As the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to expand its roster of heroes and villains with a smorgasbord of Disney+ shows, it's time to look back at another Marvel project that could have been: the bizarre tale of how She-Hulk nearly had her own movie outing in a pre-MCU world.

Everyone knows the Jade Giant is about to clobber her way into our lives as part of the MCU for She-Hulk, but far fewer will know about the time she nearly flexed her muscles in the early '90s. Long before Robert Downey Jr was stepping into the Iron Man Mark 1 armour, She-Hulk could have championed her own female-first feature.

Related: Everything you need to know about the She-Hulk TV series

For those who need a refresher, She-Hulk was first introduced in 1980's Savage She-Hulk #1 as the cousin of Bruce Banner. The character of Jennifer Walters was given a diluted version of Hulk's powers when she was gunned down and needed an emergency blood transfusion. Unlike the lumbering and aggressive Hulk associated with Banner, Walters's She-Hulk retained most of her personality.

Over the years, She-Hulk has grown in popularity and been a part of everything from the Avengers to the Fantastic Four. Following her TV debut in NBC's 1982 animated The Incredible Hulk series, Walters was supposed to be part of The Death of the Incredible Hulk in 1990. The character never materialised in the Lou Ferrigno-led movie, while ABC confirmed its separate plans for a potential She-Hulk series were also dead.

Jump forward to It's Alive director Larry Cohen being attached to give She-Hulk a movie all to herself. Getting further than most canned Marvel movies, Brigitte Nielsen was due to take the lead as Walters. This is more than wild fan casting: the former Mrs Stallone actually joined the project officially.

Promo shots circulated featuring Nielsen in full She-Hulk makeup, which give off some serious Uma Thurman/Poison Ivy vibes. It's definitely a more subtle look than the Green Meanie of the Ferrigno days and the Hulk we've seen in the MCU. Unlike the comic version of She-Hulk, it looks like the studio wanted a (slightly) more realistic version. Who knows though, maybe Cohen had run out of green body paint that day?

It's important to remember Nielsen had already cemented herself as something of an action star by the '90s and was no stranger to comic book movies thanks to her starring role in 1985's Red Sonja alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sadly, there's no news on what happened next, as She-Hulk slipped into the abyss. In an era when Marvel movies weren't what they are today, the likes of Howard the Duck, The Punisher, and Captain America were largely panned, so maybe She-Hulk was just too much of a gamble. Thankfully things are different these days.

She-Hulk's induction to the MCU was always inevitable. Back in 2015, Mark Ruffalo told a Reddit AMA he imagined Zoe Saldana or Emma Stone as the perfect casting. Although it's unclear who will be donning their best lawyer hat as Walters in the MCU, fandom has gone into overdrive that Community and GLOW alumni Alison Brie could take the title role.

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Elsewhere, Brooklyn 99's Stephanie Bearitz has thrown her hat into the ring and in the past, some have championed the likes of Rosario Dawson.

Unlike '90s She-Hulk, it doesn't look like this one is going to disappear. Ruffalo himself confirms there are talks for him to reprise his role as Hulk for She-Hulk and Feige has promised the series will pave the way for Walters to suit up in the franchise's big-screen adventures.

As for Nielsen and Cohen, their version of She-Hulk joins the likes of Wes Craven's Doctor Strange, Blade 4, and X-Men Origins: Magneto as Marvel movies you'll never get to see. However, in a world where Mickey Rourke gets to show his acting might in the MCU, who's to say there isn't a role for Nielsen further down the line?

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Tom Chapman

Tom Chapman is a pop culture-loving writer and NCTJ-accredited Broadcast Journalist with over seven years of experience covering the small and silver screen. 

Starting his career with a post at Movie Pilot in Berlin, Tom took on freelancing full-time with regular stints at Digital Spy, Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources.

These days, you can still find him covering all things Marvel and Star Wars at Digital Spy, while dipping his toe in bylines at Yahoo! and IGN. 

Tom likes to think his spirit animal is a cross between Gale Weathers and Olenna Tyrell.

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