Marvel’s Avengers fans have not had the best response to Jane Foster. Not only is there no Mighty Thor Operation, but she plays almost exactly like the original Thor, with only her All-Weapon Ultimate ability truly feeling different. While Crystal Dynamics did a solid job of making the Two Hawkeyes feel unique, Jane is basically an echo fighter, and She-Hulk should not be treated the same way.
While recent leaks for Marvel’s Avengers have suggested that Winter Soldier will be the next hero added to the game, She-Hulk is expected to release sometime around the launch of the character’s Disney+ series. With the voice actor seemingly confirming her role in the game, and plenty of leaks about the character being posted online in the past, fans are sure that she will arrive soon. When the does, she needs to stand out from the other gamma monster on the roster.
Leaning Into She-Hulk’s Smarts and Speed
Obviously, She-Hulk has the same core abilities as The Incredible Hulk. She is extremely strong and durable, and she joins many other superheroes in having the power of regeneration. However, Jennifer Walters differs from Bruce Banner in the sense that she is far quicker, using her smaller size to her advantage.
While Hulk’s smashing abilities are second to none, his massive size forces him to move at a slower pace than his cousin. With this in mind, Crystal Dynamics should focus on making She-Hulk a speedster-type character, giving her abilities that allow her to dash between enemies and close the distance fast. It is easy to imagine a heroic ability that lets her activate super speed for 30 seconds, with players able to clear arenas extremely fast.
The traversal in Marvel’s Avengers is also something to keep in mind, as each character needs to be able to clear the map at a decent speed. She-Hulk will likely just run across maps similar to Captain America, though it would be nice to see her movement system acknowledge her speedster status. Similar to how Iron Man can boost his flight speed, Crystal Dynamics should let She-Hulk run slightly faster than her allies after she has been moving for a decent amount of time. While her jumps will likely be more basic than Hulk’s leaps and Cap’s double jump, being able to sprint faster than other characters could make movement satisfying.
It is also worth keeping in mind that Jennifer a smarter Hulk than Bruce, as she keeps her intellect intact when she transforms. Not only can this result in elevator conversations where she regularly speaks with the team, but She-Hulk’s moveset should also reflect this trait. Her takedown moves should have more finesse than Hulk’s slams, and some kicks should be worked into her arsenal. While some of the same finishers could be reused, others would not work, like those that see Hulk leaping into the sky with his enemies. Additionally, she should have some kind of ability that directly helps the team, as she is more of a team player than the monstrous Hulk.
It would be a shame if She-Hulk was an echo character, as Crystal Dynamics could definitely make her play differently from the original Hulk. The best way to accomplish this is by leaning into her strengths, as she is a faster and smarter Hulk than what many may be used to. She also has the perfect level of speed to translate to a video game, as she is not absurdly fast like Quicksilver. Considering how different all the heroes felt before Jane Foster arrived, fans can only hope for a similar level of uniqueness with She-Hulk.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
