MCU's Thunderbolt Ross - William Hurt Passed Away At 71

William Hurt passed away on the morning of Sunday 13 March 2022. The famous American actor, best known for his performances in films such as The Big Chill (1983), Body Heat (1981) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), died at age 71. His death allegedly occurred from natural causes, but no other details have been disclosed at the moment.
“It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday. He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes,” his friend Gerry Byrne said to Variety.

Source: Island Alive Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Born on March 20, 1950 in Washington D.C., Hurt was one of the most influential actors of his generation who quickly established himself with the image of a charismatic and versatile intellectual gentleman. As a shy and reserved person who was reluctant to show himself openly in the spotlight, he often asked for respect for his privacy and personal life despite being one of the most prominent names in Hollywood.
“It’s not right that my privacy is invaded to the extent that it is,” Hurt said in an interview with the New York Times back in 1989. “I’m a very private man, and I have the right to be. I never said that because I was an actor you can have my privacy, you can steal my soul. You can’t.”

Source: Marvel Studios

His talent was consecrated by three Oscar nominations for Best Actor, with a win in 1985 thanks to his performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman, followed by the nominations for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987). In 2005, the actor was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor with the action thriller film A History of Violence.
Among his most significant films, fans also remember Gorky Park (1983), Jane Eyre (1996), Dark City (1998), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), The Village (2004) and Into the Wild (2007). In more recent times, Hurt has become known to younger audiences thanks to his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thunderbolt Ross who appeared in The Incredible Hulk (2009), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021), the last big-screen appearance of his brilliant career.