Upcoming Disney+ TV show She-Hulk receives a warm welcome from the man himself: Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo has played Bruce Banner/the Hulk since 2012’s The Avengers, taking over the role from Edward Norton, who played him in 2008’s standalone film The Incredible Hulk. Ruffalo has since played the Hulk in numerous other MCU films, including the rest of the Avengers movies. He also co-starred in Thor: Ragnarok, furthering Hulk’s friendship with fellow Avenger Thor. Though there has been talk of another solo film starring the Hulk, Ruffalo squashed those rumors a couple of years ago, citing Universal’s rights to the potential movie.

Though Hulk has been a constant presence in the MCU, Marvel has struggled to get She-Hulk on-screen. She faces the same issues that Hulk does, in that Marvel also doesn’t have the solo movie rights to her character. However, similar to the Hulk, Marvel has found a work around with the recent announcement of the She-Hulk TV show for Disney+. Though not much is known about the new show yet, including a release date, Marvel did reveal that She-Hulk will join Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight as part of the MCU’s Phase 4.

In the comics, She-Hulk, aka. Jennifer Walters, is Bruce Banner’s cousin. A lawyer by day, Jennifer is shot by a crime boss, so her cousin gives her a transfusion of his own blood. Unlike Bruce, as She-Hulk, Jennifer maintains her personality but still becomes stronger when angry. She-Hulk also uses her skills as a lawyer to provide legal counsel to other superheroes. Ruffalo shared his message to She-Hulk on Twitter, saying, “Welcome to the Marvel Studios family, She-Hulk!” He followed this up with a link to Marvel’s announcement about the show. Check out Ruffalo’s tweet below:

In addition to Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk will join several other Disney+ series that have been announced in the last year. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, starring Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, will bow in 2020. Then, 2021 will see the arrival of four new shows, including animated series What If…? and WandaVision, which will reunite Scarlet Witch and Vision after his death in Avengers: Infinity War. Loki, starring Thor’s Tom Hiddleston and Hawkeye with Jeremy Renner will also debut that year.

The MCU and Marvel TV have long had a one-way relationship, with the TV shows beholden to what happens in the films, but the films largely ignoring what happens in the shows. That was largely down to the movies and TV shows being run by separate departments - Marvel Studios and Marvel TV respectively. However, Ruffalo’s message to She-Hulk speaks to a new phase of Marvel entertainment, where Marvel Studios creates its own shows for Disney+ and these will tie directly into the movies. WandaVision, for instance, is expected to have an effect on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as Elizabeth Olsen is appearing in both. Their close release dates have many fans speculating that the events of WandaVision will explain Scarlet Witch’s role in the film and her connection to Doctor Strange. Though we’re a long way off from seeing a similar team-up between Hulk and She-Hulk, Ruffalo’s tweet indicates that he may be open to the idea.

Next: MCU Characters Who Need A Disney Streaming TV Series Next

Source: Mark Ruffalo

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