Harrison Ford Says Playing Late William Hurt's Marvel Character inCaptain America 4Was 'Not a Barrier for Me' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Harrison Ford on Feb. 11, 2025 and William Hurt on April 12, 2016.Photo:Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Charley Gallay/Getty

Harrison Ford William Hurt

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Charley Gallay/Getty

“We knew each other enough to nod and say hello, but I didn’t know the man very well,” Ford told reporters at the movie’s Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 11, when asked if he and Hurt got to know each other over the years. “But I knew his work, and his work is fantastic. To have the opportunity to step into the shoes of a character that he helped to create was not a barrier to me. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity when I read the script, and that’s how I felt about that.”

Anthony Mackie (center) and Harrison Ford (right) in Captain America: Brave New World.Marvel Studios

Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, center) and President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, right) in Marvel Studios' CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, exclusively on Disney+

Marvel Studios

Brave New Worldcontinues the tense relationship Ford’s character Ross holds with many of the MCU’s superheroes. The movie’s plot revolves around Ross, who’s elected president of the United States but turns into a red version of the Hulk. He becomes a formidable foe forAnthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who’s operating as Captain America without the super soldier serum that madeChris Evans' Steve Rogers stand out from a crowd.

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William Hurt in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.Marvel Enterprises/Kobal/Shutterstock

William Hurt, The Incredible Hulk - 2008

Marvel Enterprises/Kobal/Shutterstock

“He laid a very firm foundation for the character. I respect him enormously in the work that he did in his lifetime,” Ford said of Hurt at that time. “God bless his soul. I’m delighted to be able to stand on his shoulders and continue playing the character.”

Ford and Mackie costar inBrave New Worldwith Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito and Xosha Roquemore.Captain America: Brave New Worldis in theaters Feb. 14.

source: people.com