The She-Hulk Episode 8 Name Drop That Gave MCU Fans Some Pause
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is nearing its finale — to be determined if it's a series or season finale — and it just delivered one of its biggest episodes yet.
Many Marvel fans have patiently waited for Daredevil's highly-anticipated introduction, which finally came this week. Episode 8, titled "Ribbit and Rip It," sees Jen Walters take on the case of Eugene Patilio, the aspiring superhero Leap-Frog. Eugene wants to sue superhero suit fashion designer Luke Jacobson for giving him a faulty suit, which caught on fire as he tried to stop some criminals. Matt Murdock represents Jacobson in court, and he gets the case dismissed after deducing that Eugene used jet fuel for his rockets, which Jacobson did not create the suit to withstand. Later that night, Daredevil attacks Eugene, who has kidnapped Jacobson, and She-Hulk defends him, not knowing what he's done. After a quick fight, the two work together to rescue Jacobson. The next day, Jennifer attends the gala to accept her Female Lawyer of the Year award, but the ceremony is interrupted by a She-Hulk smear campaign created by Intelligencia.
Marvel Studios is known for including Easter Eggs in most of its projects, and "She-Hulk" is no different. The series has already included way more references than you may have realized, and Episode 8 continued this trend. The episode was chock full of Easter eggs, many revolving around Daredevil's in-costume MCU introduction, but "Ribbit and Rip It" also included a potentially massive Marvel name-drop that MCU fans probably weren't expecting.
Red Hulk gets called out in the MCU
Towards the end of "Ribbit and Rip It," Jen realizes this is the penultimate episode of the series, and the viewers expect a plot twist to happen. As she's walking back to her bedroom to get ready for the gala, she says, "This is the big twist, isn't it? But the question is, is it the kind of twist that's like, 'There's another Hulk, but this one's red,' or like, 'I'm getting fridged?'" Jen makes such a casual remark as she breaks the fourth wall, but it's enough to send Marvel fans into a tailspin of fan theories.
MCU fans may not be familiar with Red Hulk, but comic book readers have long since wanted him to make the jump from the pages to the big screen. For those that don't know, Red Hulk is General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, the Hulk's biggest villain who sought to weaponize the Green Goliath. MODOK and Leader used radiation siphoned from the Hulk to turn Ross into Red Hulk. He first appeared in Marvel Comics' "Hulk (2008)" #3, but the comics didn't reveal Red Hulk to be Ross until "Hulk" #23. William Hurt, who tragically passed away earlier this year, played Ross in the MCU.
Since the premiere of "She-Hulk," the series has teased the potential introduction of new Hulks, with Red Hulk being a fan-favorite. Sadly, Hurt's passing threw a wrench in a possible Red Hulk introduction, which would fit perfectly in the recently announced "Thunderbolts." Former Variety and Collider reporter Jeff Sneider claims that Marvel Studios is looking to recast Ross for "Thunderbolts," saying that Harrison Ford is Marvel Studios' top choice, but that's just a rumor as of now.
Maybe Marvel gives us another tease of Red Hulk in next week's "She-Hulk" finale.