Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Werewolf by Night!

Marvel Studios is working to replace the original Avengers after Avengers: Endgame, and Werewolf by Night proves Jack Russell is Hulk's real MCU replacement, not She-Hulk. The trend of replacing the original Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a big focus of Phase 4. Sam Wilson is officially Captain America after Steve Rogers, while Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova are primed to be the new Hawkeye and Black Widow. With Mighty Thor's introduction and Ironheart's approaching debut, replacements for Thor and Iron Man are also apparent. It appeared She-Hulk would be Hulk's MCU replacement, but there is now a better comparison.

The idea of She-Hulk replacing Hulk in the MCU makes sense because they are both giant green heroes with gamma powers. However, their experiences as Hulk are pretty different. Bruce Banner has often loathed his alter ego, while Jennifer Walters is quick to embrace and control her She-Hulk powers. So while She-Hulk might have the power set to be Hulk's replacement, the personal story of struggling with Hulk's powers and uncontrollable rage is missing. That is why Werewolf by Night is better suited to be Hulk's MCU replacement. Now that the Marvel Special Presentation is streaming on Disney+, Werewolf by Night makes it quite clear how similar Jack Russell's relationship with his Werewolf by Night persona is to Bruce Banner's with Hulk.

Related: What Is Marvel’s Bloodstone? Werewolf By Night’s Weapon Explained

Werewolf By Night Has The Same Inner Conflict As Hulk

Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk and Bruce Banner in She-Hulk

Their shared inner conflict is the key to Werewolf by Night being the MCU's real Hulk replacement. Jack Russell and Bruce Banner are pacifists and dislike getting in on the action. However, they are constantly at war with a raging beast inside them that is much more prone to violence and destruction. Hulk might not be as inherently violent as Werewolf by Night, but the MCU has shown just how dangerous the Jade Giant can be when his anger gets the best of him. Seeing Jack struggle with trying to hide his powers and prevent them from doing any harm in Werewolf by Night is very reminiscent of Bruce Banner's earlier storylines before he created Smart Hulk.

Werewolf by Night and Hulk also share a similar trait where their human selves are not in complete control, and they do not retain full memory of what happens. This is reflected in Werewolf by Night's ending when Jack asks Man-Thing if Elsa Bloodstone is safe after he nearly attacks her. The explanation for why Werewolf by Night does not attack Elsa might even draw comparisons to Hulk's lullaby with Black Widow, giving the two characters another similarity. So while She-Hulk might look more like Hulk's MCU replacement, the character of Werewolf by Night is a more apt replacement due to his inner conflict.

Will Werewolf By Night Learn To Control His Powers?

A close-up of Werewolf by Night.

Now that the MCU has introduced Werewolf by Night as a possible Hulk replacement, it will be fascinating to see if Jack learns to control his powers as Bruce did. The Avengers explained that Bruce is always angry, which allows him to control when he transforms. Werewolf by Night confirms that a full moon triggers Jack's werewolf transformations, so it appears he cannot transform at will. Based on the tease that Jack's consciousness is somewhere within Werewolf by Night, there is a chance that he will learn to control his powers and be able to control his actions in the future. This could make Werewolf by Night the beginning of an MCU arc similar to Hulk's.

Next: Every Monster Made MCU Canon In Werewolf By Night

Key Release Dates