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As was shown in the promotional material forCaptain America: Brave New World, the antagonist of Sam Wilson is Red Hulk, a ‘Hulk variant’ that is somehow angrier than the original. A quick glance at the trailers tells you who transforms into this monster, but why that happens is left for movie-goers to find out.
Here, we will delve into who Red Hulk is both in the movie and in the comics, the difference between the origins and the possible future of the character. We will also cover the characters that didn’t show up, and why their absence is felt once the movie is over.
Spoilers For The Movie Ahead!
Who Is Red Hulk?
The real identity of Red Hulkis General Thaddeus Ross, a high-ranking U.S. military officer whohas appeared several times in the MCU. His first appearancewas in The Incredible Hulk, released in 2008 andportrayed by the late William Hurt, where he hunted Bruce Banner during his first canonical outing.
General Ross would later appear in several MCU movies playing minor roles, particularly asthe voice of the governmentthat tries to regulate the Avengers back in Captain America: Civil War. He comes back in Captain America: Brave New World asthe recently elected president of the U.S., this timeportrayed by Harrison Ford.
Transforming Into The Red Hulk
The character of Thaddeus Rossis kept mostly unchanged from his comic book counterpart, but the details surroundinghis transformation differ greatly. In both cases, the character known asThe Leader is involved, but in the movies General Ross is not a willing subject.
Why Isn’t Bruce Banner In The Movie?
A movie with Captain America in the title has only one required character:the titular Captain America. However, the various characters that appear other than Sam Wilson make this film feel less like a Captain America sequel and more likean Incredible Hulk one.
It’s not just that Thaddeus Rossfirst appeared in a Hulk movie, it’s also the fact that many plot points introduced in the 2008 film are resolved here. The most notable ones areSamuel Sterns becoming The Leaderin all but name, andBetty Ross having a heartwarming moment with her fatherby the end of the movie.
Both Samuel Sterns and Betty Ross are portrayed by their original actors, Tim Blake Nelson and Liv Tyler.
However,the movie isn’t built around Bruce showing up, and there is no reason for him to do so. The only moment where someone as strong as Hulk would be needed was in the final confrontation, but Sam Wilson was able todefeat Red Hulk on his own.
