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William Hurt, aka Marvel's Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, passed away yesterday at 71 in Oregon. His legacy spans films such as Body Heat and Kiss of The Spider Woman to films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fans across the globe paid tribute to the first on-screen General Ross that they ever witnessed in The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton donning the Angry Green Monster mantle. But as time flew by, that Marvel film was left behind in the dust and fans didn't expect to see Hurt's General Ross again.
But as fate would have it, Feige and team made it work in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films and gave fans an antagonist they never thought they needed, but was long-awaited, regardless. In this article, we look at his legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thunderbolt Ross.
William Hurt's Marvel Cinematic Universe Appearances
1) The Incredible Hulk (2008)
This was the first time William played the role of General Ross. When asked about it during an interview with the LA Times in the lead-up to Captain America: Civil War, Hurt said:
"What I created [for The Incredible Hulk] was a Ross who was right out of the graphic novel type of thing, where he was as much of a cartoon, in a way, as the monsters were. His ego was just as big and his problems were just as big. I really did do that consciously. I created a General Ross before which created a verisimilitude for the monsters, by making him a human monster. I worked really hard on the makeup and the exaggerated behavior and things like that and a controlled psychosis."
In the Marvel film, he plays Betty's father (Bruce Banner's love interest) and a U.S. Army general who is intent on capturing The Hulk as he is envious of the green monster's evolution.
2) Captain America: Civil War (2016)
All it took was eight years to get Hurt's Thaddeus Ross back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The task was laid out by the Russo brothers. Hurt plays a more diplomatic Ross in the film; as a U.S. Secretary of State, he corners the Avengers into a political situation where the group is divided into signing the Sokovia Accords. About his reprisal of Thaddeus Ross in Civil War, Hurt told the LA Times:
"I don't think it's a reprise, I think it's a new iteration completely. What [the writers have] done is they've taken a character and made a new version; a more modernized style."
Being a fan of the character, Joe Russo said that Civil War's Ross is an anti-superhero at this point; someone who wants the Avengers to help the world become a safer place, but still sees them as vigilantes operating outside the law.
3) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Despite it being just a one-minute cameo, Thaddeus Ross made some bold remarks during his screen time in the Russo brothers' Marvel epic Avengers: Infinity War. As the world is on fire and Thanos's invasion is underway, Ross can be seen on a Holo Call with Colonel Rhodes, discussing the next steps with his team. He points out how the loss of Vision and the stolen Quinjet could lead to collateral damage.
Upon noticing the arrival of Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff alongside Sam Wilson, Wanda and Vision, Ross instructs Rhodes to arrest them, as he still sees them as escaped convicts and does not care even if they are an asset in the fight against the Mad Titan.
4) Avengers: Endgame (2019)
In a brief glimpse without dialog, William Hurt's Thaddeus Ross can be seen at Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame, alongside other heroes and Avengers. He can be seen standing next to Cobie Smulders's Agent Hill, which implies that he has been working closely with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Despite the small cameo, this scene showed how Ross still respected Stark's legacy, and his decision, as he was the one in support of the Sokovia Accords and wanted to provide the world with a "Suit of Armor."
5) Black Widow (2021)
Secretary Thaddeus Ross was in 2021's The Black Widow. The movie was set in 2016 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, and showed Ross on the hunt to capture Natasha Romanoff, an escaped convict from The Raft prison. In a scene towards the beginning of the film, Romanoff can be seen escaping Ross and his army.
Ross engages in a phone call with Natasha and tells her that even though she signed the Accords, turning sides in favor of Rogers would cost her her freedom as she would be considered a vigilante. Although Hurt's appearance in the Marvel film only lasted a couple of minutes, the impact he had on-screen over Natasha's decision was key in the movie.
