She-Hulk’s Future As Revealed By The Head Writer
“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” represented a new direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in more ways than one. As the first true sitcom set in the MCU (the pastiches of such shows in “WandaVision” notwithstanding), it adopted an edgier, more adult tone for its careerist protagonist, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) as she navigated a faltering love life and professional ambitions.
Additionally, it was the longest season of any Disney+ MCU show at nine episodes. But it also broke with the orthodoxies of the superhero genre via its historically fourth-wall-breaking source material, leading to a season finale unlike anything seen before in the franchise.
While no future projects starring the lean, green, legal machine have yet been announced, it’s unlikely that we’ve seen the last of Walters or her Hulk alter-ego. As previously reported, key figures from Bruce Banner actor Mark Ruffalo to “She-Hulk” showrunner Jessica Gao have made allusions to a future for the character. Now, in a new interview, Gao has given fans even more reason to expect more She-Hulk in the MCU.
She-Hulk will be more experienced and confident in future MCU installments
Speaking to ComicBook.com, “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” head writer and executive producer Jessica Gao teased She-Hulk’s future in the MCU following the conclusion of Season 1. Stating that she sees “She-Hulk” Season 1 as an origin story for the character, Gao elaborated, “The pilot was her physical origin story, but the entirety of the season is her emotionally and mentally becoming She-Hulk.”
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Over the course of the season, Jennifer learned to love her new, Hulkified alter-ego, and Gao thinks that’s a blessing — and potentially a curse — for the character. “After going through those initial growing pains, now she fully has become She-Hulk, and with that comes the confidence and the experience, and maybe a little bit more hubris,” Gao said.
Gao further relayed that, given the character growth Jen experienced in Season 1, the door is open to a very different version of the character. Certainly, that would put her arc in line with her cousin, Bruce Banner, who has undergone significant character changes since Ruffalo first played the character in 2012’s “The Avengers,” eventually fusing his Hulk and human personas into one entity known as Smart Hulk or Professor Hulk, as initially seen in “Avengers: Endgame” and now “She-Hulk.”
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“She-Hulk” seemed to be gearing up for something more, given that Banner’s son, Skaar, was introduced in the finale. We’ve also learned that “Star Wars” star Harrison Ford is set to play Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the upcoming “Captain America: New World Order,” meaning the red Hulk teased in “She-Hulk” may be joining the MCU. With so many Hulks now on the playing field, it would be surprising if She-Hulk does not play a key role in later phases of the MCU.
