Earlier this year, at Disney’s D23 Expo, it was announced that Marvel Studios was developing a TV series centered around She-Hulk for Disney+. When lawyer Jen Walters is involved in a shooting incident and needs a blood transfusion, the only donor available with her type is her cousin, Bruce Banner.
Since Bruce’s blood is infected with the gamma radiation that turned him into the Hulk, putting some of that blood into Jen’s veins gives her Hulk powers of her own. It’s an exciting upcoming show. So, here are 5 Things That Have Been Confirmed For Disney+’s She-Hulk (And 5 Fan Theories).
Confirmed: Jessica Gao has been hired as head writer
Marvel has hired Jessica Gao to be the head writer of its forthcoming She-Hulk series. Gao has written for a number of popular TV series, including Robot Chicken and Silicon Valley. She has also written for Rick and Morty and wrote the iconic installment “Pickle Rick,” for which she won an Emmy Award.
Based on the fact that most of Gao’s previous work has been in the comedy genre, we can probably expect a comedic bent in the She-Hulk series. Every MCU entry includes elements of humor, but She-Hulk could be more comedic than most of them, perhaps even playing like a sitcom.
Fan theory: She’ll be part of a new Defenders team
We’ve been treated to a Defenders line-up in the MCU before, with Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist assembling under that name on Netflix. However, with the Netflix shows being canceled to make way for the Disney+ shows, that Defenders team will probably be forgotten about.
There can still be a Defenders team in the MCU, courtesy of the Disney+ series; it’ll just have a totally different line-up. Some fans have suggested that She-Hulk could be a part of this new team, maybe alongside Moon Knight. It would be fun to see a few superhero teams operating around the world in the MCU.
Confirmed: The series is expected to wrap production in late 2020
Kevin Feige announced recently that the upcoming She-Hulk series will be wrapping production sometime in late 2020, if everything goes according to plan. There is no announced release date for the series yet, but it probably won’t be hitting our screens for another couple of years.
Along with seven other Disney+ series, it will be a part of the MCU’s Phase Four slate. None of these series have release dates yet, although the first five have release windows taking them up to late 2021 with the Hawkeye series in which Clint Barton will train Kate Bishop to be his successor.
Fan theory: Liv Tyler will return as Betty Ross
Marvel Studios’ intention with the new Disney+ series is to give the spotlight to characters who are often relegated to supporting roles, like the Falcon and Scarlet Witch. But they also have a chance to bring back some long-forgotten characters who slipped off the MCU’s radar a few years ago and reintroduce them into the mix.
In 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Liv Tyler appeared alongside Edward Norton’s soon-to-be-recast Bruce Banner as the love interest Betty Ross. While her father, Thaddeus, played by William Hurt, has appeared in subsequent movies, Betty never came back. Bruce was given a new love interest in Natasha Romanoff. Daniel Richtman has started a rumor that Betty might appear in She-Hulk.
Confirmed: Mark Ruffalo has endorsed the series
As with most of Marvel’s female-led projects, She-Hulk has been met with some backlash from misogynistic fans. These fans have claimed that She-Hulk is pandering to female fans, and taking stories away from male heroes (which is ridiculous, of course, because male-led stories still make up the overwhelming majority of the MCU).
Mark Ruffalo doesn’t share these concerns, and he has gladly welcomed She-Hulk into the fold. When the series was first announced, Ruffalo took to Twitter to say, “Welcome to the Marvel Studios family, She-Hulk!” Whether or not Ruffalo will be appearing in the series himself has yet to be announced.
Fan theory: She’ll join the Avengers
Kevin Feige has said that he has a very specific line-up in mind for the next Avengers movie. There are no Avengers movie announced on the MCU’s horizon, but Feige has confirmed that one is in development. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, the team disbanded, having saved the universe from the threat of Thanos, but that won’t be the end of the Avengers forever.
With She-Hulk getting her own Disney+ series, she’ll probably join a reformed version of Earth’s mightiest heroes alongside the likes of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange by the finale episode, to set her up for an appearance in Avengers 5.
Confirmed: This will be the first live-action portrayal of She-Hulk
She-Hulk can be added to the long list of Marvel Comics characters that made their live-action debut in the MCU, starting with Iron Man (of course) and eventually leading to Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel.
There was a She-Hulk movie in development back in the ‘90s. It was going to be written and directed by Larry Cohen, with Brigitte Nielsen playing the lead role. There are even photos of Nielsen in costume as She-Hulk. However, the project was ultimately scrapped by the studio and never got made. So, this upcoming Disney+ series will be the character’s first live-action depiction.
Fan theory: She-Hulk will become Peter Parker’s attorney
Marvel fans have been going crazy with speculation since the bombshell plot twist in the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home in which the Daily Bugle revealed Peter Parker’s identity to the world. Since he’s been framed for a crime he didn’t commit (Mysterio’s drone attack on London) and he’s on the run from countless enemies who will be pleased to know who he is, Peter will need an attorney to clear his name.
Fans have theorized that Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, could represent Spidey in court. But there’s another superpowered lawyer who might be willing to help Peter: Jen Walters.
Confirmed: Jen Walters hasn’t been cast yet
Although the She-Hulk series has been announced to be in development, the title role has yet to be cast. The role of Jen Walters, a lawyer who becomes infected with gamma radiation and Hulk-ified like her cousin Bruce Banner, will be a tricky one to cast, because unlike Bruce, Jen actually comes to prefer being the She-Hulk to embodying her human form.
Mark Ruffalo has said that his dream casting for the role would be Tessa Thompson, but since she’s played Valkyrie in the MCU since 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, such a casting would significantly deviate from the continuity of the MCU.
Fan theory: The character’s origin story will be tweaked to fit the MCU
In the comics, She-Hulk’s origin story involves Jen Walters needing a blood transfusion and getting one from her cousin Bruce Banner, whose gamma-radiated blood gives her superpowers. However, in the MCU, there is no Bruce Banner anymore.
He’s fused his consciousness with the Hulk to become “Smart Hulk,” a sort of “best of both worlds” hybrid that’s unpalatable to pretty much everyone, except his young fans. He’s also got a permanently damaged arm from using the Infinity Stones to save the world. So, She-Hulk’s origin story will probably have to be tweaked to fit the storylines set up by the MCU.
