Jen is here to take control of her own story (Picture: Courtesy of Marvel Studios)
Warning: spoilers ahead for the She-Hulk episode 9 finale.
For the past 14 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has transformed into a colossal phenomenon, polishing off its formula to create blockbuster hits acclaimed for their action, storytelling, visual effects and performances.
So what happens when a newcomer challenges the status quo, calling out certain formulaic tropes within the MCU that could do with some tweaks now that we’re more than a decade in?
That’s exactly what Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) does in the She-Hulk episode 9 finale, just when you think you know exactly how the ending is going to unfold – and all we can say is bravo.
Not only does the show challenge what would have been dodgy storytelling decisions, but it also empowers Jen right to the end, an especially important decision given how horrifically violated she was by Intelligencia at the end of episode eight.
What’s more, the finale also throws in a whole bunch of surprises, including the arrival of a certain Marvel comic book character that’s sparked heightened speculation that a World War Hulk storyline could be on the way.
Big boss of Intelligencia is revealed – and it’s not who you think
Following the return of Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky and his alter-ego Abomination, Marvel fans were convinced another character from the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk would also make a comeback – The Leader, otherwise known as Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson).
However, while it seemed probable that The Leader was going to end up being the chief of hate-site Intelligencia, who was going by the moniker ‘Hulk King’, the real culprit turned out to be none other than Todd Phelps (Jon Bass), the guy Jen previously went on a date with who referred to her as a ‘specimen’.
It should come as no surprise that Todd would be running the show, considering his means and his general, creepy demeanour.
After the big reveal, it looked like Todd was about to spell trouble by injecting Jen’s blood into his veins to become another version of a Hulk – that is, before the protagonist called out the absurdity of the situation.
Chaotic finale needs a desperate rewrite
Jen’s friends and colleagues Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) and Pug (Josh Segarra) manage to discover and infiltrate a meeting being held by Intelligencia… the location of the event being Emil’s retreat.
Jen calls time on the chaos to flip the script (Picture: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)
After Jen inadvertently walks in on the hostile get-together, mayhem ensues, with Abomination lifting Jen out of harm’s way from Hulk King, Titania (Jameela Jamil) bursting through the wall and Jen’s cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) smashing through the ceiling in his Hulk form, throwing a punch in his old foe’s direction.
In one of her signature fourth-wall breaks, Jen pauses the scene, questioning why all of these messy storylines are happening at once.
In a move that no one could have seen coming, she decides to make a change herself, ripping off the inhibitor on her ankle and travelling through the Disney Plus homepage into the anthology TV series Marvel Studios: Assembled so she can address her concerns directly to the writers of She-Hulk at Marvel Studios.
She-Hulk bursts into Marvel Studios for chat with Kevin
Jen explains to the writers of She-Hulk why she doesn’t like the ending they’ve laid out for her, with her powers been stripped from her and the villain playing out one of the most predictable storylines in the book – the theft of her blood to gain superhuman abilities.
When the writers seem unwilling to make changes, Jen decides to take it up with Kevin himself – an assertion that would have almost definitely led many fans to assume that Marvel Studios boss himself Kevin Feige was going to show up for the ultimate cameo.
Instead, K.E.V.I.N. made their debut – that is, Knowledge Enhanced Visual Interconnectivity Nexus, an artificial intelligence machine (which looks like AUTO from Wall.E) that uses an entertainment algorithm to produce MCU storylines.
Sorry Marvel fans – Kevin Feige doesn’t make a cameo (Picture: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Jen calls out the machine for lining up her finale with the same old big fight and action-packed climax that audiences have seen time and time again, emphasising that she wants her series to be a lawyer show and to not just follow the already-established rules that have come before.
Not only does Jen get her wish – cutting out the storyline of Todd getting his powers from her blood – but she also makes several requests in line with Marvel fans’ wishes.
Most notably, Jen begs to know when the X-Men are going to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe… but that was one line K.E.V.I.N. wouldn’t cross.
Daredevil returns and Hulk introduces new member of family
Following Charlie Cox’s guest appearance in episode eight, returning to his Daredevil roots as Matt Murdock, viewers likely suspected that was the last we’d see of him in She-Hulk season one.
Lo and behold, he actually did return in the finale, but moments too late to help Jen in her fight against Intelligencia.
Nonetheless, he did have time to stick around for a meal with Jen’s family, where he was interrogated about his job in Hell’s Kitchen before talk turned to future plans for kids… as it often does when parents are around.
Then in another huge shock, Bruce jetted back from space with a surprise guest – his son, Skaar (Wil Deusner), leading viewers to jump to the conclusion that the World War Hulk comic book storyline could be on the way.
Is there a post-credits scene?
The post-credits scene for the She-Hulk finale might explain why Emil was so unperturbed to head back to prison after violating his parole.
Once back in his jail cell, he’s visited by Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong), who invites him back to Kamar-Taj.
It sounds as though Emil will be staying for a significant amount of time, rather than just making a short visit… insinuating that there’ll be more Emil and Abomination to come in the MCU.
She-Hulk is available to watch on Disney Plus.
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Bravo She-Hulk writing team, bravo.