Harrison Ford

has dipped his toes into many movie genres in his long and prolific career. This year he made the once unthinkable sidestep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt in Captain America: Brave New World, but there is one genre that he loves more than any other: Westerns. However, his reason for loving the old-fashioned world of cowboys and dusty period settings makes it even more bizarre that he ever ended up appearing in the MCU at all.
Saddling up for a good Western, such as his return to the Yellowstone universe show, 1923, brings him a lot of contentment, and the reason for that is the genre’s use of real, tangible environments and a lack of reliance on technologically advanced CGI effects. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the debut of 1923’s second season on Paramount+, Ford explained:

“I love the viscerality of it, I love the physical nature of the storytelling, I love being in natural circumstances. It’s a kind of old-fashioned movie-making mostly, no CGI or very little CGI — a little something to sweeten the location. But it’s really essential, old-time storytelling and I love working with this kind of material.”

Ford first brushed up against the Western genre in his first ever movie role over six decades ago, in the 1967 film A Time for Killing. Despite becoming a household name in some of cinema’s greatest blockbuster franchises, such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the actor has always held a special place in his heart for the genre that started it all for him. It seems that, in the main, there is something about getting dirt under his fingernails that is all part of what makes Westerns a constantly appealing prospect for the octogenarian.
Harrison Ford Has Gone from Yellowstone to Red Hulk and Back Again

In recent years, Ford has become just one of the big names to step into the Yellowstone universe, immersing himself in the challenges of early-20th-century ranch life alongside other industry stalwarts, including Helen Mirren, Jerome Flynn, and Timothy Dalton in 1923. However, ahead of his return to the role of Jacob Dutton, Ford has made an unexpected segue to the MCU, playing Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk in this year’s Captain America: Brave New World.
Considering Ford’s reasons for being drawn to the Western genre, his appearance as a CGI monster in the movie is almost a paradox that could implode the multiverse. It is practically anti-MCU to favor a CGI-free filming environment, but Ford actually seemed to have fun making his Marvel debut – which was the reason he agreed to join the franchise in the first place. Not only was he happy to be in the movie, but would be open to returning again. He said previously:

“I hope he can come back. I hope [there’s] a story in which he can develop into something other than the Red Hulk. I think we have the capacity to shift shape between Hulkness and humanity, but that’s really not my department. I was very happy with the opportunity to play in this playground. What an amazing group of people to work with, and what an imaginative reality. So I was looking forward to having a piece of the action.”

Of course, Ford is an old hand and playing in a fantastical sandbox, having made several appearances in the Star Wars franchise. So although he has a great love for simple, old fashioned storytelling in the likes of 1923, he isn’t completely against doing something that is a little less grounded as long as the money is there to help him forget how ridiculous it makes him look.
Source: THR

1923

Release Date

2022 – 2024

Network

Paramount+

Directors

Guy Ferland