Why the MCU’s Abomination Looks Different in ‘She-Hulk,’ Explained

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) original TV series to hit Disney+. It’s also a much needed female-led superhero show. She-Hulk follows Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) as she learns to be a Hulk like her cousin, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), while also managing a career as a high-profile lawyer in New York. She specializes in superhuman affairs, which, of course, leads to her meeting many new clients, some of who can be pretty nefarious.

Before She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered, it was confirmed that the iconic Hulk villain, Abomination (Tim Roth), would be returning. Roth previously portrayed the character in the 2011 film The Incredible Hulk. The film is still canon to the MCU, despite Edward Norton portraying the Hulk instead of Ruffalo. Basically, the Hulk actor was swapped out, but the events still did occur in the MCU, paving the way for Abomination’s return. His return was also teased with his cameo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

However, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law marks Abomination’s first proper introduction since The Incredible Hulk. Ironically, Walters is expected to represent Abomination, despite the fact that he tried to kill her cousin. In the latest episode, we see Walters visiting Abomination while he’s in prison. Viewers who watched him in The Incredible Hulk will notice that Abomination’s appearance is very different in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Here’s why Abomination got a new look for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Why Abomination looks different in She-Hulk

For starters, here’s what Abomination looked like in The Incredible Hulk:

Now, here is a shot of Abomination in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law:

The most noticeable difference is that Abomination has gills on either side of his head, similar to how he looked in Shang-Chi. He’s also a bit greener in appearance, has scales, and also bears a much more human-looking demeanor. Basically, in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, he’s got a much more fish-like appearance and demure demeanor, while in The Incredible Hulk he’s more monstrous and hulk-like.

Abomination’s redesign hasn’t been officially addressed by Marvel, but there are a couple of possible explanations. For one, the series could simply be trying to make the character more comic book-accurate. With the changes, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s Abomination is the spitting image of his comic book counterpart. The only thing that’s different is the more human demeanor. Additionally, the series could just be trying to reiterate that this is a very different version of Abomination than we previously saw. Roth himself stated he treated the role like a new version of the character, rather than a reprisal.

Reddit users also have their own theory for Abomination’s redesign. In The Incredible Hulk, Abomination’s appearance was the result of him mixing super soldier serum with Banner’s gamma-radiated blood. The combination sparked a massive mutation that resulted in Abomination. Fans posit that the gamma radiation wasn’t done mutating. Hence, Abomination’s new appearance is just the result of the completed mutation. It remains to be seen if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will officially explain Abomination’s redesign.

(featured image: Disney)