Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans, well-versed in tons of canon lore, sprinkled sweetly atop the original comic books, are as devoted as they come. Of course, with devotion come opinions, and opinions — particularly in the age of social media — birth interaction. Marvel Studios’ latest project,She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, stays true to its comic-book roots, going a step further to incorporate inclusion. A series of fourth-wall breaks and dialogue bordering on conversation, as Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) stares right through our TV screens, make for one pretty epic viewing experience, as well as the perfect nod to the loyal fanbase.
Fourth-wall breaks in the form of humorous asides, exasperated sighs, and whatnot, are by no means a new phenomenon. The phrase itself was coined in the olden days of theater, where the metaphorical wall between the actors and their audience would frequently be blurred to incorporate a way for the latter to glimpse the former’s characters in their true motivations behind an action, often in secret from the other on-stage personas.
However, the comic-book world is probably realms apart from the life of theater. Hence, why, back in 1989, whenJohn Byrne’s The SensationalShe-Hulkcomic series featured a tongue-in-cheek meta cover —She-Hulkwittily threatening to harm the readers’X-Mencollection if they don’t show the same love to her new comics — a fine border was crossed, and no one has looked back since.
RELATED:‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Keeps a Very Important Element From the Comic
Acknowledging the Audience
Over time, a number of superheroes, arguablythe most notable beingDeadpool, have adopted the phenomenon to acknowledge their audience, but seldom has this fine play on self-awareness been done so intimately as onShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Gone are the days of Jennifer Walters picking arguments with the writers and editors —as well as those of the quirky Deadpool-esque asides — and in come the friendly tidbits and chatter, as if being spoken aloud to a comrade along for the journey.
From the very first direct address, within moments of the start of the pilot episode no less, we can feel the warmth of the little (road) trip down memory lane to help the audience catch on. After being casually referred to as a hulk, a nervous Walters hurries back into her office, faces a particular direction to address “us” and proceeds to chuckle with the affirmation, “It’s true… I am a Hulk." A not-so-brief catch-up later, on we hop for a ride alongside.
From Walters’ realization and a subsequent bout of insecurity upon having landed the new job, to her hulk-style banter with cousinBruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), it appears as if she wants the audience there, a private little company to turn to when her internal monologue comes bubbling to the surface. The fact that she’s the only one aware of some sort of other-worldly presence — comedic genius sees Banner startled in a fleeting moment of heightened consciousness when she makes one of these covert remarks — is testimony to the idea of much-needed secrecy in a life so unanticipatedly thrown wide open to public scrutiny.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Another Superpower?
Perhaps, it is understandable then that director and executive producerKat Coirohas dubbed the phenomenon “an extension of She-Hulk’s superpower” — one enabling a deeperconnection with the MCU fans, while simultaneously allowing the protagonist to borrow from the comics. It is perhaps in elaboration of the former idea that Banner’s Hulk shoots in a meta-reference of his own accord. When mocked by Walters at his questionable choice of name for the alter-ego Smart Hulk, he explains, rather matter-of-factly, that the superheroes “never have a choice with these names,” an unmistakable allusion to popular fandom naming traditions.
Speaking of self-awareness, an especially significant instance of a fourth-wall break comes about halfway throughthe third episode, when Walters, while in a bar booth with colleagues Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga)andPug (Josh Segarra), leans swiftly into the camera frame, exclaiming, “Connecting the A and B stories? Nice!”, extra conscious with regard to plot techniques, even as the other two characters go on unbothered and unaware in the background. It is almost as if the narrative of a fictional world, and the protagonist not only aware, but also apparently happy to be living in the said world, is a notion floating in the atmosphere— unseen, yet persistent — and Marvel wants it so — at least just enough to not be throwing it in our faces every two minutes; while ensuring it remains some sort of elephant in the room, available for acknowledgment whenever She-Hulk deems it suitable.
Of course, this gives way to a heightened sense of one-way communication taken full advantage of. The car scene, where Walters sees right through the viewer’s excitement and anticipation once the beloved Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong) is mentioned — “I know…Wong!" — denotes that Marvel is expertly well-versed in fan favorites, ready to serve its devotees to their heart’s content.
The reminder that the platform’s newly-introduced-to-television characters are more than capable of driving their own respective arcs comes shortly after, in the form of a stark remark reminiscent of the ‘70s She-Hulk attitude — “Just don’t forget whose show this is!” — likely fully intended to hit on the personal note that it does.
Regardless, if there is one thing that Marvel Studios is known for getting right, it is unique superhero quirks — and they seem to have swiftly hit that mark with Jennifer Walters’ fourth-wall breaking, adding the perfect blend of goofy to the generally studious world of law.She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis not your average lawyer show, nor is it a typical superhero series, but a strategic manifestation of the idea of the two vast worlds in a collision — all while the fans get to have an exclusive, clear-cut passenger seat view. About time!
