Red Hulk's Complete MCU Timeline Explained: Super Soldier Origin, Avengers Villain, & President

Red Hulk’s Complete MCU Timeline Explained: Super Soldier Origin, Avengers Villain, & President

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Red Hulk is finally joining the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World, the culmination of Thaddeus Ross’ journey over the years. Captain America: Brave New World will be released February 14, 2025, and features Sam Wilson stepping into the Captain America role in a film following the Disney + series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Carrying on the Captain America tradition, Captain America: Brave New World looks to be a political thriller, introducing new villains to the MCU, including the Red Hulk.

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Although Thaddeus Ross is now played by Harrison Ford, the movie will continue the character’s journey, which started back in The Incredible Hulk. MCU fans have been waiting for the Red Hulk to appear for a while, and after years of anticipating, these hopes are finally set to become reality, adding another incredibly powerful character to the universe’s roster. Before Captain America: Brave New World is released, it is worth going back through Thaddeus Ross’ MCU journey and seeing how it all led to him becoming Red Hulk.

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General Ross’ Secret Super Soldier Mission

The Incredible Hulk

Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and William Hurt as General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross standing by a tank looking shocked in The Incredible Hulk

Long before his appearance in Captain America: Brave New World, Thaddeus Ross was an antagonist in The Incredible Hulk in 2008. It was only the second film in the blossoming Marvel Cinematic Universe and the end credits scene promised a bright future for the franchise as Tony Stark meets with Ross, hinting at the eventual formation of the Avengers.

Before becoming President of the United States, Lieutenant General Ross was put in charge of Project Gamma Pulse, which was attempting to recreate the Super Soldier Serum that made Steve Rogers into Captain America. During their research, Bruce Banner – the boyfriend of Ross’ daughter Betty Ross – was exposed to gamma radiation and turned into one of the MCU’s most powerful and tragic characters, the Hulk.

Eventually, Blonsky wanted more, becoming Abomination in the process.

Ross’ work trying to create the serum didn’t stop there, as he eventually had Emil Blonsky injected with a low dose of the serum to make him stronger and more capable in combat. It worked well, but eventually, Blonsky wanted more, becoming Abomination in the process. Thaddeus Ross became Red Hulk in Marvel Comics by being exposed to gamma radiation combined with the serum, which means the foundation for him to become Red Hulk in the MCU was there since his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk.

Thunderbolt Ross Vs The Hulk

The Incredible Hulk

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After Bruce Banner initially turned into the Hulk, he went on a rampage, breaking Ross’ arm and almost killing Betty Ross during the attack. Banner fled the attack and began a life on the run. Thaddeus Ross was guilt-ridden by what happened to his daughter, developing a hatred for Banner and Hulk which led Ross to be completely focused on hunting down and capturing Bruce Banner. After an incident in a factory in Brazil, Thaddeus Ross learned that Banner was likely to be there, giving him his first lead on Bruce’s whereabouts in years.

This is essentially the beginning and set up for The Incredible Hulk, which sees Thaddeus Ross attempting to capture Bruce Banner. After learning that Banner is in Brazil, Ross leads a team to capture Bruce, which of course goes horribly wrong, allowing Banner to escape once again. This is where Emil Blonsky is initially injected with serum, and they discover that Bruce is now in Virginia after reconnecting with Betty Ross.

Abomination, Bruce Banner, and The Hulk in the MCU.

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Bruce Banner is confronted by Ross and the military as a fight breaks out. With Betty there, things get messy, and the fight with Banner ends with him fleeing once again. They track down Banner once more and this time tranquilize him before he is able to turn into Hulk. Ross is finally successful in capturing him, but Blonsky eventually turns into Abomination, which leads Ross to allow Hulk to attempt to stop Blonsky’s rampage. After Hulk defeats him, Ross lets Banner leave, as he owes Hulk a debt for saving their lives.

Ross Reappears As An Avengers Enemy

Captain America: Civil War

General Ross looking stern in Captain America Civil War

Despite being a significant part of the start of the MCU, Thaddeus Ross didn’t return until 8 years later in Captain America: Civil War. In the time since The Incredible Hulk, Ross became the Secretary of State. He then sets his sights on something much bigger than just the Hulk. In the movie, Ross wants the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords, which would give the United Nations control over the team’s operations instead of them acting as a private entity.

This causes a rift between members of the Avengers, ideologically led by Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Ridden with guilt about civilian deaths in the aftermath of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Stark wants the Avengers to sign the accords, while Steve Rogers is weary of signing them given what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA’s infiltration of it in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, putting him against the idea of the Avengers being controlled by people with agendas.

Bruce Banner is not on Earth at the time of Captain America: Civil War, meaning Ross’ agenda has grown beyond his need to defeat him.

After a series of events that sees Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes on the run, Thaddeus Ross gives Tony Stark 72 hours to find and capture them. Following the final climactic fight between Iron Man and Captain America, Ross arrests several Avengers on Captain America’s team, including Hawkeye, Falcon, and Ant-Man. He sends them to the Raft, which is a highly secured prison submerged in the ocean.

Hunting Black Widow

Black Widow

General Ross on the phone in Black Widow.

In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Ross believes that Natasha Romanoff was in violation of the Sokovia Accords after attacking King T’Challa to help Steve Rogers and Bucky escape being taken in by Tony. This prompts Ross to begin an operation to find and arrest her, which happens during the events of Black Widow.

Despite being led astray by Black Widow several times in their attempts to find her, they eventually do when her tracker is turned on once again. Ross’ team find her in the middle of a field where she had landed after destroying the Red Room. Instead of capturing her, Natasha is able to escape, evading capture and further sabotaging Ross’ overall plans.

The Avengers Turn On Ross

Avengers: Infinity War

Hologram of General Ross in Avengers Infinity War

During the end credits of Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers appears on the Raft, helping the captured Avengers escape. Instead of being fugitives, Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Scott Lang (Ant-Man) make deals with Ross to be placed on house arrest. Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Natasha Romanoff remain on the run, while Wanda and Vision go out on their own. The Avengers as a whole are no more, but some remain under Ross’ watch with the Sokovia Accords and others are operating on their own.

In Avengers: Infinity War, James Rhodes is having a meeting with Ross and the United Nations regarding the locations of the missing Avengers, where Ross is adamant on trying to find them. Steve, Natasha, Sam, Wanda, and Vision show up to the Avengers facility, but given that Ross is only a hologram speaking to Rhodey, he personally can’t arrest them.

After a brief conversation with Steve Rogers, who claims they are there to help out, Thaddeus Ross orders Rhodey to arrest them, which he refuses to do. Because of this, Ross orders a court-martial on Rhodey. He doesn’t seem to care too much, happy to see Cap and the rest of the Avengers who disobey Ross in an attempt to protect Earth from Thanos’ invasion.

Thunderbolt Ross Becomes The President

Captain America: Brave New World

Harrison Ford's Thaddeus Ross talking to Sam Wilson in the Oval Office in Captain America Brave New World (2025)

Following the passing of William Hurt, Harrison Ford stepped into the role of Thaddeus Ross for Captain America: Brave New World. The film is set for release on February 14, 2025, so the full extent of Ross’ story is still up-in-the-air, but the Captain America: Brave New World trailer shows that he has become President of the United States since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

The last interaction Thaddeus Ross had with Captain America was during Avengers: Infinity War, where Steve Rogers urged him to accept their help. Instead, he wanted them arrested. Now, Steve Rogers has retired as Captain America and passed the mantle on to Sam Wilson. With Sam Wilson taking over as Cap, it seems like President Ross wants to capitalize on this, talking with him about making Captain America an official military position.

Red Hulk Rises

Captain America: Brave New World

Harrison Ford as Red Hulk in the MCU

The trailer for Captain America: Brave New World also confirms that President Ross will at some point turn into Red Hulk. The exact reasons for the transformation are unknown at this time, but the threads that started all the way back in The Incredible Hulk with Ross’ Super Soldier Serum program are finally coming full circle a decade and a half later.

One possible explanation for President Ross turning into Red Hulk appears to be shown in the movie’s trailer, which shows Isaiah Bradley – another super soldier, who was introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier – seemingly attempting to assassinate Ross. If President Ross is badly injured by that attempt, him taking the serum could be a way to save his life, turning him into a different kind of monster instead.

Of course, Thaddeus Ross hasn’t always been a paragon of morality throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showing time and time again his distain for the superpowered heroes that surround him. He could just want the power that a character like Bruce Banner has, tempting him into taking the serum and becoming Red Hulk. When Captain America: Brave New World releases, these questions should be answered, helping to make this part of Thaddeus Ross’ story a bit more clear while also paving the way for his future.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

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