It’s finally been confirmed that the Red Hulk will debut in Captain America: Brave New World, and a new MCU theory could explain exactly how this major Marvel villain is born. Following the tragic passing of William Hurt in 2022, Harrison Ford was revealed to have been cast as Thaddeus Ross ahead of the character’s return in the MCU’s Phase 5. The first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World has confirmed that, 16 years after the character’s debut in the MCU, Ross will finally become the Red Hulk in live-action.

Marvel Comics’ Red Hulk debuted in 2008’s Hulk (Vol. 2) #1, but wasn’t revealed to be Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross until 2010’s World War Hulks storyline. This transformation has been highly-anticipated throughout the character’s entire MCU history, so the Red Hulk’s debut in Captain America: Brave New World is hugely exciting. However, this confirmation has raised questions about how Ross, now the President of the United States, will actually become the Red Hulk, but one wild MCU theory may have found the answer.

Theory: Betty Ross Is Dying In Captain America 4, But Her Father Has A Plan

Liv Tyler First Portrayed Betty Ross In 2008’s The Incredible Hulk

Back in March 2023, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Liv Tyler would be returning as Betty Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, Thaddeus Ross’ daughter who hasn’t been seen in the MCU since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Betty’s return could be hugely important to Brave New World’s storyline, as one theory posed by Reddit user TaskMister2000 suggests. In fact, this theory posits that Betty Ross may be dying of a mysterious illness in Brave New World, prompting her father to go to extreme lengths in an effort to save her.

Another returning The Incredible Hulk character in Captain America: Brave New World is Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, who is now operating as the supervillain, the Leader. Following The Incredible Hulk, Sterns was taken into SHIELD custody, so it’s possible that President Ross may have forced the super-genius villain to try and find a cure to Betty Ross’ illness. This could not only tease Betty’s evolution into her Marvel Comics alter ego, the Red She-Hulk, but could also inform President Ross’ own transformation into the Red Hulk.

The Leader Could Get His Revenge By Transforming Ross Into The Red Hulk

TaskMister2000’s theory suggests that Samuel Sterns’ Leader could somehow escape from the clutches of President Ross. Captain America: Brave New World’s trailer has shown the Leader out in the world and speaking to persons unknown on the phone, suggesting he may be hatching a revenge plot against Ross for forcing him to work for the last 16 years. This creates a solid and understandable backstory for the Leader turning President Ross into the Red Hulk, as he could retro-fit his cure for Betty into the Red Hulk serum for Ross.

Samuel Sterns became the Leader in The Incredible Hulk after an open wound on his head was exposed to Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood, and he was taken into SHIELD custody in Marvel Comics’ The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week , which is considered canon to the MCU.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to be jam-packed with villains, including Samuel Sterns’ Leader, a brainwashed super-soldier Isaiah Bradley, Giancarlo Esposito’s mysterious MCU character, and now President Ross’ Red Hulk. While the latter may be the most physically powerful, this theory suggests that the Leader will be pulling his strings. This will set him up to be one of the most formidable villains in the entire MCU, and, more than that, Captain America: Brave New World could completely divert from the typical villain story.

Captain America 4 Theory Avoids A Major Problem With Typical MCU Villain Stories

In many past MCU projects, villains have become enhanced simply because of their hunger for power. This has been the case in Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, Ant-Man, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, among many others, so Captain America: Brave New World shouldn’t just repeat this pattern. It would be easy for President Ross to become the Red Hulk willingly in an effort to get even more power, but this wouldn’t make sense for the narrative or the character.

Thaddeus Ross has always been vehemently in opposition to the world’s superheroes, so it’s unlikely he’d willingly become superpowered himself. Instead, the Reddit theory suggests that these abilities will be forced on Ross, completely negating the typical power-hungry villain storyline from previous MCU projects, and creating new layers of conflict and drama for Captain America: Brave New World. This would bring something new and fresh to the MCU, while introducing one of the franchise’s most highly-anticipated villains ever.

Betty Ross’ Death Could Set Up A Much-Wanted MCU Story For Bruce Banner’s Hulk

If this theory turns out to be true, the Leader will exact his revenge on President Ross, transforming him into the Red Hulk, and damning Betty Ross to meet her bitter end, as her cure would have been wasted. On the surface, Betty Ross’ death won’t have much impact on the MCU, given the fact that she hasn’t been seen in the last 16 years. However, should Bruce Banner get word of Betty’s demise, this could take a very different direction. Betty was Bruce Banner’s original love interest in the MCU, so her death could spell bad news.

Hearing of Betty Ross’ demise could unleash some primal anger in Bruce Banner that reverts him to the much-wanted “Savage Hulk” from the MCU’s early days. Marvel Studios has been criticized for “nerfing” the Hulk in recent years, but Captain America: Brave New World could tease his return to the more brutal, unadulterated and animalistic Hulk. This could even form the foundation of the MCU’s rumored World War Hulk adaptation, with the Hulk’s rampage threatening a great many heroes, all because of the Leader’s vendetta.