The Real Reason Harrison Ford Agreed To Join Marvel With Captain America 4

Not to burst anyone’s bubbles here, but acting is a job like any other — people get into this profession because they (hopefully) have the talent and the ability, sure, but they also like to get paid. Who knew! It’s easy to buy into the PR hype and convince ourselves that every A-lister who joins a Star War or superhero movie is in it for nothing more than the love of the game. That’s rarely the case, of course, no matter how earnest and sincere Aubrey Plaza might sound about playing an unhinged witch on “Agatha All Along.” After all, even the nerdiest lore in the world can’t really hold a candle to the paychecks that come with all those zeroes attached to ’em.

So when /Film first reported that Harrison Ford would be suiting up as General newly-elected President William “Thunderbolt” Ross in “Captain America: Brave New World,” the internet promptly lost its mind at this turn of events. Upon closer inspection, however, it made a certain amount of sense. Of course the world-famous movie star who made his name in franchises like “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” wouldn’t turn up his nose at our closest modern equivalent: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a new profile with GQ, Ford is now opening up about why he joined the biggest blockbuster game in town and his logic is downright refreshing:

“I understand the appeal of other kinds of films besides the kind we made in the ’80s and ’90s. I don’t have anything general to say about it. It’s the condition our condition is in, and things change and morph and go on. We’re silly if we sit around regretting the change and don’t participate. I’m participating in a new part of the business that, for me at least, I think is really producing some good experiences for an audience. I enjoy that.”

Film purists might yearn for the golden era of filmmaking when visionary filmmakers and the biggest movie stars around were able to turn thrilling, adult-minded movies like “The Fugitive” or “Presumed Innocent” into critical darlings and box office hits — precisely the kind of movies he alludes to having starred in during the 1980s and 1990s — but those halcyon days might well and truly be behind us. That won’t stop people like me from bemoaning the bleak state of things these days as big-budget franchises continue to rule the roost, of course, but at least some of those who actually lived through Hollywood’s heyday have healthier perspectives on where we find ourselves now.

Count Harrison Ford among those who understand that film is an ever-changing industry and those who can’t keep up will be doomed to fall behind. That mentality directly led to getting involved in “Captain America: Brave New World.” Then again, it’s one thing to put on a three piece suit and portray the President of the United States, as anyone who’s watched “Air Force One” can attest to. He’s been there and done that. It’s quite another to purposefully take on a role that also involves transforming into a CGI monster known as Red Hulk. Just don’t ask him to provide any deep-dive explorations into comic book canon, though. As Ford has demonstrated with prior comments on “Star Wars,” he’s just here for a good time, not necessarily a long time. He went on to explain:

“I mean, this is the Marvel universe and I’m just there on a weekend pass. I’m a sailor new to this town. Show me the way to go home.”

Now that’s the kind of honesty I can respect. I, for one, can’t wait to see Ford shoot from the hip with even more bluntness as he embarks on a global press tour for Marvel. “Captain America: Brave New World” hits theaters February 14, 2025.