‘She-Hulk’: How the Show Opens the Doors to a Whole New Corner of the MCU
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law caps off the end of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), at least as far as its Disney+ series are concerned. Phase 4 will officially come to a close on the big screen with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hitting theaters on November 11, 2022. And much like many other Phase 4 projects, She-Hulk sets up a lot of possibilities for the future of its respective characters.
‘She-Hulk’ is the latest Marvel Studios series to hit Disney+
With Phase 4, Marvel Studios set out, it seems, with two objectives. On the one hand, the Disney+ shows and movies released during this period deal with the fallout of Avengers: Endgame and its effect on various MCU heroes. But Phase 4 has also been determined to introduce a fresh crop of heroes into the mix, as “the Multiverse saga” gears up for takeoff.
She-Hulk – much like Hawkeye before it – catches up with one of the original six Avengers. It also sets up a hero who could easily step into his role in the MCU. But unlike other Phase 4 projects, She-Hulk goes a bit further. In addition to bringing Tatiana Maslany’s title hero into the fray, the show could lead to way more exploration of the expansive world surrounding the Hulk himself.
The show marks the MCU’s first effort to expand the Hulk’s lore
The MCU kicked off in epic fashion with 2008’s Iron Man. But its follow-up, The Incredible Hulk, was largely ignored for years after its release. The gradual reintroduction of supporting players like William Hurt’s General Thaddeus Ross and Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky aka The Abomination illustrates Marvel Studios’ interest in returning to the story threads set up in that movie. But She-Hulk doubles down on the gamma-infused shenanigans that might pop up in the MCU.
After all, Bruce Banner might be the original character to become The Incredible Hulk. But over the years, he is far from the only one to absorb gamma radiation and wind up developing superpowers as a result. Even in The Incredible Hulk movie, The Abomination receives his powers from Banner’s blood sample. This also seemingly transforms Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) into The Leader. Maslany’s She-Hulk signals the potential for more Hulk players.
Why 1 of the most famous Hulk characters will likely never appear
She-Hulk is all but certain to set the stage for additional Hulks to make their MCU debuts. But there is one prominent character who is highly unlikely to play a central role. In Marvel Comics, General Ross’ obsession with hunting down the Hulk eventually led him to transform himself into a villain known as Red Hulk. Given Ross’ role, this would have been a great fit for the MCU.
However, Hurt’s death in March 2022 means Ross’ future in the franchise is unclear. In all likelihood, Marvel Studios will retire the character out of respect for the actor who played him. Perhaps The Abomination will take Red Hulk’s place in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie instead. But fans probably won’t see Ross evolve into Red Hulk in upcoming Marvel projects.
