‘She-Hulk’ Just Cleared Up 1 of Phase 4’s Biggest MCU Mysteries
Before it even began, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had the tall order of following the climactic events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Thankfully, the addition of Disney+ series has given the MCU a lot more space to catch up with existing heroes and introduce some new ones. Now She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has directly addressed one of the biggest questions lingering after Avengers: Endgame.
‘She-Hulk’ brings 1 of the original Avengers back to the forefront
In the new show, Tatiana Maslany stars as Jennifer Walters, an attorney and cousin to Bruce Banner aka The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Much of the show’s focus will see Jennifer attempt to balance both her day job with her newfound identity as a Hulk. Naturally, Ruffalo’s “Smart Hulk” plays the role of mentor on the show. After all, he’s been contending with this dual identity for more than a decade.
In that way, She-Hulk is the first project centered on the Hulk mythos since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Only the second movie from Marvel Studios, that film starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. Ruffalo assumed the role in 2012’s The Avengers and has reprised it several times since. But the evolution of his Hulk has always been in the background. In She-Hulk, it finally steps more into the spotlight.
Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner deserves a bit more exploration
She-Hulk will reintroduce Emil Blonsky aka The Abomination (Tim Roth) and Matt Murdock aka Daredevil (Charlie Cox). But its first episode centers on how Jennifer Walters joins the Hulk family. In the process, fans finally get some clarity on Bruce’s condition. Hulk suffered a severe injury to one of his arms in Avengers: Endgame after wielding the Infinity Gauntlet. But he popped up – in human form – in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ mid-credits scene.
The first episode of She-Hulk – titled “A Normal Amount of Rage” – flashes back to the car crash that created the show’s title character. But before Bruce’s gamma-infused blood enters Jennifer’s bloodstream, he reveals he invented an inhibitor to keep himself in human form. And over time, his arm began to heal. Moreover, Jennifer’s own Hulked-out blood enables him to completely restore his arm. Fans even see his Mexico lab, where he worked during the Blip.
Will ‘She-Hulk’ see Mark Ruffalo exit the MCU in epic fashion?
Marvel Studios has spent much of Phase 4 setting up the next generation of heroes. So it’s natural for fans to wonder if Ruffalo’s Hulk could be about to pass his spot in the MCU over to She-Hulk. After all, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) are set up as the new Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, respectively.
Although the long-term plan for Bruce Banner is unclear, rumors continue to persist that Ruffalo could finally headline his own MCU movie. For now, fans will have to see where She-Hulk takes his story. If he sticks around, perhaps Hulk could reappear in a potential season 2. At the very least, fans hope to see the two Hulks battle alongside each other in the next Avengers movie.
