Key Takeaways:
- Captain America: Brave New World concept art reveals several alternate Red Hulk designs, including facial hair variations.
- Harrison Ford’s Ross is clean-shaven, with the mustache omission addressed in the film.
- The unused mustached designs may hint at future Marvel characters like Robert Maverick.
Creative Team Explored Several Red Hulk Looks
The recently released artbook for Captain America: Brave New World has revealed a variety of alternate designs for Red Hulk, including several intriguing versions where the character sports facial hair. The YouTube channel The Artbook Collector shared a detailed breakdown of the book, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at Marvel’s design process. One of the standout takeaways is a set of concept images where Red Hulk features a prominent mustache—an homage to General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the man behind the transformation.
In one piece of artwork, Red Hulk is depicted with smoke rising off his body, a nod to the character’s fiery powers from the comics. Other images show varying styles of facial hair, potentially inspired by Ross’s iconic mustache, previously worn by the late William Hurt in the MCU.
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Harrison Ford’s Clean-Shaven Look Explained
Harrison Ford replaced Hurt as Ross in Brave New World, opting for a clean-shaven appearance. Interestingly, the film explains this visual shift with a humorous in-universe line: Ross admits he shaved the mustache to improve his chances in a presidential election. This decision aligns with comic book lore, where Red Hulk (as Ross) is traditionally clean-shaven to conceal his identity from readers.
Still, it’s worth noting that in Marvel Comics, Robert Maverick—another character who becomes Red Hulk—does retain his mustache, offering a precedent for the facial hair designs.
Alternate Designs Offer Glimpse Into Creative Process
The variety of Red Hulk concept art provides insight into Marvel Studios’ iterative approach to character design. Before finalizing a look, teams often explore numerous variations to determine what best serves the narrative and aesthetic of the film. The mustached versions of Red Hulk were likely early concepts, scrapped either for continuity with the source material or simply due to visual preference.
As Marvel pivots toward new stories, the future of Red Hulk remains uncertain. With Ross currently imprisoned in the Raft, it’s unclear whether we’ll see this transformation again. However, if Marvel introduces Robert Maverick in future projects, fans may yet see one of these mustached Red Hulk versions come to life.
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