With the most recent episode of we got a tease about Red Hulk. While not officially introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet - and not sure if he will be introduced anytime soon due to the passing of William Hurt, who portrayed General Thunderbolt Ross - it was quite surprising to see the character's introduction.
Red Hulk has been a huge antagonist of the Hulk series, and the reference in raises some eyebrows due to a film being right around the corner. With the tease, let's look at who the character is and how he might fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Exploring who Red Hulk is amidst tease in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross would take up the mantle of Red Hulk. First debuting in Hulk (Vol. 2) #1, Ross would debut as the Red Goliath.
According to Fandom, when Ross's daughter Betty was killed by the Abomination and Hulk was exiled off Earth, Ross couldn't take the pain. Without having the Hulk to fight with, the pain would eat him up as he would lose purpose in life and turn to alcoholism.
When Captain America was assassinated live on TV, Ross was in a bar with everyone around him going into a trance. He is approached by M.O.D.O.K. and , who would tell him that Hulk is set to return to Earth with a vengeance. Ross decides to help the supervillains foil Hulk's plans in exchange for vengeance and bringing Betty back to life.
When the event begins, Ross helps fight the supervillains against Banner. With Doc Samson's help, they use satellites to drain the Hulk's energy and recover Bruce Banner's body from the aftermath.
The villains then transport Hulk to a base and use the energy and Banner's body to give Ross the same powers as the Green Goliath, the only thing being that he would be red in color and could transform into the Red Hulk whenever he wanted to.
Ross would want to distance himself from the villainous group, Intelligencia, so he could use a life-model decoy to replace himself in his regular life. This is how the origins of Red Hulk begin, as he would be under orders from and take missions for them. Hulk and Ross have had a long rivalry in the comics as well, and this would fuel it even more.
With the passing of William Hurt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe currently doesn't have a General Ross. While there were rumors of Harrison Ford being approached for the role, it looks like talks went nowhere.
However, with Marvel actively pursuing a new actor for Ross, it's not too bad to assume that Red Hulk might soon be gracing our screens. He might even show up in which might lead into the film.
Whatever it may be, we will probably have to wait and see.