Who is Red Hulk from Captain America: Brave New World? Powers and Origin Explained!

The big surprise in the Captain America 4 trailer was the appearance of Red Hulk. Here’s what you need to know about the character. Captain America: Brave New World gives Anthony Mackie the chance to prove himself in the role of Captain America, and opens up a lot of possibilities for us to see other versions of the heroes we already know. The film takes place after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier where, after much thought, Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, accepts the responsibility of taking Steve Rogers’ place and becoming a new hero for humanity, now that Rogers is no longer part of the Avengers and his career as a hero has come to an end.

Who is Red Hulk? Powers and Origin Explained!

In the first trailer for the fourth Captain America film, we can see Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross, now the head of the United States as President, determined to give the new Cap an official military position, restore order, and show the way to his citizens and the world. But the arrival of a new Cap doesn’t put an end to the conflicts. Thaddeus is the victim of an attack, there are explosions, attacks, and battles, and at one point in the trailer, we can see the first image of a character we haven’t seen before in the MCU, Red Hulk.

What Are the Origins of Red Hulk?

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is a general in the United States Air Force and one of the main antagonists of Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk. Coming from a family with a long military tradition, he has dedicated his life to a career in the army. His obsession with capturing the Hulk leads him to make extreme and morally questionable choices, and on occasion, he has even teamed up with supervillains to achieve his goals. Ross’s relationship with Bruce Banner is complex and conflicted. On the one hand, Ross sees Banner as a threat to humanity because of his alter ego the Hulk, and devotes much of his career to trying to neutralize him. On the other, his aversion is fueled by personal reasons: Banner is in love with his daughter, Betty Ross, a feeling she reciprocates. Betty Ross is a central figure in the lives of both. She is often the human point of contact between Banner and the Hulk and one of the few people capable of simultaneously influencing General Ross during his ongoing hunt for the Green Goliath.

Who is Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World?

Red Hulk is an enemy of Captain America in this story and is connected to the character Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by legendary Star Wars actor Harrison Ford. Ross is a soldier who, at one point in his military career, gets to know Brian Banner and his son Bruce Banner, the scientist whose experiment ends up making him turn into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-style creature, better known as The Hulk. Thaddeus becomes an enemy and a big problem for Hulk, as he begins to chase him and try to kill him because he considers him a threat.

Things changed in 2008 when Marvel introduced Red Hulk, whose main difference from the original Hulk is that he maintains his intelligence and personality during the transformation. And who is this red creature? None other than Thaddeus Ross. With this, Ross eventually comes to work alongside Hulk to stop several supervillains and eventually joins the Avengers, but that was back in the time of Steve Rogers. In Brave New World, everything seems to indicate that Red Hulk will be one of the great threats that Sam will have to face to prove that he is a good Captain America.

The original Red Hulk is General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Introduced way back in 1961 in Incredible Hulk #1 alongside Bruce Banner, Thunderbolt Ross (for decades just a normal man) is the Hulk’s oldest enemy, a military leader obsessed with obtaining and controlling – or at least destroying – the Hulk’s limitless power. After years of pursuing the Hulk with conventional (though increasingly powerful) weapons and tactics as part of the military special forces group known as the Hulkbusters, Thunderbolt Ross finally decides to take the bait and attempt to match the Hulk’s strength through his own transformation. But he doesn’t transform himself. Instead, he volunteers to be a subject for Hulk experiments conducted by the villain MODOK, who steals Bruce Banner’s gamma energy after siphoning it from special satellites built by Tony Stark in the World War Hulk storyline – a process that leaves Banner unable to transform into the Hulk.

Using a combination of Gamma Rays and Cosmic Energy (the energy that gave the Fantastic Four their powers in the Marvel Universe), MODOK transforms Thunderbolt Ross into a Red Hulk, possessing not only the strength of the original Hulk but also all of his military knowledge and cunning, as well as the power to absorb and release Cosmic Energy with searing force. Following the successful creation of the Red Hulk, MODOK teams up with the Leader, the Hulk’s other great nemesis, to use the power of the Red Hulk to exact revenge on those who wronged him and seize power himself. The new, powered-up Red Hulk was introduced in 2008’s Hulk #1, but his true human identity remained a secret for some time.

While remaining anonymous, the monstrously strong villain has swept across the Marvel Universe, seemingly killing classic Hulk foes the Abomination and the Wendigo, single-handedly destroying a SHIELD helicarrier, and even causing an earthquake in the San Francisco area, before suffering his first defeat at the hands of a re-empowered Bruce Banner and Thor. Finally, in 2010’s World War Hulks (a sequel to 2008’s World War Hulk), Red Hulk’s true identity is revealed as Thunderbolt Ross. But the revelation of Red Hulk’s secret identity wasn’t the end of Thunderbolt Ross’ time as the Hulk – far from it.

When Did the First Appear in the Comics?

The character of Thunderbolt Ross made his first appearance in the inaugural issue of “The Incredible Hulk” in May 1962, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In this issue, General Ross resented the fact that Banner, a civilian, was overseeing the gamma bomb project. Ross despised Banner for his intellectual and unathletic nature, believing him to be beneath his vision of true manhood. To make matters worse, there was a growing attraction between Banner and Betty, the general’s daughter, whom Ross hoped to see married to a military officer.

Ross’s alter ego, Red Hulk, was introduced in the first issue of the Green Goliath series, released in 2008. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness, the character was conceived to give the Hulk a true physical equal. From the beginning, Red Hulk has been distinguished by his intelligence and cunning, representing an extraordinary threat and a more aggressive demeanor than the original Hulk. In his first appearance, the identity of the Red Hulk is not immediately revealed, it is only known that someone seems to have been able to kill the Abomination. For two years, the true identity of the Red Hulk remained secret.

In 2010, in issue #23 of the series, Marvel finally revealed the truth:  the supervillain MODOK, using the organization Intelligentsia, had given General Ross the powers of the Hulk, recreating the accident that had given Banner his powers. Previous stories featured the Red Hulk killing General Ross, which later proved to be a red herring for readers, as Ross’s body was ultimately revealed to be a decoy. This twist added further depth and complexity to the character, cementing his place as one of the Marvel Universe’s most intriguing figures.

Red Hulk in the Marvel Universe?

First, Red Hulk teams up with underwater villain Tigershark, the magical Baron Mordo, and Galactus’ former herald Terrax the Tamer to form the Offenders, a team of villains mirroring the classic lineup of the original Defenders (Hulk, Namor, Doctor Strange, and the Silver Surfer). In that story, Red Hulk absorbs the Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic, nearly killing the distracted hero along with many others, until Galactus learns of Red Hulk’s theft of the Power Cosmic, who takes back the world-devourer, undoing the death and destruction Red Hulk has caused with his own godlike power.

After finally defeating the Red Hulk, a re-empowered Bruce Banner arranges for him to be released into the custody of Steve Rogers. Under the terms of the deal, Ross becomes a U.S. government agent working as the Red Hulk and eventually earns membership in the Avengers. Along with the creation of the Red Hulk, MODOK and the Leader’s supervillain group, the Intelligencia, conduct further Gamma experiments, giving rise to several spin-off characters, including Betty Ross, daughter of Thunderbolt Ross, who becomes the Red She-Hulk, and Rick Jones, a longtime friend of the Hulk, who becomes the explosive, Abomination-like A-Bomb.

In 2012, Thunderbolt Ross led a new version of the Thunderbolts, whose missions involved managing the ramifications of Ross’s military career while he continued to operate in the Marvel Universe as the Red Hulk. However, his downfall comes when Bruce Banner, in his Doc Green Hulk persona, manages to capture the Red Hulk and transform him back into Thunderbolt Ross. With his powers exhausted, Ross is imprisoned in his human form and subsequently placed on probation as a powerless retiree. Tragically, Ross is killed in 2018’s Captain America #1, with Steve Rogers being framed. Despite Ross’s death, the Red Hulk lives on, this time as retired Army General Robert Maverick, introduced in 2017’s U.S. Avengers #1 (after Thunderbolt Ross’s defeat, but before his death), who becomes the second Red Hulk thanks to a Gamma Device that allows him to transform for a limited time. At the moment, Robert Maverick is still the Red Hulk, even if he hasn’t been seen in a while.

What Powers Does Red Hulk Have?

According to Marvel.com, Red Hulk and Hulk share some characteristics, but there are also some important differences between them, besides the color. “Red Hulk possesses superhuman strength (lifting 100 tons), stamina, and durability and can regenerate from severe injuries in a matter of minutes. When Red Hulk becomes enraged, his skin generates intense heat; this heat can also be released through his eyes and is strong enough to melt Spider-Man’s webbing or turn sand into glass. Red Hulk can also absorb energies, most notably gamma radiation and even Norrin Radd, aka the Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic. Unlike Banner, Red Hulk does not revert to his human form while unconscious. Ross is a skilled organizer, strategist, and leader familiar with a variety of weapons, occasionally wielding a S.H.I.E.L.D. pistol whose bullets can pierce even the Hulk’s skin,” says Marvel.com.

1. Conscious Transformation: Ross can control his transformation into the Red Hulk, maintaining his form even when unconscious.
2. Superhuman Strength: He has immense strength, enhanced by absorbing radiation, allowing him to perform extraordinary feats such as defeating Thor and killing the Abomination.
3. Regenerative Healing Factor: He possesses a healing factor that, while less powerful than the Hulk’s, allows him to recover from severe injuries.
4. Gamma Radiation Emission: Constantly emits gamma radiation, which increases in intensity with anger.
5. Energy Absorption: Can absorb various types of energy, including cosmic energy, further empowering himself.

Comics with Stories Not to Miss

1. “Hulk” vol. 2 #1-6 (2008): Introduction of the character, where his identity is gradually revealed until the following issues ( as previously indicated).
2. “World War Hulks” (2010): An epic event where various Hulks clash, including the Red Hulk and the Green Hulk.
3. “Fall of the Hulks: Gamma” (2010): Reveals further details on the creation of the Red Hulk and his role in Intelligencia’s plans.
4. “Avengers” vol. 4 #7-12 (2010): Red Hulk joins the Avengers, showing a new dynamic in the team and dealing with global threats.

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has appeared in several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), most often played by William Hurt.

1. “Hulk” (2003): In this film, starring Sam Elliott, Ross is introduced as the general determined to capture the Hulk. Although this film is not an official part of the MCU, it is one of the first cinematic representationsof the character.
2. “The Incredible Hulk” (2008): His first official appearance in the MCU, where he is introduced as the general determined to capture the Hulk, this time played by William Hurt (hence also in the subsequent films).
3. “Captain America: Civil War” (2016): Ross returns as U.S. Secretary of State, promoting the Sokovia Accords to regulate superhero activities.
4. “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018): He continues to maintain his position as a high-ranking government official, showing his influence and strategic role.
5. “Avengers: Endgame” (2019): Ross appears again, solidifying his constant presence in the MCU.
6. “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025): Ross will also appear in this film, this time played by Harrison Ford.