Amid the rumors and theories surrounding the upcoming MCU show She-Hulk and its characters, a question at the forefront is why both the Hulk and Abomination seem to be returning to their human forms in the MCU. She-Hulk doesn't have an exact release date yet other than sometime in 2022, but it's been confirmed that in addition to starring Tatiana Maslany, the Disney+ series also sees Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth reprising their roles as Hulk/Bruce Banner and Abomination/Emil Blonsky, respectively. While it's no surprise that these characters will feature in She-Hulk, it does raise some questions that Banner and Blonsky could appear as humans in addition to rage monsters.

In the Marvel comics, Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, is Bruce Banner's cousin who gains a version of his powers after receiving a blood transfusion from him. It's not entirely clear from the She-Hulk teaser released on Disney+ Day whether the new MCU show plans to stick to Walters' comic origins exactly, but it does show Bruce (in Smart Hulk form) coaching her through her powers and probably conducting some experiments with her, too. From this brief glimpse at the series, then, it's clear that while She-Hulk will of course focus primarily on its eponymous hero, it will also offer more development on Banner's MCU arc as well. Given the sloppiness of that arc thus far, this will hopefully come as a much-needed reset.

Related: Why Bruce Banner Is Still Smart Hulk in She-Hulk After Shang-Chi's Retcon

The need to clean up Ruffalo's Hulk storyline is likely the main reason why the MCU is returning him to human form for the time being, as evidenced in Shang-Chi's credits scene. The confirmation that Tim Roth's human form is in She-Hulk further supports this point. Although both Banner and Blonsky seem to have undergone permanent changes in the MCU thus far, (Blonsky in The Incredible Hulk and Banner in Avengers: Endgame), these transformations have never been explained in full, leading to character development that is seriously lacking. Although it adds another layer to the confusion, Banner and Blonsky returning to human forms in Phase 4 offers a crucial opportunity to clarify and deepen their characters moving forward.

Emil Blonsky Abomination

Although 2008's The Incredible Hulk often gets unfairly overlooked, it has actually proved a significant stumbling block for the MCU since Phase 1 due to Marvel's Hulk recast of Ruffalo for Edward Norton. Unlike other Marvel heroes, Ruffalo's version of Banner has never had a satisfying origin story due to Norton's version being vaguely non-canon. While What If...? episode 3 technically fixed this continuity problem, the fact remains that Banner has been underdeveloped since the recast despite all of Ruffalo's strong work. His transformation into Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame thus felt somewhat unearned, but returning him to human form offers Marvel a chance to step back, slow Banner's rushed arc, and regain the heart of the character moving forward. It remains to be seen whether Banner's human side will be explored in She-Hulk or some other project, given the uncertainty of the new show's place in the timeline, but it's nonetheless an important subject for the MCU to take up.

Likewise, Blonsky/Abomination's Shang-Chi change and his confirmed human role in She-Hulk promise to keep him a dynamic character. Blonsky makes a great villain in The Incredible Hulk because of his duality, the very same characteristic that makes Banner so compelling. For She-Hulk to work, and for the MCU's Hulk characters to be on better footing moving forward, Blonsky, like Banner and Walters, needs to be able to change. There's no guarantee that Blonsky or Banner will stay human, of course, but any time they spend as humans is valuable time for the characters to properly develop, which will make any later long-term transformations into Abomination and Smart Hulk feel more justified.

Additionally, Blonsky returning to human form can help Marvel smoothly incorporate the events of The Incredible Hulk into the main MCU canon, a difficult process that the studio is clearly trying to work through given What If...? episode 3. In addition to introducing a new character, She-Hulk is also a golden opportunity to tie up loose Phase 1 Hulk ends. This is part of why the show could see Hulk and Abomination turn human again at the same time.

More: She-Hulk's New MCU Origin Risks Retconning Hulk's Endgame Story

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