It Update: With a prominent presence in the latest trailer for She-Hulk, it is official: Emil Blonsky is back in the MCU. Keep reading for everything you need to know about Abomination, where the character started, and what he’s been doing all these years.

The Origin of Abomination

In 2008, the character of Emil Blonsky appeared in Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk as one of the antagonists in the second movie set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Blonsky was a mercenary hired by “Thunderbolt” Ross to hunt down Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk. At one point,
Blonsky decided to inject himself with Banner’s blood to be able to defeat the Hulk, but the experiment backfired and Blonsky turned into a Hulk-like monstrosity called Abomination.

[Credit: Marvel]

In one of the last scenes of The Incredible Hulk, the Abomination fought against the Hulk and lost. In today’s article, you are going to find out what happened to MCU’s Abomination and what he’s been doing since the beginning of the MCU all those years ago!

What happened to Abomination at the end of ‘The Incredible Hulk’?

As we all know, Abomination fought Hulk at the end of The Incredible Hulk. Abomination was in a better position until Hulk’s powers finally kicked in and he managed to subdue Blonsky, choking him with a large chain. The Hulk would have strangled him to death had Betty Ross not intervened, pleading for Banner to not kill Abomination. Angered, Hulk released an unconscious Abomination from the grip of the chain, who then fell to the floor. At that point, we knew that he was taken into custody by the United States Army, but the film didn’t reveal more information.

The Incredible Hulk did enough to set up a sequel, in which Blonsky’s Abomination would certainly have appeared, but due to a change of tone in interpreting Hulk within the MCU, and various contractual complications between Disney and Universal Studios, the planned sequel was scrapped and Blonsky’s character remained in limbo.

Still, the MCU revealed Emil Blonsky’s fate, which was discussed in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode “Tracks”, as well as the one-shot The Consultant, which was part of the Blu-ray release of Thor. It is revealed that Abomination was taken away to The Vault, a top-secret cryo-cell located in Barrow, Alaska, where he was under the supervision of General Ross; this was kept so secret that the only S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who knew this were the ones who had a Clearance Level 7 or above.

[Credit: Marvel]

During the drafting of the Avengers Initiative, the World Security Council considered releasing Blonsky and giving him a spot on the team, stating that he was a hero who fought Hulk only because he was instructed to perceive him as an enemy. Luckily enough, Ross was ultimately dissuaded from doing so, which means that Abomination remained in captivity.

Is Abomination still alive in the MCU?

The answer is yes, but how? Apart from those two brief references, Abomination didn’t appear in any material associated with the MCU until 2021. In the thirteen years since his debut, fans are – naturally – wondering where he’s been and what he’s been doing.

[Credit: Marvel]

Abomination in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Fans of Abomination got something of an answer in 2021 with the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. A brief appearance in a single scene gave a tantalizing hint at Blonsky’s activities since the early 2000s, but that glimpse only served to raise more questions. Seeing a fully monstrous Abomination battling in an underground supernatural fight club begged the question; how did he escape from The Vault, and how did he end up prizefighting with Wong from Doctor Strange?

She-Hulk Versus Abomination

During the 2020’s Investors Day, Kevin Feige revealed some additional details about the MCU’s expansions, including some new information on previously confirmed TV shows. It was revealed, then and there, that Abomination would indeed return to the MCU in the upcoming She-Hulk series.

This was a surprise reveal, but something that had been speculated for a long time before Feige officially announced it to the public. Fans were thrilled to hear this news, as Abomination had a certain cult status among MCU fans, specifically because his interesting, yet short tenure in the universe certainly left them craving more.

Is Tim Roth back as Emil Blonsky?

Tim Roth is quite a prolific actor with several great films (Reservoir Dogs, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead) and television (Lie to Me, Tin Star) roles. His interpretation of Blonsky was well-received by both fans and critics, so it’s only natural that people wanted him back in the role. But, seeing how the Hulk “mini verse” within the MCU went through a lot of changes, it wouldn’t have surprised us if Marvel decided to recast the role. So, it is extremely gratifying to see him return as Abomination in the She-Hulk series!

[Credit: Marvel]

During the aforementioned Investors Day, Feige did not only confirm the return of Abomination to the MCU, but he also confirmed that Tim Roth would indeed reprise his role as the villain from the movie. This has been confirmed with the recent release of a trailer for the She-Hulk series featuring a confined, yet confident-looking, Emil Blonsky.

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