Characters Fans Want To See In She-Hulk

If "She-Hulk" isn't your most anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe project of 2022 — well, perhaps it should be. The many adventures of Jennifer Walters, which began all the way back in 1979's "Savage She-Hulk" Vol. 1 #1, have provided some of the best stories in Marvel Comics in the decades since, filled with classic Hulk action, hysterical gags, and a total disregard for the fourth wall.

Of course, everyone knows that MCU shows and movies are fertile ground for cameos and surprise appearances, and "She-Hulk" seems particularly ripe for bringing in some familiar faces. For one, the comic book version of the character is famous for acting as counsel to the heroes of the Marvel Universe, and Kevin Feige told the Disney Investor Day 2020 (via ComicBook.com) that, "Since Jennifer Walters is a lawyer who specializes specifically in superhero-oriented legal cases, you never know what Marvel characters are gonna pop up from episode to episode."

Not only that, but Walters' close relationship with her cousin, Bruce Banner, should provide plenty of opportunities to feature some of the MCU's Hulk-adjacent friends and foes (Tim Roth's Abomination, for example, was confirmed by Deadline in 2020 to be in the series). Then there's the show's New York backdrop, which, by this point in the MCU's timeline, is rife with conflict between superheroes and supervillains. All in all, it stands to reason that "She-Hulk" will be filled to the brim with potential returning characters and cameos. Here are the characters fans most want to see in the series.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" may have rounded off the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, but it also felt like a whole new beginning for Peter Parker. Divorced from the Avengers, forgotten by his friends, and broke to boot, the post-"No Way Home" Spider-Man finally feels like the character he's supposed to be. Luckily, we'll probably be seeing a lot more of Spidey in the years to come — and "She-Hulk" could provide ample opportunity to showcase this new-and-not-so-improved version of the character.

The comic book version of Jennifer Walters has represented Spider-Man in court before. In "She-Hulk" Vol. 1 #4, she and her colleague, Augustus Pugliese, act as legal counsel to the wall-crawler when he sues J. Jonah Jameson and the Daily Bugle, leading to one particularly iconic moment in which Spider-Man jokingly suggests that Jameson hates him because he's Black. In that same issue, Walter and Spider-Man also team up for a showdown with the Scorpion, because, well, why not?

Of course, thanks to Doctor Strange's memory spell at the end of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it doesn't seem likely that Peter Parker will have much need for legal help anytime soon, but who's to say that Spider-Man won't get into trouble? And beyond the courtroom, She-Hulk's crime-fighting career is sure to attract some outside attention — perhaps a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man might swing in to save the day?

Luke Cage is yet another Marvel Netflix character whose introduction to the MCU feels inevitable. While many fans would undoubtedly prefer to see Power Man get his own solo series (again) — or even team up with Iron Fist for a "Heroes for Hire" show — there's an argument to be made for featuring him in "She-Hulk," too.

Jennifer Walters' history with Cage begins with their mutual membership in the Heroes for Hire during 1997's "Heroes for Hire" Vol. 1. Though the team's roster during this era is constantly in flux, She-Hulk joins for several issues, beginning in "Heroes for Hire" Vol. 1 #8. She and Cage's relationship is taken beyond the realm of superheroics during "Heroes for Hire" Vol. 1 #17, however, in which Cage wins a bet and takes Walters out to dinner; they even keep dating for a little while after this. Later, in "Mighty Avengers" Vol. 2 #5.INH, Cage invites Walters onto his new team of Mighty Avengers, primarily as a legal advisor. Basically: these guys have a history.

Mike Colter's portrayal of Luke Cage in "Luke Cage," "Jessica Jones," and "The Defenders" was nothing less than fantastic, and the actor told Collider in July 2021 that he feels like he never received any closure over the character. With any luck, Colter will get the chance to step back into the role sometime soon — and "She-Hulk" could be just the place to test the waters for the character's full return.

Thaddeus Ross will be a familiar face to fans of the MCU. Portrayed by William Hurt, this classic Hulk foe has appeared in "The Incredible Hulk," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and most recently "Black Widow." Ross last appeared chronologically at Tony Stark's funeral in "Endgame," but, considering the character's long-standing enmity with Bruce Banner, it's probably safe to say that won't be the last audiences see of him.

In the comics, Ross is arguably most famous for transforming into the Red Hulk, who first appears in "Hulk" Vol. 2 #1, although his true identity isn't revealed until #23 of that run. Red Hulk stirs up a whole heap of trouble in subsequent stories, including causing an earthquake in San Francisco, destroying a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, murdering a considerable number of superheroes, and, perhaps most significantly, leading an incarnation of the Thunderbolts.

Of course, Thaddeus Ross' transformation into the Red Hulk would be quite a leap for his character in the MCU, who is still, at this point, essentially a politician. Moreover, we know that Titania, played by Jameela Jamil, is likely to be the primary antagonist in "She-Hulk." But that doesn't mean Ross won't show up at all, as he's likely still hassling the Hulk. And who knows? Now that more Hulks are beginning to appear, perhaps the series will lay the foundation for his future transformation.

At first glance, J. Jonah Jameson might not seem like a natural choice to join the cast list of "She-Hulk." He does, however, have a connection to Jennifer Walters: his son, John Jameson. In the comics, the younger Jameson sparks up a relationship with Walters and subsequently marries her in "She-Hulk" Vol. 2 #9.

Naturally, J. Jonah Jameson isn't exactly thrilled to hear that his son has married a green-skinned superhero lawyer. Indeed, Jameson's profanity-laden reaction to this news is implied to be influenced by his previous meeting with Walters, in which she humiliated him in the courtroom during the Spider-Man lawsuit and forced him to dress up in a chicken suit to avoid a hefty payout. The two meet again in "She-Hulk" Vol. 2 #9, when John Jameson insists Walters meet his parents, and the dinner goes from bad to worse when an enraged J. Jonah tries to straight-up kill Walters using a robotic "She-Hulk Slayer."

Of course, J.K. Simmons' iconic portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson has now been brought into the MCU, to much rejoicing by fans, but it'd be a crying shame to wait until the next "Spider-Man" movie to see him again. Frankly, it doesn't matter whether he turns up in "She-Hulk" as a potential father-in-law, a legal loser in a chicken suit, or even just a talking head on TV — all that matters is that JJJ gets a lot more screen-time in the MCU.

If there's one Avenger who seems certain to need some assistance from a lawyer soon, it is Colonel James Rhodes. In 2020, Marvel Studios announced the upcoming Disney+ series "Armor Wars," an adaptation of the '80s comic book arc of the same name. According to Kevin Feige, the show will be about "what happens when [Tony Stark's] tech falls into the wrong hands." The original comic book follows Stark as he attempts to reacquire stolen Stark Industries technology from a number of superheroes and villains, and it's likely that Rhodes will be playing a similar role in the MCU series.

It's entirely possible that the scandal referenced in "No Way Home" will be explored further in "Armor Wars," and, if that's the case, it's also likely that Happy Hogan's legal woes will play some part in War Machine's crusade against the thieves who took that stolen tech. If the lawyer hired by Hogan does indeed turn out to be Jennifer Walters, then it could also be that Rhodes encounters her along the way, too — either as her ally in court or her opponent. Whether this means that Rhodes appears in "She-Hulk" or Walters appears in "Armor Wars" isn't certain, but one thing is for sure: more War Machine is never a bad thing.

Scott Lang is no stranger to the law. His very first appearance, in "Ant-Man," finds him leaving prison after a lengthy stint for a litany of crimes, and he's soon arrested and jailed once more for attempting to burgle Hank Pym's house. During "Captain America: Civil War," Lang is arrested yet again for choosing the wrong side in the fight between Captain America and Iron Man, imprisoned on the Raft, and finally given a house arrest sentence ... from which he promptly escapes.

The last time we see him, Lang is a full-fledged Avenger who has reunited with his family after helping save pretty much the entire universe, so it doesn't really seem likely that he'll be brought back under his house arrest. Still, Lang isn't out of the MCU game just yet, and the very nature of Ant-Man's antics mean that, between now and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," he might yet wind up in hot water.

Ant-Man has yet to make any cameos on the Disney+ side of the MCU, although "Hawkeye" director Rhys Thomas told Metro in December 2021 that he had hoped to include him in that particular series. Since that never came to pass, we can only hope that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have found another series in which Scott Lang can strut his stuff. Let's face it — if they have, it's not going to be "Moon Knight."

How about this for a wild card? The cosmic superhero and brother of Thanos known as Starfox was introduced to the MCU in the mid-credits scene of "Eternals," in which he was played by pop star/actor Harry Styles. Aside from a brief introduction courtesy of Pip the Troll, Starfox doesn't do all that much in his first — and thus far only — scene, but you don't cast a star like Styles if you're not planning on doing a lot more with the character.

Now, it might seem a little odd to bring an ultra-powerful alien into a half-hour legal sitcom, but there is reason to believe that he might be involved in some capacity: namely, his long and complicated history with She-Hulk in the comics. Jennifer Walters first hits it off with Starfox during "Avengers" Vol. 1 #234, in which the two Avengers engage in a one-night stand. Their relationship sours, however, when, in "She-Hulk" Vol. 2 #6-7, Walters defends Starfox after he is accused of using his powers of euphoria to seduce a woman. During the trial, Walters begins to suspect that Starfox had used the same power to seduce her at the Avengers Mansion, and she soon ends up prosecuting her old flame at another trial before the Living Tribunal.

Obviously, this is a pretty weird storyline — and likely one that Kevin Feige would not be clamoring to adapt into the MCU anytime soon. That said, She-Hulk and Starfox's difficult relationship, if handled more deftly, could inject some thrilling drama into an otherwise light-hearted Marvel series.