She-Hulk Can Be The Culmination Of The MCU’s Oldest Plotline
The upcoming She-Hulk Disney+ show can conclude a long-standing MCU plotline with Jennifer Walters' transformation into the perfect super soldier that so many characters sought for decades. Steve Rogers is the most famous super soldier, as he not only went from being a skinny kid to attaining peak human physique but also used his power to save the world as the full-fledged superhero Captain America. However, the success of Abraham Erskine's Project Rebirth hides multiple horror stories.
Some power-hungry individuals like Johann Schmidt and Emil Blonsky tried their hand at different variations of the super soldier serum, which resulted in horrific failures that earned them the monikers of Red Skull and Abomination, respectively, due to the negative side effects of the experiments. Other super soldiers such as Bucky Barnes and Isaiah Bradley didn't have a choice in the matter, and even though their transformation was more akin to that of Captain America, they still suffered physical and psychological damage that impacted the rest of their lives. The search for the perfect super soldier has existed for more than 80 years in the MCU, and even the most recent successes like Baron Zemo's unnamed super soldiers from Captain America: Civil War and the Power Broker's mass-produced super serum formula from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have all had the same problem as the original experiment: they all have a high risk of bringing out the worst in people, resulting in out-of-control super soldiers like John Walker.
One famous victim of this search for the perfect super soldier is none other than Bruce Banner, who was ordered by General Ross to recreate Captain America's super soldier serum with the help of Gamma radiation instead of Vita Rays. The resulting catastrophe gave birth to the Hulk and brought Banner a long struggle with his monstrous alter ego, which has only begun to subside by 2023, when he finally merged the man and the monster. Now, it's the turn for Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, to get a taste of Gamma radiation (possibly in the form of a blood transfusion from Bruce Banner) and become She-Hulk. Given the current mental state of Smart Hulk and the quality of his scientific advancements, She-Hulk will likely be stronger, faster, and more durable than Captain America himself, and unlike Bruce Banner's new form, Smart Hulk, She-Hulk probably won't sacrifice her strength to retain her intelligence and personality. This means that Jennifer Walters could end up becoming the so-desired perfect Super Soldier, and she will probably achieve it without setting out to do so.
The arrival of a regular human with a successful Hulk upgrade and none of the negative side effects is an sight that will certainly shock people like General Ross, who could shift focus away from Captain America and the Hulk in order to attempt to replicate She-Hulk's transformation. Then, all the attention could fall on Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters, and other Gamma-infused individuals like Abomination and Samuel Sterns could become central to the MCU's storylines. This could also be the moment when Hulk-related characters finally get their time in the spotlight, with General Ross and Leonard Samson possibly getting their dose of Gamma radiation to become Red Hulk and Doc Samson.
New attempts to copy Steve Rogers will undoubtedly continue in some form or another, to varying degrees of success, but She-Hulk will raise the bar for what an enhancement of human capabilities really looks like. Lots of new MCU storylines could arise from Jennifer Walters’ transformation, as those interested in Jennifer Walters' new powers could try to capture her and experiment on her, replicate the process, or fulfill General Ross's dream to create armies of Gamma-powered super soldiers. Only time will tell how much She-Hulk will affect the MCU going forward.