George Washington “G.W.” Bridge is a character that first appeared in Marvel Comics’ mutant heyday of the ‘90s, although he’s a regular non-superpowered human. All signs indicate he will make his MCU debut played by The Boys‘ Giancarlo Esposito in Captain America: Brave New World. But who is this gray-haired badass who can hold multiple gigantic guns just like Cable does? Here’s the Marvel Comics history of G.W. Bridge.

G.W. Bridge Debuts in X-Force #1

G.W. Bridge has the distinction of debuting in X-Force #1, which is still the second biggest-selling comic book of all time, behind only 1991’s X-Men #1. Artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza co-created Bridge. They portrayed him as an African-American man, a bit on the older side, who was a Vietnam War veteran. In that first appearance, he had since become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, with the rank of Commander. Bridge preferred the name “G.W.” or just “George,” thanks to the fact that his full name George Washington Bridge embarrassed him since childhood.

Bridge Is Both Ally and Enemy of the Mutant Cable

When Cable took command of the New Mutants and turned them into X-Force, S.H.I.E.L.D. tasked G.W. Bridge with keeping tabs on them. This was due to a somewhat complicated past that Bridge had with X-Force’s leader Cable. Years earlier, G.W. Bridge was a member of the mercenary team that went by the name the Six Pack. This team was put together by a time-traveling Cable. He not only hired Bridge for the team, but also future X-Men like Domino.

The Six Pack took on all kinds of jobs, but their primary goal was to stop Stryfe, Cable’s clone who had followed him into the past. Although the Six Pack broke up with many members at odds, Bridge eventually patched things up with Cable, and was an unofficial liaison between X-Force and S.H.I.E.L.D. In the years after S.H.I.E.L.D., he also battled the urban vigilante Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher. Bridge was married, but the supervillain Basilisk tragically murdered his wife Sandy. Fridging is a real dick.

G.W. Bridge’s Powers and Abilities

George Washington Bridge has no known super powers to speak of. However, he has formidable combat skills and is a military strategist of incredible efficiency. However, it’s possible he might have some kind of power that we’ve been unaware of until now. A villain named Microchip killed him, and he later returned to life, with his mysterious resurrection unexplained. Is he a mutant too? Or was the Bridge that died merely a Life Model Decoy? Seeing as Bridge worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., we’re leaning towards Life Model Decoy.

G.W. Bridge in Captain America: Brave New World and in The MCU

We’re not entirely sure what role G.W. Bridge will play in Captain America: Brave New World, or in the larger MCU going forward. He might be taking over Nick Fury’s role in S.H.I.E.L.D., now that Fury is off in space. Or maybe he’s part of a mercenary team tasked to take down Sam Wilson/Captain America (or the Red Hulk). Since he has much comics history with mutants, it’s possible he has a role in the upcoming MCU X-Men movie. Bridge is both an ally to Marvel’s heroes as much as he’s an opponent, so it’s anyone’s guess what role he’ll play within the MCU after Brave New World. Regardless, we know Esposito will absolutely slay this role, whether he’s a good guy or a bud guy version of Bridge.

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One of Marvel Comics’ most powerful villains is making his debut in Captain America: New World Order, taking on Sam Wilson. The Red Hulk, who is exactly what his name suggests, will soon throw down with the Sentinel of Liberty on the White House lawn. But the character who became Red Hulk, General Ross, has been around since 1962. Here’s the topsy-turvy comic book history of the Red Hulk, and what it means for his MCU future.

The Red Hulk’s Origins (as General Thunderbolt Ross)

Long before he was ever the Red Hulk, General Thadeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was a thorn in the side of the Incredible Hulk. He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, and thus, is a Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creation. From his inception, Ross has been portrayed as a gruff, trigger-happy member of the American military. He was a product of generations in his family serving in the military, going back to the Civil War.

Ross was the military attache of the gamma bomb project in New Mexico that turned scientist Bruce Banner into the Hulk. He resented that Dr. Banner, a scientist, was given the final say over the project over him, a decorated officer. Ever since, he had a single-minded obsession with capturing the Hulk. All of this is made more complicated due to the fact that his daughter Betty was the love of Banner’s life. If any villain ranks at the top in the Hulk’s pantheon of adversaries, it’s Ross.

General Ross, the Hulk’s Arch-Nemesis

In the early days, Ross was described as a veteran of World War II, now an Air Force General. He was excessively jingoistic, and hated the scientist Banner for being a “weakling.” He despised that his daughter was enamored with him, hoping she’d marry a military man. When Banner became the Hulk, he would do anything and everything to bring him in. He allied with outright villains like Abomination and the Leader, essentially committing treason, all in an effort to defeat the Jade Giant, who he saw as a manifestation of his failure. Ross was in charge of one effort to bring in the Hulk after another, heading up Operation: Greenskin, operating out of Hulkbuster Base.

The Death and Rebirth of Thunderbolt Ross

Ross spent years using his military muscle to to try to stop the Hulk, but to no avail. At one point, Ross even merged with the energy being Zzzax to try and stop the Hulk himself. His most heinous act came when he came to Bruce and Betty’s wedding with a gun, intending to shoot Bruce Banner, instead shooting Banner’s non-powered friend, Rick Jones. He finally realizes he has been wrong about Bruce all these years, and helps him fight a mutant threat with the last of his Zzzax powers. He dies in his daughter Betty’s arms, finally giving the couple his blessing. In the Marvel universe, however, death is rarely the end.

Ross is first brought back to life by the gamma-powered Leader, where he becomes his puppet. Eventually breaking free of that control with some alien help, he returns to his position in the U.S. Air Force. For many years, he remains a background character. He even becomes friends (to an extent) with Bruce Banner, until his beloved daughter seemingly dies from gamma poisoning, due to her proximity to the Hulk. His hatred for the Hulk then resumes unabated. It was 45 years after his creation, however, that Ross went through his biggest transformation as a Marvel character, when he became the Red Hulk.

The First Appearance and Origin of the Red Hulk

The Red Hulk first appeared in Hulk #1, back in 2008. This Red Hulk was the creation of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness, with the intention of giving Hulk a true physical equal. The true identity of this crimson doppelgänger to the Hulk was a mystery to the readers, which Marvel teased out for a long time. Red Hulk came for many of Hulk’s usual foes, killing the Abomination and Wendigo, all proving he was just as strong as the green guy. He even took down a SHIELD Hellicarrier. Unlike the Hulk, who often displayed limited intelligence, Red Hulk was smart and cunning from the get-go. For two years, the true identity of Red Hulk was a secret.

How the Red Hulk Got His Powers

In 2010, in Hulk #23, Marvel revealed the truth about the Red Hulk. The supervillain M.O.D.O.K. had given General Ross the powers of the Hulk, using the organization Intelligentsia to create a new Super Soldier Program, recreating the accident that gave Banner his powers. Although previous stories had shown Red Hulk killing General Ross, as a way of throwing readers off, they eventually revealed that Ross was an artificial Life Model Decoy.

Why Is the Red Hulk Red?

M.O.D.O.K. combined gamma radiation with cosmic rays to give Ross powers, which gave the Fantastic Four their powers. The cosmic rays portion of the process made Ross turn red and not green, as it superseded the gamma part of the equation.

Is Red Hulk Stronger than the Green Hulk?

The Red Hulk’s powers are nearly identical to those of the Hulk. Unlike the green Hulk, however, Red Hulk can also emit heat from his eyes. While the Banner Hulk gets stronger the angrier he becomes, Red Hulk’s body temperature rises with his anger, creating heat that rivals that of the Human Torch. He has the power to absorb different types of energy, including gamma radiation. This extra power comes with a downside, though. Unlike Banner, Red Hulk can never revert to his human form, as it would instantly kill him. Because of the cosmic rays in his creation, Red Hulk has, in the past, had the ability to absorb the Power Cosmic from Galactus, even if it was for a temporary period of time.

Is Red Hulk a Villain or Hero?

In his earliest appearances, the Red Hulk was definitely a villain. Aside from murdering Abomination and Wendigo, he fought both Hulk and Thor. Eventually, he reformed, and became something of a hero again. He joined the Avengers, upon Captain America’s request, and later, the Thunderbolts. The team is not actually named after “Thunderbolt” Ross, but it was a nice coincidence anyway. He has (mostly) fought on the side of the good guys ever since.

General Ross in the MCU

In the MCU, William Hurt originally portrayed Thunderbolt Ross in The Incredible Hulk. He reprised the role for Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow. He was portrayed as a military general in The Incredible Hulk, in much the same capacity he had in the comics. For later MCU films, he was Secretary of State, and someone who sought legislation against super powered operatives like the Avengers. Despite his conflict with the heroes, he was last seen at Tony Starks funeral in Endgame.

President Ross Becomes the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World

For Captain America: Brave New World, Harrison Ford is stepping in for the late William Hurt. He is now President of the United States, seeking to get Captain America as a government operative once more. We don’t know how or why, but it seems like President Ross will eventually become the Red Hulk in this film, probably with the cooperation of the Leader, a returning Tim Blake Nelson from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. At some point, Hulk will take on Captain America himself. Harrison Ford is expected to return for the movie Thunderbolts as well.

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Steve Rogers is either dead or a very old man, but the world still needs Captain America. Fortunately for Earth, someone just as worthy of that title as Steve took on the job. No, not John Walker. (Definitely not John Walker.) On The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson finally accepted the mantle his friend tried to give him at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Now Anthony Mackie is ready to lead the superhero franchise into the future with the MCU’s fourth standalone Captain America film.

Giancarlo Esposito has been teasing for a while that he’ll join the MCU. And in Captain America: Brave New World‘s first trailer, we finally get to see him in action. You can check out our first-look at Esposito in the MCU movie below.

Here’s everything we know about Captain America: Brave New World.

Title

Marvel first announced Captain America 4‘s official title as part of its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It was originally called Captain America: New World Order. But in June 2023, Marvel changed the movie’s name. It is now called Captain America: Brave New World.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Plot

We now officially have a synopsis and trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. It reads:

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

You can watch the trailer above.

Additionally, the film’s title echoes both the main conflict of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic. Marvel executives have shared some tasty additional breadcrumbs about the movie, though.

That began with Nate Moore, VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, talking about how Harrison Ford will replace the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Brave New World. In an interview, Moore said:

Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross, which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.

Behind the Scenes

Malcolm Spellman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Dalan Musson are co-writing the film. Matthew Orton will also contribute to the writing. Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) is set to direct.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Cast

In addition to Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s Carl Lumbly will return as Isaiah Bradley. As will Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres.

Additionally, Brave New World will bring back Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) from The Incredible Hulk. Sterns, of course, is also known as The Leader. He will likely act as the film’s villain. Shira Haas will join the film as Sabra. Xosha Roquemore has joined the movie in an unknown role, and WWE wrestler Seth Rollins was spotted in costume on set.

Another original MCU star will also return after a long absence, too. Liv Tyler will reprise her role as Betty Ross. She originated the role in The Incredible Hulk.

Additionally, we know we’ll see the character of Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World.

The trailer for the movie has confirmed this inclusion now, but originally, an ad for a McDonald’s toy line for the movie revealed Red Hulk’s appearance to us in Captain America: Brave New World, likely Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross transformed.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Release Date

Captain America: Brave New World will fly into theaters on February 14, 2025.

Originally published on February 14, 2023.

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Captain America is back in a brand new MCU movie, and this time, it’s Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, holding the shield. The first trailer for Captain America: Brave New World sets a stark tone, reviving the political thriller mood of Civil War. We also get our first glimpse of Thaddeus Ross’ Red Hulk (and Harrison Ford’s turn in the MCU), the destruction of the White House, and lots of shooting and conspiring. The president wants to make Captain America an official military position. What could go wrong?

You can watch the Captain America: Brave New World teaser trailer below.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s First Trailer Releases

The trailer for Captain America: Brave New World deftly addresses Thaddeus Ross’ recasting, as sadly,  William Hurt passed away, and Harrison Ford is now playing the role. Of course, Ross isn’t the only role that Ford will play. The Marvel Studios movie will introduce his transformation into Red Hulk. You can check out our first look at Red Hulk below.

We can already see that this MCU movie will be unlike any we’ve seen in a while. The gritty political/espionage thriller energy is back to visit Captain America in this Brave New World trailer. There are bombs going off, political machinations at play, and everything feels tense and ready to explode.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Synopsis

In addition to the trailer, Marvel Studios releases a synopsis for Captain America: Brave New World. It shares:

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Trailer Reveals New and Familiar Faces

In addition to Anthony Mackie, Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford.

Danny Ramirez, of course, returns as the new Falcon in the Captain America movie after his turn in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. We’re glad to see him. And Carl Lumbly is back as Isaiah Bradley, though we don’t love he’s ostensibly being mind-controlled in the Captain America: Brave New World trailer. Tim Blake Nelson, we know, will play Leader. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Esposito’s role has not been confirmed, but we see some good looks at him in the trailer.

When Will Captain America: Brave New World Release?

Captain America: Brave New World will release in theaters on February 14, 2025.

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When the Captain America franchise returns to the MCU, it’s going to do so with a new hero. Steve Rogers is an old man who’s either dead, living on the Moon, or playing shuffleboard in Fort Myers. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is now the United States’ signature superhero, the one and only Captain America. But that isn’t the only change the film will deliver. Harrison Ford is stepping into the role of Thaddeus Ross after the passing of William Hurt. We don’t expect any version of ole Thunderbolt to get along with a man of morals like Sam. But the actors who play the characters certainly seem to like one another. They’re having a whole lot of fun together in the first official behind-the-scenes image from the film, which Mackie and Marvel Studios shared to announce that Captain America 4 now has a new title.

New World Order is out. Captain America: Brave New World is in.

Sorry fans of late ’90s WCW. Once again, the New World Order has fallen. Apparently, that Captain America title was not “too sweet” for Marvel. But today is a big day for readers of Aldous Huxley’s classic dystopian novel, as it now serves as the inspiration for the name of the next Captain America installment.

It’s unclear if the Captain America 4 title change is simply a legal matter or if it better reflects the story we’re going to see. The phrase “New World Order” also has some murkier roots, so it’s probably best to see it go. There is a Marvel Comics issue titled Secret Empire: Brave New World, but it seems to largely feature Namor. So it doesn’t really add much insight to the equation.

What is clear, though, is how much Mackie and Ford are enjoying working together in the movie’s first official image.

What are they talking about? On Instagram, Mackie wrote, “When Harrison Ford tells you how kicking ass should look, you listen! LoL… Thanks for the on-set wisdom and laughs my friend! Can’t wait to do it again.” (The film’s production is currently on hiatus.)

Anthony Mackie is basically us if we got to hang out with Harrison Ford.

There are some other takeaways from this seemingly innocuous picture, though. And we don’t just mean that the set chairs already have the new title on them. We mean, like how Ford isn’t sporting Ross’ mustache here. Is that how he’ll appear in the film, or is this just a moment when he didn’t have it glued on/shaved it off? And what exactly are we seeing on the monitor? It’s hard to tell at a squint, but you never know when a really good Easter egg is right in front of you. Could it be the re-emergence of Sam’s original Captain America suit?

Whatever’s going on, we’re thrilled to see Mackie’s Captain America current suit looks so good. (Especially compared to the aforementioned one we saw him wearing on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.)

Clearly, a Brave New World for Captain America means more than a title change; it means better gear when the movie comes to theaters on May 3, 2024. 

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