Don't expect Bruce Banner to recover from his MCU Phase 3 slump anytime soon - especially if Marvel's She-Hulk SDCC 2022 trailer is any indication. Whether it be Edward Norton in 2008's The Incredible Hulk or Mark Ruffalo in 2012's The Avengers, Bruce Banner's Hulk always felt dangerous during Phase 1. That tide-turning "I'm always angry" moment during the Battle of New York still ranks among the jolly green giant's very best MCU scenes. Even when Hulk became less of a novelty, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok successfully added new hues to that intimidating aura. Then along came a Titan...
Roundly trounced by Thanos (wielding a grand total of one Infinity Stone), Hulk spent the vast majority of Avengers: Infinity War fearfully hiding behind Bruce Banner - a spectacular low point for the ex-strongest Avenger. The Hulk slander barely improved in Avengers: Endgame. Not only would the MCU insult Bruce Banner by developing his "Smart Hulk" persona entirely off-screen, but the transition effectively flushed every single Hulk-ism from Banner's personality. Only a pea-colored CGI Mark Ruffalo remained, with none of the compelling duality that makes Hulk such a timeless Marvel hero. Ruffalo's next MCU appearance comes in She-Hulk, where Bruce Banner's lawyer cousin accidentally inherits his blood and develops a green side all of her own.
Bruce (still in Smart Hulk mode) takes it upon himself to train Jennifer Walters in a safe, isolated location where no civilians are at risk. He needn't have bothered. Jennifer controls her rage perfectly in stressful situations, tosses a boulder further than her more experienced cousin, and embarrasses Banner during balance exercises. Jennifer can't resist pointing out how she's "nailing" every challenge Bruce throws her way, and the Avenger concedes feeling a little envious (not that you'd know) over her natural talent. So soon after Hulk's Avengers: Infinity War embarrassment and the bespectacled makeover of Avengers: Endgame, here's Jennifer Walters instantly mastering all the tricks Bruce Banner spent years struggling with. The control, the strength, the poise - Jennifer makes them look effortless as her cousin looks on understandably vexed.
How Jennifer's MCU Powers Adapt She-Hulk's Comics
Jennifer Walters enjoying an easier Hulk transition pulls directly from Marvel comic lore. She-Hulk's powers and abilities vary between runs, but Jennifer is generally weaker than Bruce Banner because she only receives second-hand exposure to gamma radiation. On the plus side, this means she retains a far greater degree of control and intelligence, and as a keen martial artist, Jennifer also brings the kind of discipline and physical prowess Bruce Banner lacked upon first turning green. These details help explain why Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk doesn't rage-out when Bruce makes her angry, why she's superior at yoga, and why she's tearing through training tasks like Hulk tore through Johannesburg.
She-Hulk's problem isn't Jennifer having an easier time than Bruce Banner, but how she's compared so favorably against Bruce Banner without any obvious flaws. She-Hulk's SDCC 2022 trailer shouldn't need to make Hulk look bad for Jennifer to look good, but that's exactly what happens. The newbie even emerges victorious in a rock toss, giving the impression she's stronger (even if Bruce was very probably holding back). There's a real "anything Hulk can do, She-Hulk can do better" vibe that makes Bruce Banner seem much sillier than he needs to. She-Hulk could've established Jennifer's expert anger control without having her embarrass Bruce repeatedly.
This is a flaw Disney+'s She-Hulk series can address in several ways. As Jennifer continues adapting to superhero life, the drawbacks and limits of her abilities might slowly poke through, proving She-Hulk took her cousin's training for granted, and perhaps got a little cocky after those early wins. Jennifer Walters' self-control isn't always super-stable in her Marvel comic stories either. Though usually more composed than her cousin, the lawyer can still get overwhelmed by anger and pose a threat to anyone unlucky enough to be standing nearby. As She-Hulk progresses, Jennifer's seemingly-perfect powers might gradually become more akin to the Avengers' infamous rage monster.
