The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one big machine where every nook and cranny has a big role to play... or most of them do, at least. See, sometimes a character is introduced with the intention of showing up multiple times down the line on many different projects. However, plans change sometimes and all that fans get is a "one-and-done".
A perfect example of this is Mac Gargan, who made his debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home only to never be seen again even if all signs indicated he'd become The Scorpion at some point. Unfortunately, this situation has happened many different times in the past, but more often than not it involves "supporting" characters.
That being said, there have been a few rare occasions where a character who seems like the next big player in the MCU — one who audiences will see for years to come — is seemingly abandoned too. Well, She-Hulk is perhaps the greatest example. The hulking superstar made her debut back in 2022 in Disney Plus show She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and to this date, Marvel hasn't revealed what the future holds in store for her. Speculation grew rampant about her fate, and the silence only made things worse. Fortunately, it seems the days of living in the dark may have come to an end, as we could finally have a definite answer to go by.
She-Hulk will reportedly be back in the MCU, but not where you'd expect
In a new report published on The Cosmic Circus, prolific superhero insider Alex Perez revealed that Jennifer Walters will "be back" in the MCU. However, while it would seem like a no-brainer for She-Hulk to appear in Marvel's next big crossover, Avengers: Doomsday, it was also reported that won't be the case. Unfortunately, details about the hero's next project were undisclosed, but it's nice to get a confirmation that there is still more to her story. After all, her fate was left up in the air, along with that of many other characters.
Back when the MCU was in its early days, Marvel had a very clear roadmap that involved multiple sequels to established franchises. As if that wasn't enough, each phase culminated with an Avengers movie. That meant audiences would see the likes of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America basically everywhere. The "big three" each had their own trilogy (with Thor even getting a fourth installment in his saga), and they also stepped up to save the day during the crossover events. The best part is we didn't have to wait too long between releases to see them again. Unfortunately, that all changed when the Multiverse Saga began.
There was a time at the start of Phase 4 when Marvel was green-lighting projects left and right as if it were a competition. Unfortunately, it seems there wasn't a clear direction of where to go next for many of these new characters. The Eternals, Moon Knight, White Vision, Shang-Chi, Mighty Thor, and She-Hulk are just some of the "big heroes" who were introduced in one MCU project only to never be seen again. Granted, we know some of them (like Shang-Chi) are definitely returning. But what about the others? The Eternals are in an especially complicated spot given that their movie was met with mixed critical reactions. Besides, they were introduced on the big screen more than three years ago and Marvel hasn't revealed if there is more to their story yet.
Even when Thor: The Dark World failed to gather critical acclaim back in 2013, Marvel kept using its titular character because he had a very specific role to play in the Infinity Saga. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said nowadays, when some characters won't reportedly make a comeback until after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars. It just goes to show how big of a masterplan Marvel had in its beginning, and how careless the situation became further on.
On the bright side, it seems the superhero house has learned from its previous mistakes. During the entirety of 2024, only two Marvel projects were released and they were absolutely amazing. And even if 2025 will have many more releases, it seems there's a clear plan in store for the future of every character. Captain America, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four are all confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Furthermore, a second season for Daredevil: Born Again has already been confirmed, and rumor has it that Riri Williams will also have a role to play in Marvel's next big crossover. So almost every character with a standalone project in 2025 will be back sooner than anticipated. Now, it seems we could also add She-Hulk to that list.
Fingers crossed it won't be long before Marvel itself confirms the fate of many of their "one-and-done" characters — painting a clearer picture of what the future has in store. Otherwise, fans will keep speculating until interest is ultimately lost, which will only make matters worse. But for the time being, it appears there's more Jennifer Walters to come, and we can't wait to see where she shows up next.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on May 1, 2026.