What Only Comics Readers Know About She-Hulk's MCU Origin Story
The court is finally in session thanks to the arrival of Tatiana Maslany's MCU debut as Jennifer Walters, aka "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." The next chapter in Marvel's Cinematic Universe is dropping us back in by way of the new series on Disney+ and introducing us to Bruce Banner's (Mark Ruffalo) cousin who turns a similar shade of green following a near-fatal incident. Thankfully, Jennifer doesn't show signs of Banner's initial rage-fueled alter-ego and instead has both hands at the wheel when handling her newly activated green machine.
What's interesting about this particular origin story, however, is that while Jennifer's powers are handled by the heroine the same way as her comic book counterpart, the way in which she obtains them is very different. In a chain of events more befitting of Daredevil before he swung over to the MCU (and is set to appear here), the comic book version of Jennifer Walters gained her powers after being shot by a mobster. Left in a critical state, a blood transfusion from Bruce — which would unsurprisingly come with issues — turned Jen into the Queen of Green. When it comes to her MCU super-powered origin, however, her transformation is far less intense. In fact, it's one that those well educated in Hulk history will recall having links to another Banner entirely.
She-Hulk's MCU origins steer towards the 1977 TV show
When it comes to picturing iconic moments linked to the Incredible Hulk, seeing Bill Bixby either walk down the road to very sad music or get angry fixing a flat tire is definitely worth a mention. His joint effort as David Banner opposite Lou Ferrigno's iconic iteration of the Incredible Hulk made Marvel's gamma-radiated hero a legendary one. What's interesting is that the origin of Banner's go-green-or-go-wreck-a-home attitude came via similar means to "She-Hulk."
In the pilot episode of "The incredible Hulk" TV series, David Banner's search for tapping into a hidden biological strength spawns from his own personal tragedy. Before his journey to becoming a man who you wouldn't like to make angry, he, like the MCU's Jennifer Walters, is involved in a severe car accident, the difference being that it results in the death of his wife, Laura (Lara Parker). Thankfully, both our new favorite attorney and her spandex-obsessed cousin survive their accident, but the nod to the origin of this Hulk to another could be a taster of further links to the show than just this, and maybe even a clue as to when we can expect the arrival another famous MCU attorney.
A previous teaser with links to classic Hulk could also give us an old-fashioned Daredevil
Scour back through the massive collection of "She-Hulk" snippets and you might recall the first one that was released on Disney+ Day in November 2021. In the fast-paced preview, a standout scene showed both Jennifer Walters and Bruce Banner in what looked to be a '70s-style TV show, with the former quoting the classic line "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" originally uttered by Bixby. This could be a passing moment in a future episode or part of a lengthy dream-like sequence for Jen. No matter the duration, though, its place in the series could also point to the eagerly anticipated arrival of Charlie Cox, due to Daredevil's other appearance in the original TV show's universe.
In "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" from 1989, Bruce is aided by blind attorney Matt Murdock (making his live-action debut) after being arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Played by Rex Smith on the show, Daredevil isn't quite the red-and-yellow horned hero we've caught glimpses of lately, but more in line with Cox's basic black outfit he wore on the Netflix series. Even so, it would make for a fitting tribute to The Man Without Fear's first-ever live-action appearance. What the hell, right?