This week has been fantastic for Marvel fans in general, as several key character beats and exchanges have finally been shown in MCU films.
On Thursday, the eighth episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered, introducing viewers to Eugene Patillio/Leap-Frog in his live-action debut and highlighting the chemistry that has developed between Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Brandon Stanley).
The following day saw the launch of Werewolf by Night, the first “Special Presentation” within the MCU, and a terrifying foray into Marvel’s horror universe.
However, there is one aspect of Werewolf by Night that has a plausible connection to She-Hulk (based on the comics), which could pave the way for a return of the show or an appearance in the future.
Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Elsa Bloodstone (Jessica Henwick) rescue the giant swamp monster Ted Sallis/Man-Thing (Carey Jones), who had been imprisoned by a group of monster hunters (Laura Donnelly).
Jack ends up waking up in Ted’s swamp house, complete with a tent and some food, at the end of the show. Several individuals in the comics, including Richard Rory, play the role of Man-ally Thing’s and swamp roommate, as Jack appears to be doing at that moment.
Steve Gerber’s creation, Richard Rory is a disgruntled Ohio radio DJ who’s had a ridiculous run of misfortune.
As events unfold, Rory becomes one of Man-closest Thing’s friends, in no little part because he shares Ted’s lack of apprehension around the swamp monster that provides the fuel for the latter’s lethal abilities.
Over the years, Rory goes on many adventures with Man-Thing and sometimes even moves in with him in the swamp when he’s on the outs.
In the first installment of Savage She-Hulk, author David Anthony Kraft opted to include Rory as Jen’s friend-turned-love interest. Having won big in a Las Vegas casino, Rory travels to Los Angeles, where he meets She-Hulk in her human guise as Jen and finds himself developing feelings for her.
For the rest of the Savage era, Rory serves as a supporting character, forming a love triangle of sorts between Jen and Daniel “Zapper” Ridge, the love interest of She-Hulk. However, in the final issue of the series, Rory is abruptly written out.
Decades later, in the Dan Slott-written She-Hulk run, Stu Cicero, an employee of Jen’s legal company who had been mistakenly sent to and from another dimension, stole his automobile.
It wouldn’t be out of the question for Rory to enter the fold, whether in season two of the show or not, given how the writers of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law have creatively explored Jen’s romantic relationships and love interests in both her human and Hulk lives.
Now that Man-Thing has made his already-beloved MCU debut, it would be simple to introduce an MCU Rory as a previous or future swamp ally of his, further undermining She-grasp Hulk’s Marvel heritage.
Disney+ is the only place to watch original series like “Werewolf by Night” and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” Right about now is a great time to give Disney+ a try if you haven’t already.