The article will expose a detail from Captain America: Brave New World that no one on the internet seems to be discussing which is Red Hulk MCU debut. It is about the image below, which Marvel has officially released. Since its release, many people have wondered why Thaddeus Ross’s moustache was gone, but no one has attempted to figure out the explanation.
The answer is that in the comics, Thaddeus Ross always had his distinctive large moustache when he was in human form. However, once he transformed into the Red Hulk, he lost his moustache and his grey hair turned entirely black. Now that we’ve seen how comic-accurate Marvel has been in the five years since Endgame, it’s safe to assume that Marvel will aim to be as comic-accurate as possible when introducing Red Hulk for the first time in the MCU. However, how can you explain Thaddeus Ross’ moustache disappearing as soon as he turns into the Red Hulk? It’s much easier to do this in comics, but in a live-action film, the viewer will see it as a mistake.
It happened in the comics because the writers at the time did not want to reveal who would become the Red Hulk. That’s why they opted to remove the moustache in Red Hulk form, and I suppose Marvel decided to completely eliminate Ross’ distinctive moustache so that when he transforms into the Red Hulk, his human look remains constant.
Now, one could argue that because our beloved William Hurt, who has played the character since the MCU’s beginning in 2008, passed away, Marvel had to recast the character, and they chose Harrison Ford. That’s why they chose to shave the moustache. But that can’t be the main reason, since if you look at any photo of Harrison Ford on the internet, you can see how distinguished he looks even with a substantial moustache, and I don’t think they’d get rid of it just to get rid of it. I mean, isn’t this the perfect menacing appearance for your villain? So I believe the main reason they had to have the character lose his moustache was because they are going to introduce Red Hulk, which Marvel repeatedly disputes, including Harrison Ford himself.
The Cinemacon video shown in April did mention Ross appearing different, and here’s the exchange that will occur in the film between Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross and Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Sam remarks, “I have to admit, I’m still not used to the new look,” to which President Ross responds, “Neither am I. They stated, ‘Lose the moustache or lose the election.'” So this sequence, which I believe will take place early in the film, is attempting to show Ross’s lack of a moustache as a result of having to remove it in order to win the US presidential election. That could be part of the explanation, but I believe the main cause is him becoming the Red Hulk near the end of the film. Because if you CGI a big Red Hulk figure modelled after Harrison Ford and added a moustache, it looks quite odd.
Marvel might have taken one of two approaches here for Red Hulk MCU debut. They could have done exactly what happened in the comics, where Thaddeus Ross has a trademark moustache that disappears without explanation when he transforms into the Red Hulk. However, if they execute it in live action, more issues will arise. So instead, they completely removed Thaddeus Ross’ moustache from his human form. So they may now CGI Red Hulk in the comic book style while keeping his human shape consistent. This helps Marvel to keep the film according to the rules of physics while also remaining comic-book authentic.
Marvel ruined the moment of Red Hulk MCU debut by publishing this official photograph, but I don’t think they could have kept it a secret either given leaked set photos previously showed Harrison Ford playing the role sans his iconic moustache.
Before I wrap off this essay, I’d like to give you one more reason why I feel Marvel is on its way to introducing the Red Hulk into the MCU. General Ross’s most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe cameo occurred at the end of Avengers Endgame, during Tony’s funeral. Prior to Endgame, Ross revealed during Captain America Civil War that he had experienced some serious health concerns as a result of a heart attack five years ago.
“I had a heart attack five years ago.” I dropped in the middle of my back swing. It turned out to be the best round of my life because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I discovered something that 40 years in the Army had never taught me. Then, in Black Widow, Natasha revealed that Ross had undergone another triple bypass shortly after Captain America: Civil War.
Now, why do you suppose Marvel keeps informing us about Ross’s surgeries? It’s because they were preparing for Red Hulk MCU debut formal way. So don’t be surprised if you see Thaddeus Ross being injected with a serum that gives him Hulk powers in a flashback scene. In addition, Red Hulk has his own anti-Avengers team in the comics, known as the Thunderbolts, which will be featured in another film next year.
