Harrison Ford In Thunderbolts Would Be The Wildest MCU Casting Yet

The latest rumor around the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about the possible casting of Harrison Ford in Thunderbolts, which if true, would be the wildest MCU casting to date. The MCU continues its expansion with phases 4 to 6, known as the Multiverse Saga, which will see the arrival of new characters that will be key in the future of this connected universe. Phase 5 will also see the formation of a new team: Thunderbolts, composed of already introduced characters but with a different vision to that of the Avengers.

In June 2022, Thunderbolts was announced to be in development with Jake Schreier on board as director, and during the 2022 D23 event, Marvel revealed the line-up of this special team: Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). A character long rumored to play a role in a Thunderbolts movie was General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt), even more after his reappearance in the MCU throughout phases 3 and 4. However, after Hurt’s passing, there has been no official word on a possible Thunderbolt Ross recast – but rumors are circulating about Harrison Ford taking his place, which would be the wildest MCU casting to date.

Why Harrison Ford Would Be Perfect For The MCU

Harrison Ford blended with an image of Thunderbolt Ross

Marvel is reportedly interested in casting Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. According to Jeff Sneider in his podcast The Hot Mic, Marvel has or had Ford as the top choice to take Hurt’s place in Thunderbolts, and it was a done deal before the D23 event, but Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy stopped the announcement from being made. Sneider explained that Kennedy’s reasoning was to keep the focus on the studio’s Indiana Jones 5 content, and announcing Ford joining the MCU would have overshadowed it. Harrison Ford is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood thanks to his work in some of the biggest franchises in the entertainment industry, such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, yet he hasn’t made a superhero movie yet.

Now, while Thunderbolts already has well-known characters and actors in its cast so far, and all its team members have already appeared in, at least, one MCU movie or TV show, having Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross would be an even bigger draw for the movie, mostly for those who are still not fully convinced by a Thunderbolts movie. While replacing Hurt as Ross in the MCU is not easy, Ford would be the ideal way to keep the character going as he matches Ross’ serious and threatening vibe, and it would be a much less demanding role than Indiana Jones, allowing Ford to continue being part of the extensive Disney family in yet another major franchise.

Will Harrison Ford's MCU Casting Ever Actually Happen?

As exciting as the thought of having Harrison Ford take over the role of Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga is, so far it’s nothing more than speculation and contradicting rumors, as it’s unclear if the deal is done and Marvel is just waiting to get the greenlight to announce it, or if he was just an option at some point. Still, even if he doesn’t play Thunderbolt Ross in Thunderbolts, Harrison Ford should have a place in the MCU, either as a different character taking over what Ross’ role would be or someone else, making him the biggest and most exciting casting the MCU has had so far.

Next: Don’t Worry, That Isn’t The MCU’s Final Thunderbolts Team