MCU audiences have known Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, since 2008. In just a few weeks' time, another gamma-fueled hero will be stepping into the ring thanks to a new Disney+ show: Jennifer Walters. The Tatiana Maslany-led She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will see the introduction of another green hero, who also happens to practice law as her day job. But how does she get her powers in the first place?
In the comics, Jennifer is shot by a mobster. To save her life, her cousin, The Incredible Hulk, gives her a blood transfusion. The result is a much stronger and far greener lawyer.
It’s not clear how exactly her origin story goes down in the series, but some new footage does seem to reveal how things may play out. While it doesn’t look like it will be exactly the same, the scenario does hit familiar notes.
She-Hulk Gets a New Origin Story
In a new She-Hulk featurette from Entertainment Tonight, footage new footage showed how Jennifer Walters transforms into a brand new hero.
It seems that at some point, Bruce and Jennifer get into a significant car crash.
Somehow, Bruce looks to have gotten out of his Smart Hulk persona, as he can be seen in the sling he wore during the Shang-Chi post-credits tease.
During the whole ordeal, Jennifer looks to have gotten some of her cousin's blood in her veins, causing her to Hulk out.
This is surprisingly similar to how her cousin’s blood turned her in the comics, but there, it was via a proper medical transfusion after a shooting. Here, the change makes it the product of accidental circumstances in a freak incident.
Her new origin is confirmed by Maslany herself, as in the featurette she can be seen saying:
"Jennifer Walters is an attorney who has accidentally taken in the Hulk's blood and has become [a She-Hulk]."
The MCU’s Changed Origins
While fans can tend to have certain reactions to changes when it comes to adapting established material, the adjustments in Jennifer Walter’s origins are unlikely to upset many. After all, the two are fairly similar. Though, it being so accidental has to make one wonder how no one else got Hulk blood in their systems after all the fights the big green guy has had over the years.
For better or worse, this origin story does do a pretty quick job at moving all the pieces on the board to the positions Marvel Studios wants them in. There’s a clear-cut reason for how she became a Hulk, one that’s easily explainable and allows the script to establish the show at a quick pace.
But why did Bruce and Jennifer crash in the first place? Was it an accident, or was it targeted? There was an Avenger in the car, after all, so the possibility is not too far out there.
Fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out, as She-Hulk starts airing weekly on Wednesday, August 17.
