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Harrison Ford is reportedly Marvel's "top choice" to replace the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus Ross in its upcoming Thunderbolts movie – but it's uncertain whether the studio has already reached out to the Star Wars actor about the role.
On September 29, The Ankler's Jeff Sneider took to Twitter to write: "Though Marvel insiders DENY he has been cast in the movie at this time, multiple sources indicate that HARRISON FORD either is or was the studio's top choice to star in THUNDERBOLTS as the General himself. It's unclear if he already passed..."
At D23 2022, Marvel Studios confirmed the Thunderbolts line-up, which includes Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh. Stranger Things' David Harbour will reprise his Black Widow role as Red Guardian, while Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen will be back as John Walker, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Taskmaster, and Ghost, respectively. Sneider added on the Hot Mic podcast that there was some discussion about announcing Ford's casting at D23, but Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy did not want the announcement to take attention away from Indiana Jones 5, which Ford stars in.
In the comics, Ross's nickname is Thunderbolt, so fans were surprised not to hear his name mentioned at the event. His involvement is complicated, however, due to Hurt's passing in March. Over the years, the actor has portrayed the character in five movies; The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow.
Studio president Kevin Feige first announced Thunderbolts at San Diego Comic-Con back in July. Black Widow writer Eric Pearson is set to pen the script, with Jake Schreier directing. Filming is due to start early next year, ahead of a July 26, 2024 release date.
To see what else the MCU has in store for us, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows, or get to grips with some of the most recent events in the franchise with our Marvel Phase 4 explainer.
