The title character of Marvel’s She-Hulk program can somehow break the fourth wall. The first footage from the upcoming Disney+ series confirms this fact about the next MCU superhero. She-Hulk was one of many shows featured in Disney+ Day’s special on future Marvel content, many of which were related to the MCU’s Phase 4 plan.
She-Hulk, as portrayed by Tatiana Maslany, will star in her live-action Disney+ series beginning in 2022. A few seconds of video from a reel featuring scenes from Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and Secret Invasion also hinted at Mark Ruffalo’s role as Smart Hulk and Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk form in the Phase 4 show. So far, nothing is known about the new show, except that it is touted as a “half-hour legal comedy”.
Aside from Bruce Banner, it will also include Abomination and Titania, two of She-most Hulk’s vexing adversaries from Marvel Comics. According to the video, the series will depict Walters receiving advice from Banner as she comes to terms with her life-changing metamorphosis. She-Hulk breaking the fourth wall was one of the highlights of the footage — and the Disney+ announcements in general. Jennifer glanced directly at the camera when she said, “you won’t like me when I’m angry,” definitely a reference to the 1970s Incredible Hulk TV show. Her “I’m Jennifer Walters.”
I’m a typical lawyer. The “Well, not that usual” opening had strong, fourth-wall-breaking undertones. Why her character would be able to accomplish this in the MCU is most likely due to the way She-Hulk was handled in comic books. Most Marvel heroes don’t talk to readers or admit that they’re comic book characters, but She-Hulk and Deadpool have done so in the past. On occasion, Spider-Man has been known to do the same.
For many years, She-Hulk has referenced her followers, her job as a comic book superhero, and even attempted to break the fourth wall with other characters in her comic. It is based on an old joke established by comic book writer John Byrne in the 1980s while working on The Sensational She-Hulk. He would occasionally write stories in which Jennifer would genuinely dispute with him. The concept proved popular and has been included in numerous She-Hulk stories for decades.
The long history of the humor in comics appears to be something that Disney+’s She-Hulk program will pay homage to in the MCU via Tatiana Maslany’s character. However, how many of these instances will be incorporated in the episodes and how significant this element will remain to be seen. There’s also the question of how far She-Hulk will go in her fourth-wall-breaking sequences. Regardless, the show’s use of this facet of the character at all presents an intriguing hint of the show’s comedy approach and how it will stand out as a unique MCU entry.
