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While taking on Marvel’s Bruce Banner aka The Hulk in the MCU, Mark Ruffalo brought humanity, vulnerability, and wit to the role while also sharing great chemistry with Tony Stark aka Iron Man played by Robert Downey Jr. While his take on the mighty Avenger was appreciated, there have also been criticisms that Ruffalo’s version was too dialed-down in terms of the rage and violence associated with the character when compared to the performance of Edward Norton.
Now, with the first teaser ofCaptain America: Brave New Worldhaving dropped online, fans could be in for a treat after getting a fleeting glimpse of Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross transforming into the iconic Red Hulk. His portrayal could now, potentially give Norton’s unhinged version a run for his money.
How Red Hulk Could Bring Back Nostalgic Memories For Marvel Fans
Ever since the first official teaser ofCaptain America: Brave New Worldwas released online, excited fans have been setting the internet on fire with their opinions on what to expect. To begin with, the simmering face-off between Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross is established through various scenes in the trailer.
But the biggest source of excitement for Marvel buffs was the final fleeting look of Ford appearing as the famousRed Hulk. The character who has superhuman strength, durability, and endurance like the Hulk, also possesses the ability to absorb radiation which leads to even greater and deadlier powers.
Over the years, fans have been critical of the casting of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka the Hulk. While the actor brought relatability, wit, and a certain softness to the role which was lauded by many viewers, a large cross-section of fans believed that he did not embody the unmitigated rage and manic quality of the superhero, which they felt, was portrayed by his predecessor Edward Norton to perfection inThe Incredible Hulk.
“Of course it’d be Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk”: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Facing MCU’s Green Monster in Deadpool 3 Rumor Has Marvel Fans Freaking Out in Excitement
Now with Ford’s Red Hulk having been established in live-action, viewers who earlier believed that Ruffalo’s version paled in comparison to Norton’s aggressive performance, could harbor some hope that Marvel and the MCU can well redeem themselves by going back to the violent Hulk avatar withCaptain America: Brave New World.
First look at Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk in ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD.’pic.twitter.com/2zHAstncQ5
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates)August 03, 2025
Marvel still hasn’t topped this Hulk#BraveNewWorldpic.twitter.com/jLKKWrxL12
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel)July 06, 2025
Red Hulk is going to top that. I wish they could introduce him like in the comics and have him just beat the brakes off everyone just to show them that he can
— Cam Shelton (@CamTheOwlCosmic)June 02, 2025
I miss this kind of Hulk.
— JojoPowerRanger (@JosephChapin21)August 01, 2025
I’m a fan. Let’s go Red hulk
— WiseLending.com (@WiseLending)July 20, 2025
https://twitter.com/codered6787/status/1811939994732253345
With still a few months to go before the film releases in theaters in February 2025, Marvel buffs will be eagerly anticipating more teasers to follow, which could then give them a better feel of how Ford could approach his character.
When Two Hulk Actors Had An Awkward Reunion
Edward Norton’sfilmThe Incredible Hulkwas the second MCU film to be released following the blockbuster success of Robert Downey Jr.’sIron Man. Despite the actor turning in an intense performance that was worthy of the superhero, he did not feature in future MCU projects, with the role going toMark Ruffalowho became an integral part of theAvengersfilms.
This change of guard proved to be a rather awkward transition for Ruffalo, albeit in a lighthearted fashion. The star made an appearance at the Emerald City Comic Con to talk about Marvel, the MCU, and much more. During the course of the conversation, the actor revealed his first meeting with Norton after he had taken over as the new Bruce Banner. Describing the incident toCBR, theDark Watersstar confessed,
No, I mean, I didn’t talk to him, but I reached out to him, as we do now when we don’t want to talk. And I was like, ‘Hey, man,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I mean, it was weird.
“No way it makes profit with that kind of budget”: Even Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk Can’t Save Captain America 4 as Disney Reportedly Spends Avengers Level Money on the Movie
He further stated that Robert Downey Jr. who is always known to have some fun at his cast members’ expense, added salt to the wound in 2010 by introducing him to Norton as the man who is reprising the role of The Hulk. The actors though, had a laugh about it later and continued to remain good friends.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be released in cinemas on 14th February 2025.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
