What “She-Hulk”'s Surprise New Character Means for the MCU
“She-Hulk” introduces us to Jennifer Walters, Bruce Banner’s cousin and the latest superhero in the MCU’s Phase Four. While the buzziest cameo in the Disney+/Marvel series was probably the long-awaited return of Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, the show’s Oct. 13 season finale managed to slip in another hint about the future of the Marvel universe. In the episode’s closing minutes, we’re introduced to Skaar, the Hulk’s son – and a notable figure in the Marvel comics.
Who Is Skaar in the Marvel Comics?
In the comics, Skaar is the son of the Hulk (aka Bruce Banner) and Caiera, an alien woman from the planet Sakaar. During a great war on Sakaar, the Hulk is captured by the evil Red King, then eventually frees himself and leads rebel forces. Caiera, previously forced to work for the Red King, betrays him and sides with Hulk, who eventually emerges victorious as the new king. After being named king, the Hulk marries Caiera and even transforms into his human form as Bruce Banner in front of her.
Caiera soon reveals that she’s pregnant, but tragedy strikes when the Hulk’s shuttle is blown up, killing Caiera and many others. Skaar’s cocoon falls into a lake of fire as the planet is engulfed in volcanic eruptions. Eventually, Skaar emerges onto the ruined planet, and ages quickly: within a year, he appears to be a young adult. As he grows up, however, he’s soon consumed with rage and a quest for vengeance, eventually being exiled to Earth, where he gets into vicious battles with heroes including She-Hulk and his own father.
Throughout his appearances in the comics, Skaar’s relationship with the Hulk is contentious at best. He’s often seen struggling with his thirst for power and revenge, and his affiliations throughout his storylines reflect that – he’s definitely not a through-and-through hero like the Hulk.
Who Is Skaar in the MCU?
Bruce’s adventures with Sakaar start at the very beginning of “She-Hulk” – in fact, that plotline is directly responsible for Jen gaining superpowers. In the pilot episode, Jen and Bruce’s car crash, after which she gains powers from her cousin’s blood, is caused by a low-flying Sakaaran ship getting in their way. After the crash, Bruce comments to Jen that the ship was probably “trying to deliver a message” (to him, he assumes) and heads off to “get to the bottom of it.” As viewers will remember, most of “Thor: Ragnarok” takes place on Sakaar, where the Hulk is trapped as essentially a space gladiator to entertain the Sakaarans and other beings passing through the Grandmaster’s realm.
In the second episode, Jen finds out that Bruce didn’t just head off – he headed off-planet. He casually tells her that he won’t be back for a while, revealing that he’s on a spaceship headed far out into space. The season finale finally reveals what he was up to: he did, in fact, go to Sakaar to find out why they were trying to get his attention. When he arrives at a family barbeque, the family is right in the middle of quizzing Matt Murdock about his and Jen’s relationship, even teasing them about children. The family’s attention immediately shifts when Bruce arrives and introduces his son, Skaar, and they welcomes both Bruce and Skaar happily.
While Skaar definitely is getting a warm welcome from his family on Earth, the exact details of his backstory are still unclear. His introduction is definitely lighter in tone than his angsty, vengeful early life in the comics, but there’s certainly more conflict to come if (when?) his story unfolds on screen.