Amidst rumors of star Harrison Ford’s “diva”-like behavior during filming of Captain America: Brave New World, director Julius Onah has offered his defense of the veteran actor. While breaking down the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie with Variety, the filmmaker touched on reports that painted an unsavory picture of Brave New World‘s production, which claimed Ford was difficult for crew members to work with. Onah spoke about his personal experience collaborating with Ford, praising the Hollywood legend’s strong performance and commitment to the project. Detailing the “love and respect” the cast and crew has for Ford, Onah had only glowing things to say about the actor.
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“Look, I can’t speak to anything that anybody is speculating on or speaking about off the record. All I can speak to is my experience with Harrison. He was an utter professional,” Onah said. “He is a guy who’s incredibly serious and passionate about the work. The creative process is one where you have these really meaningful and, at times, passionate conversations, but it was always working towards a target where we were making the best version of the film possible. I think Harrison gave a phenomenal performance in the film. I was so honored to work with him. I learned so much from him, and the entire cast has nothing but love and respect for him, and the crew as well. That’s the experience I had in the making of this film, and that’s the truth of what our filmmaking was on set.”
In Captain America: Brave New World, Ford makes his MCU debut, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. The character’s transformation into Red Hulk and subsequent battle against Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) was a centerpiece of the film’s marketing campaign. Last year, Ford joked that it took “being an idiot for money” to join the project, but he spoke highly of his experience.
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As Brave New World received mixed reviews and is poised for a massive drop at the box office, the film has also made unwanted headlines due to a report detailing the film’s troubled production. In addition to being plagued by expensive reshoots, some crew members took issue with Ford’s behavior on set, with one person calling the actor “one of the crankiest performers” they’ve been around. The source claimed “A-list egos” contributed to creating a tense environment during filming.
Publicly, at least, Ford seemed to embrace joining the MCU. He famously “Hulked out” on stage at Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel last year and said he was “proud” to be part of Brave New World. Ford’s said he was inspired to sign on to the film after seeing other actors have fun making Marvel blockbusters. Obviously, he wouldn’t say anything negative about the movie while promoting it, but based on Ford’s comments and Onah’s statement, it sounds like there weren’t many (if any) issues. It’s worth mentioning that other sources have said there’s “no truth” to the claims that Ford was a problem on set, so there are conflicting accounts. Fans may never know the full truth, but Onah is doing all he can by sharing his side of the story.
It’s unknown if Ford’s Ross will return in a future MCU project. The ending of Brave New World seemingly wrapped up the character’s arc, so it might be difficult to organically find a spot for Ross in an upcoming movie or TV show. Still, Ross’ legacy could continue to be felt throughout the rest of the Multiverse Saga; the creation of the Thunderbolts team appears to have stemmed from Ross’ desire to relaunch the Avengers. Even if Ford doesn’t have a cameo in that film, the character might be referenced.
