Written by Anna Currence O'Neal
October 18, 2022
A hot topic in the Marvel fandom recently. In the first episode of the show, SheHulk/Jen says that she is “better” than Hulk/Banner because she is mastering her hulk form faster than he did and her blood has some sort of extra capabilities that helped Banner heal. With each new Marvel release, Disney marketers generate social media engagement between those that dislike the changes to characters and storylines and those that feel the new versions are a natural evolution. SheHulk is no exception.
Many commenters simply dislike that SheHulk claimed to be better than Hulk, either saying the comparison was unnecessary or asserting that SheHulk could not have as much rage as the Hulk with no real explanation.
Others claimed that the new “Smart Hulk” is not as powerful as the “OG Hulk” now that he has merged his two selves, lamenting a divergence from the comics. Though, in my audit, I found that many of that group had not watched the show or had only seen a little of it.
A few commenters are accusing Disney of generating “woke” content and pandering to a more liberal psychographic than those audience members would prefer.
Lastly, there are those that feel SheHulk saying that was fitting for the show. These viewers express the feeling that the scene speaks to the female experience of controlling anger, stress, and fear borne from micro and macro aggressions in their everyday life.
Should we expect perfect adherence to preceding stories?
In this case, it is unrealistic. Marvel content’s current guardians are remaking the Marvel Universe in video format and in a different social environment than the original stories were created. Creators expand on what we know about the characters in large and small ways to make them relevant to the present day. The entertainment industry operates much like the social media world. They try to pull us in with their content. A natural byproduct of this is their social media teams employing pull-marketing to stimulate discussion about how the storylines relate to their audiences’ lives. This method got the SheHulk brand earned media such as Total Nerd’s post, where each of the sentiments above can be found. This post is a good snapshot of the overall discourse around this subject.
Creators should not be expected to adhere exactly to the stories that came before. If they did, there would be no room for new expression. Respect for the story and authentic representation is what should be prioritized, not exact replicas of older content.
So is SheHulk Better?
This question is missing the point. As a criminal lawyer and an independent woman living in a city, it is reasonable to assume Jen has experienced aggression both micro and macro in her personal and professional encounters. As a science genius, it is reasonable to assume that Banner lived his life relatively removed from mainstream society prior to becoming a hulk. This would reasonably mean that, though his life would not have been without strife, Banner would not have been exposed to as much stress, anxiety, or fear as a criminal lawyer (like Jen). Being a man further excludes Banner from the additional societal stressors that accompany being a woman (e.g. large and small situations in which Jen must regularly quell her anger that she cites in the “better than” conversation like catcalling, mansplaining, and potential murder/assault).
Each person is impressive in their own way, but I believe it is reasonable to assume their emotional literacy “starting points” were different because of their unique identities and experiences.
When Banner first turns into the Hulk, he is completely unconscious and causes all kinds of havoc. While knowing the Hulk is a part of himself, he feels as though there is another guy in his head because he doesn’t have control when the Hulk takes over. He is a passenger in Hulk’s actions. Conversely, Jen has two unconscious episodes as SheHulk but by the third transformation is fully aware. There is no other person in her head to battle with.
The comparison being made is not in who is stronger but in the speed with which Jen and Banner integrated their two selves. Hulk forms come out as a response to stress, anxiety, or fear. The person is able to turn back into themself by reaching a state of calm. I think Jen’s exposure to mastering these triggers in her daily life due to her career and gender better prepared her for calming herself down enough to be conscious while she is enraged and in hulk form. This is something that took Banner years to do. The decade of successive traumatic events certainly hampered his ability to self-integrate, but I believe that due to his gender and reclusive lifestyle, he was less-equipt to quell the strong emotions that trigger his hulk form.
I also think that the “better-than-you” comment was said more in a cousinly jest or jibe than anything else. Jen wanted to get back to her career and was antagonizing Banner for keeping her at his compound and trying to force her to be a superhero. She explicitly states she has no interest in the path Banner took.
This narrative is appropriate for the show. With a female protagonist, this show reflects the female gaze. That is often accused of being “woke” when in reality it is just a different point of view than what many expect from a Marvel story.