She-Hulk episode eight spoilers follow.
The MCU has taken some big leaps in recent years, not unlike Eugene Patilio in this latest episode of She-Hulk. But when it comes to the Sokovia Accords, fans have noted a big leap in logic where Marvel ignored them almost entirely in Phase 4.
Sure, they sound a bit boring on paper, but these Sokovia Accords are actually the reason why the Avengers split in Captain America: Civil War, which of course led to many, many deaths after Thanos wiped the floor with them in Avengers: Infinity War.
If it wasn't for these laws that aimed to control super-powered people, the blip would have probably never happened. So the Accords are a pretty big deal then, which begs the question: why does everyone act like they no longer exist?
Sure, they were mentioned once in WandaVision, and then again most recently in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but aside from that, they've been ignored or forgotten. And that's pretty odd given the huge role these laws played just a few short years ago.
So what gives? Are the Sokovia Accords still in effect?
What to Read Next
Before She-Hulk arrived, showrunner Jessica Gao revealed to The Direct that answers would be arriving towards the end of her show. And now, with just one episode left before the finale, a direct answer has finally been given by Daredevil, no less.
The scene in question takes place in court after a dud "hero" named Leap Frog sues Jen's tailor, Luke Jacobson, for a suit malfunction. When She-Hulk tries to stop further suits being made in case someone else gets hurt, Matt Murdock, who's been hired to defend Jacobson, argues that the man's privacy is extremely important:
"The very nature of Mr. Jacobson's line of work, making suits exclusively for superheroes, necessitates anonymity. May I remind you that the Sokovia Accords have been repealed."
Um, excuse us. What?
After all that, the case is thrown out of court, but more importantly, Daredevil has just casually changed the course of the MCU with this one throwaway line. Or, more precisely, he's revealed this monumental change, clearing up a big mystery in the process.
No mention is made of the Sokovia Accords again in this episode, and given everything She-Hulk's going through by the end, we doubt they'll play a role in the finale either.
So right now, we're still clueless on when or why the Sokovia Accords were repealed. Clearly it's a recent development given how they were mentioned in the first two Disney+ plus shows, but beyond that, there's no obvious point in the timeline we can pinpoint.
However, the question of why they've been repealed could come into play at some point moving forward. It's entirely possible that Daredevil himself might have campaigned against them given his unique position (till recently) as both lawyer and superhero.
It's also possible that the Thunderbolts movie might explore the ramifications of this more. As the government is no longer able to control superheroes for their own gain, the repeal might have prompted them to build their own super "hero" strike force.
As if that wasn't intriguing enough, the repeal of the Sokovia Accords also means there's nothing stopping a new Avengers team from forming just in time for the end of Phase 6, which will culminate with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars on November 7, 2025.
Could Jen end up in that new roster? Quite possibly, if the comics are anything to go by. Plus, she seems pretty into the idea of becoming a fully fledged hero when Matt suggests it.
She-Hulk's strength would be a huge gain for the team given the loss of Iron Man and Steve Rogers as Captain America. She'll likely be joined by Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Shang-Chi, Spider-Man, and Sam Wilson, aka Captain America II, although we concede anything could happen still on that front.
And why just stop at one team? It's quite obvious that Marvel is also setting up a Young Avengers team on screen too...
Whatever happens, She-Hulk better make up with Luke Jacobson quick. She's going to need all the superhero duds she can get her hands on by the time Kang drops into this time period.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law airs weekly every Thursday on Disney+.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
