Ross Marquand might be best known for playing Aaron on The Walking Dead, but he’s also something of an unsung MCU icon thanks to his portrayal of not just one, but two of the most legendary Marvel villains.
First, Marquand did an uncanny impression of Hugo Weaving for Red Skull’s return in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, before he got to give his version of Ultron a whirl in last year’s What If…? animated series. And his time as both bad guys might not be over yet.
While speaking to The Illuminerdi at Comic-Con, Marquand was asked about the chances of him coming back as either Johann Schmidt or the evil A.I. and, intriguingly, he seems confident on both fronts. In particular, the actor and gifted impressionist says the odds are high that Red Skull will return, while Ultron’s very nature means he can never be truly defeated.
“I really feel like there is a good chance we will see Red Skull again. [Ultron] is floating around somewhere. The great thing about him is that he is floating in the cloud. He can go anywhere.”
Marquand’s comments about Ultron are accurate, although it doesn’t sound like there’s anything actually in the works there, which adds up seeing as Infinity Ultron was such a big part of What If…? season one. It definitely sounds like he knows that something’s on the way for the HYDRA leader, however. Fans have been desperate to know where Schmidt could go next now he’s freed from his bond as Guardian of the Soul Stone on Vormir.
Well, Marvel did just announce Captain America: New World Order at SDCC, the 2024 production that’ll see Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson headline his own movie. It would be a neat idea to have the new Sentinel of Liberty come up against Steve Rogers’ original nemesis. Alternatively, Marquand may simply be teasing more from animated Red Skull in What If…? season two, which is coming in spring 2023.