While COVID-19 has slowed down Marvel Studios' small screen plans, all those Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows remain in the works for Disney+, including She-Hulk. That highly anticipated series promises to introduce Jennifer Walters to this shared world in a big way, and it's believed that Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk will also appear.
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Jade Giant was left badly injured, and now feels like the right time for a new Hulk to take over as the MCU's strongest superhero.
This new Hulk is going to need a formidable villain to square off with, of course, and it's them we're taking a look at today. There are some compelling possibilities from both Bruce and Jennifer's respective rogues galleries, and any one of these baddies would make a huge impact on Disney+!
To take a look through our top picks, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below.
10. Behemoth
You may not have heard of Behemoth, but if you're a fan of She-Hulk, you'll know this is one of her most "iconic" villains. Manfred Ellsworth Haller owned a Hydraulics company and was a skilled engineer who, get this, decided to build a powerful, gigantic elephant suit.
His goal was to show it could be used to protect people in toxic or dangerous environments, and decided to put it to the test by squaring off with She-Hulk. That didn't end well for him, but after gaining a tiny piece of the Cyttorak, he became a "man-elephant" dubbed Behemoth.
This is an undeniably goofy villain, but one Marvel Studios could really have some fun with.
9. Red Hulk
With General "Thunderbolt" Ross set to return to the MCU in Black Widow, it's hard to escape the feeling that Marvel Studios has big plans for Bruce Banner's comic book nemesis. Many fans are convinced he'll end up leading the Thunderbolts, but surely a Red Hulk transformation is even more likely?
He's a logical choice of villain for She-Hulk, and would be a more than powerful enough foe for the combined might of Jennifer and Bruce to be necessary to take him down once and for all.
Ross finally deciding to take matters into his own hands to destroy the Hulk (and a second Hulk) by becoming, well, a Hulk, does make sense. There have been rumours for forever that Red Hulk is coming to the MCU, and this series feels like the most logical place to make that a reality.
8. Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man was (sort of) the villain in 2003's Hulk, while the character obviously appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well. That version was fine, but there's definitely room to reinvent him.
Able to absorb and unleash the powers of anything he touches, Absorbing Man has always been at his best while taking on the Jade Giant. Carl "Crusher" Creel's history with Loki could definitely be touched on, especially as the God of Mischief is no fan of the Green Goliath after their past interactions.
Absorbing Man taking over The Hulk's powers for a fight against She-Hulk would be undeniably badass and, if nothing else, Creel would make for a strong supporting player in this series.
7. U-Foes
First introduced in the pages of The Incredible Hulk #240, the U-Foes are made up of Simon Utrecht, Ann Darnell, Jimmy Darnell, and Mike Steel, a foursome who made the shocking decision to expose themselves to cosmic rays (similar to what happened to the Fantastic Four).
As you might expect, their experiment went wrong and they were exposed to too many rays before The Hulk interrupted and brought them back down to Earth...much to their chagrin!
From there, the telekinetic Vector, poisonous Vapor, energy-powered X-Ray, and powerful metal Ironclad all made it their goal to take the Jade Giant down and punish him for their transformation going wrong. Perhaps this could be tied into The Hulk using the Infinity Stones, with She-Hulk forced to deal with a problem her cousin inadvertently created through his heroic actions.
6. Speedfreak
Speedfreak is another obscure Hulk villain, and started off as a deadbeat criminal who wanted to become a better crook. That opportunity finally presented itself when he acquired a powerful armoured suit which allowed him to fly at superhuman speeds and unleash all sorts of powers.
With his stolen suit in hand, Speedfreak found himself clashing with the Jade Giant, but some Adamantium-enhanced weaponry meant he was actually more than a match for the mightiest Avenger.
Speedfreak is definitely a character who could be fleshed out on sceeen, while there are ways to reinvent his origin story in a way that could make it far more relevant for today's audiences. Marvel Studios could even change the villain's gender to give She-Hulk a strong female baddie to face.
5. Titania
Perhaps She-Hulk's most well-known villain, it would be crazy for Titania not to be included in this show. Like Jennifer Walters, Mary MacPherran didn't really have much in the way of power as a scrawny teenager, and found herself bullied at school (giving her a real chip on her shoulder).
After gaining her powers during the Secret Wars event, Titania soon found a powerful rival in She-Hulk, and even managed to overpower her during their first comic book battle.
Ultimately aligning herself on a romantic level with the Absorbing Man - a powerful pairing for Jennifer to try and overcome in this series - Titania seems like a natural fit for the small screen. Her introduction would give She-Hulk a villain well and truly her own to square off with on screen.
4. Ultima
An undeniably obscure villain from the comic books, Ultima is another character who could be reinvented in some way for She-Hulk. The daughter of a cult leader, Ultima fell in love with a man who Jennifer Walters was tasked with rescuing from that group...much to the chagrin of this young woman.
Desperate for revenge, Ultima somehow gained superhuman strength and speed through her father's teachings, and used that to try and overpower She-Hulk and save her father's sinister cult.
Assuming this series is going to delve into Jennifer's work as a lawyer, we could see the hero attempting to help someone escape a cult through legal means, only to be targeted by a villain like Ultima (who could, in fact, be combined with Titania in some way for this Disney+ TV show).
3. Abomination
In The Incredible Hulk, the Jade Giant found himself going to war with Abomination. What followed was an epic comic book movie battle fans still talk about today, but we've not seen the villain since.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mentioned that he was in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, but that surely changed after HYDRA made themselves known, and it's hard to believe Emil Blonsky isn't out there somewhere, no doubt desperate for revenge. Perhaps he can finally return to enact that by targeting She-Hulk?
There's still more story to be told here, and we'd love to see Tim Roth make his return to the MCU.
2. The Leader
Another villain introduced in The Incredible Hulk and seemingly forgotten about, The Leader's origins were touched on in that 2008 movie, but no sequel means we haven't seen that expanded on.
All these years later, we're sure The Leader has fully transformed into a villain, and no doubt keen to get his hands on The Hulk for any number of nefarious reasons. With his incredible intelligence, he can easily outsmart Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk, and may be who that Avenger turns to for help in saving his cousin Jennifer with the blood transfusion that ultimately transforms her.
Needless to say, a team-up with the Abomination would make longtime MCU fans very happy...
1. Maestro
Avengers: Endgame introduced the concept of time-travel and alternate universes, so that could leave the door wide open to the introduction of Maestro. An older version of The Hulk driven insane by how long he'd been exposed to radiation, he seizes control of Earth and is truly diabolical.
Of course, the world he rules over is one that's been decimated by a nuclear war, so him travelling back to the past to try and control a world that's not been destroyed would be cool to see.
Alternatively, Bruce's mental state could start to decline after what happened with the Infinity Stones, and it might be down to She-Hulk to stop her cousin...even if it means putting him down for good!