Harrison Ford joins Captain America 4 in Thunderbolt Ross recast; Sacha Baron Cohen's rumoured for MCU's Mephisto

It’s official: Harrison Ford is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)! Marvel Studios has announced that the Indiana Jones star will take on the role of General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross, previously played by the late actor William Hurt.

The news confirms earlier reports of the actor’s possible involvement in the franchise, and will see the actor appearing as Ross in Captain America: New World Order, which also marks the return of Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson.

Helmed by Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah, the upcoming movie is set after the events of 2021’s Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Wilson finally accepts the shield and mantle of Captain America.

Ford is set to play Ross in Thunderbolts as well, the film about the titular team of supervillains that’s currently slated for release on July 26, 2024. Before that, however, the actor will be embarking on his last crusade as the intrepid archeologist in Indiana Jones 5, due to premiere on June 30, 2023.

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Elsewhere, rumours of a potential Mephisto casting for the upcoming Ironheart series are circulating. According to multiple reports, Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen has been tapped to play the demon who many expected to appear in WandaVision as the main villain. Following the reveal that it was Agatha Harkness all along, fans continued to theorise the character’s role in other MCU titles, such as Loki, Moon Knight, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Whether Cohen will play Mephisto or appear in Iron heart as an antagonist remains unconfirmed. Slated for release in fall 2023, the Disney+ series centres around young tech genius Riri Williams as she builds her version of the Iron Man suit.

This article was first published in Geek Culture.