The MCU"s Most Controversial Show Perfectly Explains Why President Ross Becomes Red Hulk In Fascinating Captain America 4 Theory

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A new MCU theory suggests that the dramatic transformation of President Ross into the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World could be easily explained after the ending of 2023"s Secret Invasion. The Red Hulk"s debut in Captain America: Brave New World was confirmed in the first trailers for the 2025 movie, marking a powerful introduction to the MCU for Harrison Ford, who succeeds the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross. The means of Ross" evolution into the Red Hulk have been teased, but a new theory digs even deeper.
Thaddeus Ross first appeared in the MCU back in 2008"s The Incredible Hulk, and made a number of minor appearances in several subsequent projects. Captain America: Brave New World will mark his biggest change, as he not only becomes President of the United States, but will also become the villainous Red Hulk. Ross will be one of several villains going up against Anthony Mackie"s Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, and his connections to another powerful adversary have informed a huge theory that makes more sense of Secret Invasion"s controversial ending.
President Ross’ Red Hulk Transformation Continues Secret Invasion’s Biggest Theme Secret Invasion Had Huge Political Themes

According to a new theory shared by Reddit user Nid45h, Captain America: Brave New World is perfectly primed to continue themes of politics and paranoia from 2023"s controversial Secret Invasion series. Secret Invasion"s slow pace and failure to faithfully adapt the epic 2008 Marvel Comics event ultimately led to the series becoming one of Marvel"s lowest-rated projects ever. However, this theory suggests the ending of Secret Invasion could be crucial to Captain America: Brave New World"s storyline and the Red Hulk"s emergence.
In Secret Invasion"s finale, Dermot Mulroney"s President Ritson declared war on extraterrestrials living on Earth after making the existence of Skrulls public. This culminated in society experiencing a greater fear and paranoia about more high-profile figures, and even led to the murders of some world leaders, including the British Prime Minister. The Reddit theory suggests that Tim Blake Nelson"s Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. the Leader, could have exploited this paranoia to orchestrate the transformation of the new US President into the Red Hulk.
Thaddeus Ross May Have Used Secret Invasion’s Failures To Win The Presidency Thaddeus Ross Succeeds Secret Invasion's Ritson As United States President Close Marvel Studios has confirmed a number of United States Presidents in the MCU"s history, including Matthew Ellis, JFK and, most recently, Secret Invasion"s Ritson. Ritson was seemingly elected president in the wake of the Blip, and he seemingly set to work bringing order back to the United States, even hiring a former Avenger, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, into his team. Ritson was an abject failure as a president, however, and Captain America: Brave New World could reveal that Ross used Ritson"s incompetence to take the presidency.

Related Captain America 4 Is The Perfect Movie To Fix A Disastrous MCU Phase 5 Plot Point Captain America: Brave New World may be the best opportunity for Marvel Studios to address one of the MCU"s Phase 5"s most controversial storylines.
Posts During his time as President of the United States, Ritson failed to notice that his right-hand-man was actually a shape-shifting Skrull orchestrating global terror, remained oblivious to a growing Skrull rebellion for as long as possible, almost started World War III, and declared all extraterrestrials on Earth to be hostile forces. Ritson will surely go down in history as one of the most controversial presidents ever, but his final remarks in Secret Invasion must have made an impact. Global paranoia would have spread like wildfire, which Ross will have to deal with during his time as president.
Why Marvel Shouldn’t Just Ignore Secret Invasion’s Ending Secret Invasion May Have Faltered, But Its Ending Was Intriguing

Even though Secret Invasion perhaps failed to make its mark on the MCU in the way Marvel Studios wanted, the ending of the 2023 series was still hugely important, and should have far-reaching repercussions for the MCU. The only way to give Secret Invasion any meaning is to ensure the series has a long-lasting impact, and continuing Ritson"s war on Earth"s aliens and deepening themes of paranoia and fear concerning high-ranking officials is the perfect way to do this. Captain America: Brave New World will push this even further by having the president himself turn into a superpowered villain.
Secret Invasion left many loose ends unexplored and questions unanswered, and, in the same way that Captain America: Brave New World will also address Eternals" massive Celestial mystery, the Phase 5 movie can also continue Secret Invasion"s storyline. This could work to give the series more gravitas and weight, which may earn it some retrospective respect. Exploring these themes of paranoia in more depth is the perfect way to explain President Ross becoming the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, and this would make the Leader an even more sinister and scheming villain, too.

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Captain America: Brave New World FantasyAdventureAction Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) marks Sam Wilson's first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk's former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
Release Date February 14, 2025 Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo'Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore Director Julius Onah Writers Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman prequel(s) Captain America: The Winter Soldier , Captain America: Civil War , Avengers: Infinity War Expand Upcoming MCU Movies

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Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025

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Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025

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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026

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Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027

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