s being manipulated to put the team together. And crucially, despite Ross seeing the issues with Hulk’s blood firsthand in Emil Blonsky’s Abomination transformation, he now has reason to believe it could be used safely. After all, the emergence of the calm Professor Hulk in Avengers: Endgame could easily allay any fears that another Abomination disaster would occur if Ross used the serum on himself.

Incredible Hulk General Ross

There’s also an intriguing precedent set up by Ross’ part in Black Widow that could further set up his transformation into Red Hulk. As Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff said, Ross had had another heart attack by the time he re-emerged on her tail in Phase 4’s opening movie. And this is a man defined by pride and a superiority complex that manifests as a stubborn reluctance to allow superheroes to go unchecked above his level. The idea that he would succumb to something so pitiful as a weak body while his nemesis Banner enjoys immortality would be unacceptable, to say the least. His giving his body up to become Red Hulk, and imagining he would become just like Professor Hulk is incredibly compelling as his possible phase 5 arc.

Fundamentally, General Ross becoming Red Hulk stands as the smartest way to end his MCU arc. He is obsessed with Banner, even as the world heralds him a hero and he has now spent time in the new Hulk’s company’s thanks to Tony Stark’s Endgame memorial. That too could prove convincing to a zealot already committed to the idea of government-sponsored superheroes. And with Phase 4 already dealing with one Hulk legacy character in She-Hulk, the stage is set for thematic resonance in a possible Red Hulk role in Marvel’s Thunderbolts movie.

Next: Every New MCU Super Team Rumored For Phase 4

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