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As the eighth Marvel series released on Disney+ and the 46th Marvel Cinematic Universe title released overall since 2008, She-Hulk arrives with a lot of history behind it. But although one could wallow in the past 45 installments of the ever-ongoing MCU soap opera, life is short, and peak TV is vast. More importantly, as She-Hulk is a new character coming from one of Marvel’s least explored franchises, the amount of Marvel movies and TV shows necessary to catch up ahead of her arrival is surprisingly manageable.
She-Hulk is the superhero name of Jennifer Walters, a New York City attorney and cousin to one Bruce Banner, better known as the Avenger The Hulk. The series has already revealed it would change how Walters gains her Hulk powers. (In the comics, she’s in a bad car accident, and Bruce’s blood transfusion comes with a side of Green Giantess Goodness.) However, the Hulk will still be a significant force in Walter’s life.
He’s not the only one, either. She-Hulk’s courtroom cases will bring in several familiar faces from previous Marvel adventures. Here’s a rundown of who to expect and which shows and movies to check out ahead of time to know them better.
Up until today, there was one film in the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe pantheon that was guaranteed skippable: 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Despite being a box office hit, Edward Norton’s inability to work within the Marvel system and the bad-to-mediocre reviews put the entire idea out to pasture. Throw in the complicated rights deal with Universal, which made more standalone films difficult, and one can see why Hulk was semi-retconned out with Iron Man 2.
But Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk turned the big green guy into Mr. Popularity, and the return of Tim Roth’s The Abomination has resurrected the film from obscurity. Of all the films on this list, The Incredible Hulk is the movie to watch before She-Hulk’s arrival.
Edward Norton’s departure from the Hulk franchise left the MCU to recast him with Mark Ruffalo, introduced in The Avengers. Since this is the introduction of the Ruffalo version of the character and lays out his relationships with the original Avengers team, it’s high on the list of films to catch ahead of She-Hulk’s premiere.
03
Daredevil & The Defenders
Of all the Netflix Marvel shows from the Defenders franchise, Daredevil is the only one that’s been resurrected so far. His role as Matt Murdock, the superhero defense attorney with the heart of gold, is going to be an essential counterpoint to She-Hulk’s Jennifer Walters, who is also a lawyer representing superheroes. Viewers should at least start Daredevil’s three seasons (and adventures in The Defenders) to know everything about the man Walters will find herself facing in the courtroom.
04
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Age of Ultron is perhaps less necessary than other titles on this list. But without any stand-alone Hulk films since 2008, the Avengers crossover movies doubled as places for viewers to check in on Hulk’s journey. Age of Ultron marks the nadir of his story and ends with him disappearing for several films. It’s a must-watch for those interested in watching him work his way to self-acceptance.
Ragnarok marked the return of The Hulk to the Avengers team after his exit at the end of Ultron. It’s also the first place in the Hulk films where he begins to move from a wordless monster to forming sentences. (Though he’s still far from Smart Hulk in this film.)
06
Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame
Ragnarok reintroduces the Hulk to the Avengers, but it’s the following two Avengers crossover films, Infinity War and Endgame, which close his story out. The Russo brothers initially claimed the three films formed a low-key Hulk trilogy, but that’s inaccurate. However, it does bring Hulk to the place he is emotionally when She-Hulk begins.
These films are also necessary because they introduce another significant character from She-Hulk, Wong, without having to watch the 2016 Dr. Strange movie. The two films also outline how Dr. Strange loses his position as Sorcerer Supreme and how it is passed to Wong.
07
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The first new superhero introduced in Marvel’s Phase 4 is also where several plot points preparing for She-Hulk get seeded. This film marks the return of Roth’s Abomination (even if it’s a short scene.) It also ties in how Roth will come back, as this is the same film confirming the current Sorcerer Supreme, Wong, knows where the Abomination is.
This movie is also essential in the run-up to She-Hulk because it’s the first film where Wong moves from “Dr. Strange’s sidekick” to his own man. It’s also Bruce Banner’s first appearance in Phase 4 in the post-credit scene. In short, it’s the most critical recent film to catch up on ahead of She-Hulk.
08
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Chances are the multiverse and Zombie Strange won’t offer much insight into She-Hulk’s coming adventures. However, it belongs on this list as the events of this film are instrumental in bringing Wong to where he is mentally and emotionally when he first visits Walters in the new series.
And finally, the show that will lead directly into Daredevil’s return to the MCU and set the scene for where the Marvel-verse is when Walters arrives, Hawkeye. This Christmas story featuring Hulk’s old mate passing the torch to a new generation and the reintroduction of Daredevil’s main villain is a perfect setup for She-Hulk’s summer fun.
Due to the rights issues surrounding the film, The Incredible Hulk is streaming on HBO Max. Everything else on this list is available via Disney+ along with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, except for the Spider-Man films, which are available via Starz’s standalone streaming service.
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