Did the reveal of Hulk’s son, Skaar, in the She-Hulk finale feel a bit out of place to you? That’s because Skaar’s cameo at the end was demanded by Marvel president Kevin Feige.
The She-Hulk finale was one of the most bold, and original finales of any Marvel series. The finale of the legal comedy series relied heavily on the breaking of the fourth wall. This technique, in which a character talks directly to an audience, has been used previously in the superhero movie Deadpool. In She-Hulk, the fourth wall breaking was designed to pre-empt online criticism, and poke fun at the silliness of the comedy drama series itself.
The use of the technique gave the TV series a strong identity, helping to set it apart from the previous MCU series. In the finale specifically, the fourth wall breaking as taken to the max, and She-Hulk broke out of the show and into Marvel studios itself to complain about the ending and the ‘Marvel formula’. It was all very meta.
Now, speaking to Variety about the show’s finale, Jessica Gao (who created the TV series) has opened up on some elements of the final scenes. She mentioned the return of Daredevil, and also spoke about the reveal of Hulk’s son, Skaar.
Gao said “Kevin [Feige] was very specific about [the inclusion of] Skaar, so I’m sure there’s some plan in the future, though I have no idea what that might be.”
For an episode that was, essentially, entirely dedicated to highlighting the problems with the MCU formula, it’s an interesting irony that the She-Hulk ending had its own ‘future-establishing’ cameo forced into it at the end. Audiences, and fans of the MCU, will also wonder why Skaar’s inclusion was mandated in the finale.
One obvious option is that the MCU is establishing a World War Hulk storyline. We now have Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar, Abomination, and Hulk King who could all form part of this as formidable enemies. It could be the chance for Hulk to finally take the spotlight, which MCU fans have wanted for a long time.
For more Marvel madness, check out our guide to the best Marvel villains.