Deadline reported that Maslany, who has starred in titles such as “Orphan Black,” “Pink Wall,” and “Perry Mason,” will portray the superhero in the upcoming Disney+ show. The news broke several days after Deadline reported that Kat Coiro will direct the show’s pilot and several other episodes. “Rick and Morty” scribe Jessica Gao will lead the show’s writers room. Representatives for Disney+ and Marvel did not return requests for comment. The She-Hulk character, whose real name is Jennifer Walters, has traditionally been portrayed as an attorney and cousin of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, who is portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike The Hulk, Walters retains her personality and intelligence when she transforms into She-Hulk. Though few details about the Disney+ “She-Hulk” series have been released, the show is expected to follow the character after she gains superpowers via a blood transfusion from Banner. Marvel Studios revealed the series during its D23 expo in 2019.
The character was co-created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and made her debut in a 1980 comic. Marvel head Kevin Feige has stated that he aims to make the superhero franchise more diverse and Disney is beginning to tap more female talents to lead projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which kicked off with “Iron Man” in 2008. Brie Larson was the first woman to star in a Marvel Cinematic Universe project when she portrayed Captain Marvel in the 2019 film of the same name. Scarlett Johansson, who has portrayed Black Widow in a variety of the franchise’s films, will star in the upcoming “Black Widow” film. The Johansson film was originally scheduled to premiere in May but has been delayed to November 6 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “She-Hulk” is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2022 as part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will include a variety of other Disney+ superhero shows. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe shows slated to premiere on the platform include “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “WandaVision,” “Hawkeye,” “Loki,” “What If…?,” “Ms. Marvel,” and “Moon Knight.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
