The Marvel Cinematic Universe knows a thing or two about intimidating villains. The franchise has mastered the superhero movie format since it first debuted back in 2008 with Iron Man and it has continued to perfect it over the years.
Sure, there have been some misses along the way, with fans often considering a number of the antagonists in those earlier movies among the franchise's weakest. There have also been some truly fantastic Marvel Comics villains who have been let down by their respective MCU adaptations. And then there are the truly magnificent villains, the ones that have stayed on the minds of audiences in the years since their arrival: The Winter Soldier, the Vulture, Loki, and the almighty Thanos (just to name a few).
Yes, the MCU has given us all kinds of villains. Large purple aliens intent on wiping out half of the population, revenge-driven god butchers with a desire to wipe out Thor, and complex heroes-to-villains falls from grace. It will continue to showcase a wide range of bad guys in its upcoming title, and now it has unveiled the first official look at its next villain. And it's terrifying.
Marvel unveils first official look at Harrison Ford's Red Hulk
Marvel Studios recently unveiled a brand new trailer for Captain America: Brave New World at D23 Brazil and it features the first official close-up look at Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk. It's the second trailer for the 2025 movie that the studio has released in recent months, with the previous one teasing the angry Hulk in the form of a very quick shot of his back. This one, however, shows his face on multiple occasions, and you can see how he's modelled after Harrison Ford.
Prior to this one, a shot of the character had leaked online due to a teaser that was shown to audiences at the Stateside D23 in September, but this one is the first real look at the character in action. And to put it mildly, he's terrifying.
If you haven't yet seen it, you can watch the trailer below:
Ford joins the MCU as President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, stepping into the role after the passing of William Hurt, who had previously played the character in five MCU movies (2008's The Incredible Hulk, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, 2019's Avengers: Endgame, and 2021's Black Widow). As his title suggests, the former general and Secretary of State has now become the President of the United States, as the character's MCU journey continues to mirror his Marvel Comics journey.
Ross has always been an antagonistic presence in the franchise, but he hasn't been an outright villainous one since The Incredible Hulk. His long-standing feud with Bruce Banner has made it hard for The Avengers to trust him, even when he was working with them, but his attempt to control them ultimately divided them (you know, until Thanos descended on the world and forced them all to reunite).
But it seems like his villainous days may be on the horizon once again, as he fulfills his comic book fate of becoming the Red Hulk. We don't yet know why he becomes the monster, but it might have something to do with protecting himself against any potential threats after he is attacked earlier in the film.
All you have to do is look at the Red Hulk and it's clear that he doesn't need any protecting when in that enraged form. The big red brute is sure to be a force-to-be-reckoned-with and he looks incredibly convincing, too. It will be interesting to see how he serves as the movie's antagonist, and whether or not he is the real villain - or just a desperate reaction to them.
Either way, Marvel Studios is crossing another item off the fans' wishlist by bringing the Red Hulk to life and we can't wait to see how he makes his presence felt on Captain America: Brave New World and the wider MCU in general.
Captain America: Brave New World arrives in movie theaters on February 14, 2025.