The debate about the merits of the superhero genre continues to rumble on, but comic book adaptations must be doing something right if they can convince the biggest names in Hollywood to sign up on a regular basis, with Harrison Ford the latest to dive into the costumed crimefighting sandbox.
The veteran actor will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut next summer in Captain America: New World Order, where he’ll be stepping in to replace the late William Hurt as franchise mainstay Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who first debuted all the way back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.
Rumors abound that not only with the enforcer of the Sokovia Accords have been promoted to president of the United States, but we might end up seeing his rage-fueled alter ego Red Hulk into the bargain. It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing you’d expect to see Ford doing, with the 80 year-old admitting to The Hollywood Reporter that he’s just as surprised as the rest of us when asked how he ended up in the MCU.
“I don’t know. I can’t explain myself to myself, I just work here. I thought, “Everybody else seems to be having a great time.” I watch all these terrific actors having a good time. I like doing something different to what I’ve ever done and pleasing people with it. So I’ll try a piece of that.”
The basic gist is that he thought it looked like fun, which is as good a reason to sign up as any, so let’s hope that comes across the screen when we finally get to see the Star Wars and Indiana Jones icon going toe-to-toe with Anthony Mackie’s star-spangled Avenger when New World Order comes to theaters.