It was recently revealed that the next MCU project, MCU.
The exact placement of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in the franchise’s timeline still hasn’t been revealed, leading to some people theorizing it takes place during the Blip. Regardless, fans could make the major commitment to watch everything in the MCU thus far, or specifically these eight films, which detail Hulk’s journeys and the world’s evolution, in preparation for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
The Incredible Hulk
Of course, the best place to start is with the Hulk’s introduction in Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany, is Bruce Banner’s cousin and in the comics, she becomes afflicted with his condition from a blood transfusion. The Incredible Hulk is probably the most underrated and forgotten MCU film – mostly due to the recasting of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce. However, it is still one of the more complex films in the franchise as it doesn’t follow a traditional origin story structure and features dynamic action sequences.
Importantly, this film also introduces Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky AKA Abomination, the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, and Tim Blake Nelson as Stephen Stern – who many fans wish to see again, possibly in Thunderbolts as the antagonist. Despite being consistently disregarded, The Incredible Hulk lives up to its title. Unfortunately, it is not available on Disney+ at the moment though it can be streamed, rented, and/or bought on other services like HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video.
The Avengers
Mark Ruffalo’s first foray into playing the unjolly green giant comes in one of the most consequential films in cinema history, The Avengers – which set the stage perfectly for what Marvel was planning with the MCU and changing the landscape of global entertainment. After a decade since its release, it remains just as exciting as ever. Though it could be overshadowed by the spectacle and expansive scale of its successors, The Avengers is delightful in its relative simplicity.
It’s a team-up movie executed incredibly well, elevating these heroes to legendary status. Apropos to the Hulk, The Avengers primarily showcased him as the group’s brute force, though still establishing the potential for deeper emotional and psychological exploration later on. She-Hulk is quite different than the Hulk so after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is out it will be interesting to rewatch The Avengers and note how their early days hulking out differ.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
The next stop on the Hulk’s journey would be Avengers: Age of Ultron. This film is quite important in best showcasing the dichotomy of Bruce Banner and Hulk existing in the same body. Under the spell of Wanda Maximoff and without Bruce’s limited control over him, the Hulk is truly established as a purely destructive force hellbent on endlessly fighting anyone and everyone. This is, of course, contrasted with Bruce’s newly learned methods to regain control of his body with the “sun’s going real low” mantra.
Interestingly, Avengers: Age of Ultron also established a romantic connection between Bruce and Natasha – though that is essentially abandoned in future films. If they would want to give him a romantic relationship, they really should bring back Liv Tyler as Betsy Ross from The Incredible Hulk – who could also play an important role in She-Hulk’s ongoing story.
Captain America: Civil War
Avengers: Age of Ultron ended with Hulk jettisoning himself away from his teammates, scared he could lose control again and kill them. It turns out he is caught in a wormhole and transported to another planet. Therefore, he isn’t on earth for the next film Captain America: Civil War and he’s not involved in the political upheaval throughout. While he doesn’t feature, this would still be a fun and provoking watch in preparation for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
It importantly introduces the Sokovia Accords and legal ramifications to superheroes, which could very well play a role in She-Hulk’s story as she heads up a new superhuman law division. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War and the establishment of the Accords, many characters could use Jennifer’s legal advice so maybe she had a role to play in their plea deals and/or release from the Raft.
Thor: Ragnarok
A one-shot entitled Team Thor was released on the Captain America: Civil War which seemingly answers the question of why Thor wasn’t involved in the film, claiming he was taking a break from heroics and living in Australia with his roommate, Darryl. This doesn’t necessarily fit into the continuity perfectly, but it’s still quite fun – and Thor: Ragnarok, which finally brought back Hulk after a few years away.
He was the champion of the Grandmaster’s games on Sakaar until Thor found his way there. They made an unlikely but incredibly entertaining pair. Crucially, the film showcased the extremes of the Hulk hijacking Banner’s body, with him still thinking it's 2015 when he transforms back. This is a dynamic very different than She-Hulk, who already shows better control over her distinctive personalities following her transformation.
Avengers: Infinity War
What Thor: Ragnarok established for Bruce Banner’s emotional journey as the Hulk was swiftly complicated by Avengers: Infinity War. Right away he fought Thanos but was utterly defeated and grew scared of him and his army. Thus, he retreated to the recesses of Banner’s mind, leaving him to deal with the invading forces of the Black Order – thankfully he had access to the Hulkbuster armor.
Interestingly, this decision helps showcase how far Bruce has come in his journey. He would hope to use the Hulk to avoid the fight himself, but when he’s needed, he’s ready to jump into the fray. This exploration then sets up his eventual transformation into Smart Hulk, uniting Bruce’s brains with Hulk’s strength.
Avengers: Endgame
Since nothing has been officially confirmed, some Avengers: Endgame. Therefore, it could also showcase Bruce’s transformation into Smart Hulk along with Jennifer’s into She-Hulk. Or, it could definitely take place well after Avengers: Endgame, so it’s still recommended to watch it before She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres.
Regarding the timeline, it does seem likely that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will take place after Avengers: Endgame since the show is part of Phase Four and thus the Multiverse Saga – though it doesn’t seem likely it will focus on that element like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law could highlight the political and legal ramifications of the Blip.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Fans probably didn’t expect for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to relate as it did to Hulk’s story when it first premiered. However, it established an important and very interesting connection between Sorcerer Supreme Wong and Hulk’s nemesis, Abomination – both of whom will feature throughout She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Either one could precede the other, but it would still be worthwhile to watch Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to see what could be going on between them.
Most likely, this involved the Thunderbolts, the government sanction team of villains and anti-heroes who are getting their own film, Thunderbolts. Jennifer is supposedly representing Blonsky, which could result in him ing the Thunderbolts as part of a plea deal. However, how Wong plays into all this is still a mystery. He, along with Bruce Banner – back in human form – and Captain Marvel are seemingly heading up the Avengers, so She-Hulk: Attorney at Law might answer some questions regarding that too.