This Is The MCU’s Most Wasted Character

This Is The MCU’s Most Wasted Character

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William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross made it all the way from The Incredible Hulk to Black Widow, but he could be so much more.

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This Is The MCU’s Most Wasted Character

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War teaches aspiring tacticians that being first on the battlefield is crucial in order to defeat one’s opponent, yet in the case of Marvel’s most celebrated general, that strategy may have backfired a bit in the long run. That man of course is none other than Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, whose time in the MCU rivals that of Nick Fury and the late Tony Stark, albeit with much less screen time.

Unlike his daughter and Bruce Banner sweetheart, Betty Ross, the character played by William Hurt has been a mainstay throughout the MCU’s four phases and with much source material tied to him in the comic book, his story is still one rife with potential. Unfortunately, Thunderbolt Ross’ early start in MCU history in The Incredible Hulk may mean some of the characters’ best and most powerful iterations could remain unseen in film.

Fighting The Bigger War

This Is The MCU’s Most Wasted Character

Now that Eternals’ sits comfortably as the worst-rated MCU film ever, The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World may be rest peacefully as there’s a new black sheep in the Marvel family, nevertheless, that doesn’t mean The Hulk’s solo movie is absolved from its sins. Though perhaps burdened by the load of Ang Lee’s own Hulk movie, the MCU version paled in comparison to its early colleagues leading up to the first big Avengers team-up, and after Mark Ruffalo proved to be charismatic enough for the part, there was no need to explore The Hulk’s universe any further.

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That could have very well marked the end of Hurt’s MCU spell, however, despite The Incredible Hulk’s faults, Thaddeus Ross is one of the highlights in the movie due to the character’s behavior and his crucial role in the three-dimensional chess that are U.S. politics in Marvel, all of which could be easily imported without batting an eye. The result is Thunderbolt Ross making a comeback appearance in Captain America: Civil War, as well as showing up in Black Widow, Infinity War, and Endgame, albeit in a capacity that makes him more of a nuisance for the Avengers.

So far, Marvel Studios’ handling of Ross has been that of a character that’s too instrumental in the grand scheme of the MCU to fully let go, yet perhaps not exciting enough to become the main villain at any point but that could easily change if Hurt is given the chance to truly be all he can be, army style.

Enter The Red Hulk

This Is The MCU’s Most Wasted Character

While the MCU has opted to remain mostly detached from Hulk storylines, Thunderbolt Ross unique brand of patriotism still makes him a likely adversary for the new crop of Avengers in the future. After all, Civil War saw Ross rely on Iron Man to hunt down Captain America’s rogue faction, and despite his attendance at Stark’s funeral, he may not be as patient with the new uncontrollable heroes that Phase Four is in introducing.

In Marvel Comics, Ross’ pursuit of Bruce Banner and the loss of Betty eventually leads to becoming the Red Hulk, essentially a like-for-like red version of Hulk with the ability to transform himself out of his own volition. Although the characters’ super-powered persona was at times considered to appear in Civil War, the idea was tossed, but now that Contessa Valentina is recruiting her own gang of misfits like U.S. Agent and Yelena Belova, the idea could have resurfaced.

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Even if Marvel’s Phase Four looks to be more “cosmic”, there are some interesting plot points developing back on planet Earth that include the possible formation of a Thunderbolts task force led by Ross, who at times was rumored to be The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s Power Broker. No matter William Hurt’s age, the Red Hulk’s powers include de-aging, so maybe the concept could still be used in the future.

What MCU Has In Store For The Hulk

At first glance the answer to this question seems rather obvious, She-Hulk will introduce Jennifer Walters as Bruce Banner’s successor much like Hawkeye is doing the same with Kate Bishop and Clint Barton, yet unlike the current holiday series, She-Hulk will bring back at last one familiar face.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings unexpected Abomination cameo served to remind everyone that Emil Blonsky is very much alive serving time at The Raft, and if that character is bound to appear in She-Hulk it would be odd, to say the least, that The Raft’s warden wouldn’t be involved if he were to break out.

Thunderbolt Ross has been largely underutilized in the MCU, a rare statement considering his presence in so many movies, but regardless of that there’s still a chance to give him a proper sendoff as the fearsome general he is. Whether it’s in his Red Hulk form or simply as The Thunderbolts’ leader once Phase Four sorts out its lineup, seeing Bruce Banner retire from the MCU in She-Hulk without him would feel like even more of a waste.

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