Before MCU fans dive back into the world of Wakanda with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, its immediate predecessor in the release schedule nears its end with the final episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. And in a shocking move, Season 1's penultimate episode actually took the opportunity to reference the hidden African nation for a moment, once again showing its interconnectivity.
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8.
After Jennifer Walters and Matt Murdock made peace over a drink at the bar, the titular heroine got a call from one of her least favorite dates in Jon Bass' Todd, who the actor described as this show's wannabe Tony Stark. Over the course of three appearances thus far, he's certainly worked hard to prove that he's of the same ilk that Tony was years ago with his ego and the money that he so willingly shows off.
But as he returned in Episode 8 to ask Jen for her legal expertise, he offered yet another glimpse into his personality with a reference to Wakanda that will rub just about everybody the wrong way.
She-Hulk Character Insults Black Panther's Wakanda
In Episode 8 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Jon Bass' Todd asks to meet with Jennifer Walters over an important legal matter, which arises after he buys a Wakandan vibranium spear at a seven-figure price tag.
Todd: “So, I was at an auction recently buying art, and then, get this, they had an authentic Wakandan War spear. So I, of course, win the auction. A millie. It’s…a million. Dollars.
She-Hulk: “I got that.”
Todd: “Yeah. So…I mean, you gotta see it, right? So, here it is. Check this out. Boom. How cool is that? I mean, I own that now."
He then goes on to brag about his ability to collect African artifacts before attempting to replicate the "Wakanda Forever" exclamation and gesture for which the Wakandans are so well known. Safe to say, it didn't go over very well.
Todd: "God, no one is collecting African shit on my level. I love it. I love Wakanda. You know, I actually studied abroad there.”
She-Hulk: “Really?”
Todd: “Wakanda Forever!”
After giving a look of disappointment straight into the camera, breaking the fourth wall once again, Jen tries to cut off Todd by telling him how uncomfortable she is with his failed attempt at flattery towards Wakanda.
“Ooh! I…that makes me uncomfortable.”
Throughout Black Panther's time in the MCU, the late Chadwick Boseman and his co-stars made the "Wakanda Forever" salute an iconic part of Marvel Studios' history. It was first seen in 2018's Black Panther, and it was also utilized during the moment in Avengers: Infinity War when T'Challa and the Earth-based Avengers charged into battle against Thanos' Outriders in Wakanda.
She-Hulk's Todd is One of Marvel's Worst
Even though Black Panther will take the spotlight a few weeks from now with Wakanda Forever's release in theaters, seeing Todd attempt to pay tribute to that country at this moment couldn't have gone any worse for his character.
Outside of Jen's near-perfect night with Charlie Cox's Daredevil after their initial court battle, her experience with men through the course of the show has been less than ideal. This was precisely the case with Todd, who decided that calling Jen a "specimen" only a few minutes after meeting her was a good idea before trying (and failing) to show his appreciation for the Wakandans.
At this point, it's difficult to predict if Todd will have any impact on the series finale or if the Wakandan leadership will go after him for getting his hands on their vibranium. It also seems unlikely that this will heavily tie into the plot of Black Panther 2 considering how much is already happening in that story, although the 2-hour-41-minute runtime could leave some time to spare for loose vibranium-centric threads.
No matter how this all plays out, Todd cemented his place in She-Hulk as a person that Jen doesn't want any part of, yet his immediate future remains a mystery.
Episode 8 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now available to stream on Disney+.
