This 3-Year-Old Hulk Scene Still Makes No Sense (& Marvel Doesn’t Seem Ready to Explain It)

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Although it was unfairly subjected to one of the most transparent hate mobs of recent memory, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was still admittedly imperfect. The series took a while to fully embrace its source material’s meta comedy. It was also a bit too formulaic by the standards of legal comedies and dramas. And, strangest of all, She-Hulk featured one of the most senseless MCU cameos to date.

As of this writing, it’s been three years since Jennifer Walters’ solo seriesended. It has also been three years since Skaar, Bruce Banner’s son, made his unceremonious MCU debut in She-Hulk’s closing seconds. Since then, he hasn’t been seen. The same goes for pretty much everyone from She-Hulk, but Skaar was particularly egregious since he also embodied one of the MCU’s biggest problems.

The Series Abruptly Introduced a New Member of Bruce Banner’s Family

Since he was Jennifer’s cousin and the only other Hulk she could turn to for advice, Bruce was both a recurring character in She-Hulk and one of the most important people in Jennifer’s life. This was the case even if he left the series as early as Episode 2. Fans expected Bruce to come back just in time for the season finale, but nobody predicted that he’d bring some company along. Furthermore, nobody expected him to bring his son Skaar to the family cookout. This, despite Bruce having a family — let alone a son who looked like he was either in his late teens or early 20s — was never once hinted at or teased in either She-Hulk or some other MCU appearance.

It could be inferred that Skaar was born around the time Bruce was a gladiator back on Sakaar. Bruce was trapped in his Hulk form when he was stuck on the scavenger planet during the gap of time between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok. For the first time in Bruce’s life, this wasn’t a problem, since the Hulk became a huge celebrity on Sakaar. The third Thor film wasn’t shy about confirming (if not showing) that the Hulk had a lot of one-night stands. Him having a child or two during this time wasn’t the most surprising or out-of-character thing. That being said, Skaar’s MCU debut wouldn’t have been such an issue if it were actually built up to, or if it wasn’t so jarring.

For one, Skaar added nothing to She-Hulk’s finale, “Whose Show is This?,” or to She-Hulk as a whole. The whole series was about Jennifer gaining confidence in herself and finding the perfect balance between being a lawyer and a Hulk. Her interactions with Bruce were all about reconnecting and seeing things from the other’s point of view. They never once talked about Bruce having a son or anything to that effect. At most, Bruce said that he had “something” to take care of in Sakaar during his absence. Furthermore, Skaar was the resolution to a character arc that Jennifer never even had. Nowhere in her series did she ever consider having a child or settling down to start a family.

At most, she wanted to find a worthwhile partner who wouldn’t take her for granted. That partner turned out to be Matt Murdock, although their relationship status is currently up in the air given Daredevil: Born Again’s developments. Meanwhile, it made sense for the once-perpetually angry Hulk to finally calm down and start anew by raising a family. Similarly, Bruce ending his self-imposed exile by opening himself up to his son gave him the closure and connection he longed for. In brief, Skaar was more a part of Bruce’s life and story than Jennifer’s. At best, he was a weird and misplaced cameo in Jennifer’s story. At worst, he was a shoehorned Easter egg with little to no payoff.

Skaar & Other Phase 4 Cameos Currently Have No Future in the MCU

The Characters Were Some of the Franchise’s Many Recent Miscalculations

Even if his one scene barely lasted half a minute, Skaar’s inclusion was one of the most egregious parts of She-Hulk. It didn’t help that many viewers found his visual effects and character design, but especially his haircut, to be awkward and uncanny. To add insult to injury, Skaar didn’t even get to say anything before the series ended. Now that She-Hulk’s future and that of every character the series introduced are currently unclear, it’s highly likely that Skaar will not return to the MCU anytime soon. The backlash and mockery that his debut received probably played a part in this, as well. This, despite the series ending by setting up many storylines for Jennifer, Skaar and everyone else.

In Skaar’s defense, he wasn’t a unique problem in MCU Phase 4. Skaar was one of many ill-advised cameos who showed up at the end of a Marvel project, only to never be heard from again. Besides Skaar, there was Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder. The divisive Eternals was the biggest offender, since it featured three such cameos. Eros and Pip the Troll made their MCU debuts in the mid-credits scene, and Blade was heard but not seen in the post-credits scene. The fact that Blade’s highly anticipated MCU film has probably been canceled after numerous failed attempts to get it up and running made the Daywalker’s cameo all the more painful and frustrating.

Despite all the negativity that surrounds them, Skaar and his fellow Phase 4 cameos weren’t offensive in any way. They followed the MCU’s usual formula for such cameos. They were far from the first or only MCU characters to debut through a mid-credits or post-credits scene. However, Skaar and company were symptoms of one of the MCU’s biggest problems at the time. Between Phases 4 and 5, the MCU oversaturated and overextended itself by introducing way too many new characters. She-Hulk was just one of many exclusive Disney+ series that was made to get in on the streaming gold rush before it inevitably plateaued and lost steam. Skaar’s cameo didn’t just expand Bruce’s story, but teased yet another MCU spin-off in an already massive pile of them.

Above all else, “Superhero Fatigue” was very much in vogue when She-Hulk was still on the air. Not only did viewers have to keep track of the still-existing heroes, but they also had to follow the newcomers. Even the biggest MCU fans were understandably sick of meeting new heroes and villains. It’s for this reason and other more pragmatic concerns that the MCU cut its losses as Phase 5 neared its end, but not without controversy. Skaar and the aforementioned cameos were treated as if they never existed, much to their actors’ understandable dismay. Had they shown up before Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame, they probably would’ve received a warmer welcome and a better future.

Skaar Has Tons of Unrealized Potential Waiting to Be Used in the MCU

The Character Could Thrive With the Right Actor and Filmmakers

None of this is to say that Skaar is an inherently bad character who should be completely erased from the MCU. Although his live-action debut left so much to be desired, it’s not impossible to reintroduce Skaar in a better way and to turn him into Bruce’s successor. Based on his comics, he has a lot of potential for being a superhero team’s resident brawler or his own warrior. In fact, he was even a cosmic warrior for a while. Case in point, one of Skaar’s first stories saw him cross paths with Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Now that Marvel’s two most famous cosmic beings are joining the MCU through The Fantastic Four: First Steps, there couldn’t be a more perfect way for the MCU Skaar to make his presence better known.

Whether Skaar returns through a hypothetical She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 2 or a film this time around is irrelevant. What really matters is that Skaar needs the right actor and script to get the MCU debut he deserved. In a way, his odd cameo in She-Hulk was a blessing in disguise. Since he currently has no actor attached to him, Skaar is quite literally a blank slate who’s just waiting for the right filmmakers to bring him to life. Hopefully, the same goes for the other Phase 4 superheroes like Skaar, whose cameos and MCU debuts just came out at the worst possible time. If their comics were anything to go by, these characters have a lot to offer on their own and as part of the MCU’s ever-growing story.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

“}]] To fans’ surprise, She-Hulk solo TV series officially brought Skaar into the MCU, only for the franchise to seemingly forget about him.  Read More