The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, has finally brought the Abomination back into the spotlight after over a decade of absence — however, he may not be the only forgotten villain to be making a comeback in the series. Many fans theorize that the main antagonist of the new show could be one of the Hulk’s greatest comic foes, who was first foreshadowed all the way back in 2008.
The Incredible Hulk has yet to receive a proper sequel, and likely never will, but that doesn’t mean that the characters and plot threads it introduced are off the table. One supporting character featured in the film was Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who attempts to help Bruce Banner cure his mutation before being forced by General Ross to turn Emil Blonsky into the Abomination. As Blonsky’s transformation destroys his lab, Sterns is exposed to a sample of Banner’s blood, causing his brain to momentarily expand while an eerie smile spreads across his face — a clear nod to Sterns’ comic identity as the supervillain known as the Leader.
Who is the Leader?
The Leader made his comic book debut in 1964 with Tales to Astonish #62, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. A fellow victim of Gamma radiation, the Leader’s mutation enhanced his intelligence rather than his strength, resulting in his trademark oversized cranium. With his newfound powers, the Leader became a criminal mastermind with ambitions of world domination, using his superhuman intellect to devise all manner of high-tech weapons and gadgets to aid in his schemes. In other words, he’s the quintessential comic book mad scientist, with his brains making him a natural foil to the Hulk’s brawn.
The Leader is also a mainstay of any animated adaptation featuring the Hulk. He appeared in both 1996’s The Incredible Hulk animated series to 2010’s The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, in which he was voiced by Matt Frewer and Jeffrey Combs, respectively. He’s even appeared in a handful of video games, including the tie-in game to the 2003 Hulk film and 2013’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Most adaptations tend to portray the Leader as — true to his name — the de facto leader of Hulk’s rogues’ gallery, with the likes of the Abomination, the Absorbing Man, and the Wrecking Crew operating under his employ.
Arguably the Hulk’s greatest arch-nemesis, it’s easy to see why the Leader would have been set up so early in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — with a prolific character actor like Tim Blake Nelson in the role, no less. However, it’s been 14 years since The Incredible Hulk hit theaters, and for most of that time, there’s been no sign of the Leader making his triumphant return to finally menace the Hulk in live action. But now, with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law currently airing, the Hulk’s corner of the MCU is back in the spotlight again, giving his rogues’ gallery a second chance to make an impact.
The Leader in the MCU?
As previously mentioned, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law sees Tim Roth finally reprise his role as Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination, who has seemingly changed his villainous ways since the events of The Incredible Hulk. But even though Blonsky isn’t serving as the series’ antagonist, Episode 3 gave viewers their first hints that there’s still a mysterious villain plotting behind the scenes. Near the end of the episode, She-Hulk is confronted by a comically inept group of villains wielding stolen Asgardian construction equipment — clearly intended to be the MCU’s incarnation of perennial bit-part bad guys the Wrecking Crew. Curiously, one of the members attempts to steal a sample of She-Hulk’s blood, only for the needle to break against her skin.
As the Wrecking Crew make their getaway, their leader the Wrecker makes a comment about the team’s employer, who will surely be displeased by their failure to procure Jen’s blood. In other words, there’s an evil mastermind lurking in the shadows who wants to get their hands on the blood of a Hulk. There’s no shortage of comic villains who could fill that role, but none would fit the bill quite so perfectly as the Leader. After all, it was Bruce’s blood that first mutated him back in The Incredible Hulk, so he knows firsthand what Hulk blood is capable of. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the Leader wants Jen’s blood for his experiments — he could even be planning to create more monsters like the Abomination.
Skeptics might claim that too much time has passed since The Incredible Hulk for the Leader to return to the MCU. However, there was a time when the same was said of the Abomination, and now he’s more prominent than ever. There are countless fans who have waited over a decade to see the Leader brought to life in live action, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has created a perfect opportunity to make that happen. Plus, with Tim Blake Nelson’s comedy background, he’d fit right in with the show’s comedic tone. Only time will tell which supervillain is pulling the Wrecking Crew’s strings, but there’s no better candidate than the Leader.