William Hurt's health appeared to be on the decline for some time before he passed away this year, something that was evident from the fact that VFX was used to improve his appearance in Black Widow. His death struck a blow to Hollywood as the actor isn't easy to replace, though it does seem Marvel Studios isn't finished with General "Thunderbolt" Ross yet.
With a movie called Thunderbolts on the horizon, that isn't overly surprising, especially as all signs point to Marvel Studios potentially introducing Red Hulk in the not-too-distant future.
Now, scooper Jeff Sneider (who admittedly has something of a spotty track record) is claiming that Star Wars and Indiana Jones legend Harrison Ford is Marvel Studios' top choice to play Ross in Thunderbolts. It's said that the studio considered making his involvement in the project known at D23 but didn't want to overshadow his presence at the event to hype Indiana Jones 5.
If true, this is huge and could mean that Ford is about to Hulk out in the MCU.
There had been speculation that Thunderbolts might reveal that Ross had died, with the team named in his honour. However, it does arguably make more sense to recast the antagonist, particularly as there's still so much to be done with the character.
While Hurt delivered a memorable portrayal of the General in The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Black Widow, the character played a small enough role in the MCU that recasting him wouldn't be overly jarring. Only time will tell whether this rumour is true, but we're definitely intrigued.
Thunderbolts is set to be released in theatres on July 26, 2024.