She-Hulk head writer explains why the fourth wall breaks were so important to include

We’ve seen characters breaking the fourth wall throughout the history of cinema, and Tatiana Maslany will be doing just that in the upcoming She-Hulk series. While speaking with io9, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law head writer Jessica Gao explained why it was so important for Jennifer Walters (Maslany) to retain her popular meta-ability.

For me, foundationally, I felt like first and foremost the fourth-wall breaking and the kind of meta-humor and the self-awareness [was the most important element to retain]. Because it was the John Byrne run that made me fall in love with this character, you know? It was just so lighthearted and fun and refreshing. So that was always kind of a foundational element.

Breaking the fourth wall can easily take the audience out of the story or diminish the stakes, so Gao knew just how important it was to get it right for She-Hulk. The concept went through a lot of “evolutionary steps” as Jessica Gao tried to figure out how much Jennifer Walters should actually talk to the camera. At one point, Gao considered using text boxes resembling editor’s notes which Walters could interact with, but wound up scrapping the idea. While most may think of Deadpool when it comes to characters breaking the fourth wall, She-Hulk might just give the merc-with-a-mouth a run for his money.

Tatiana Maslany added that she views She-Hulk’s ability to break the fourth wall as an extension of the character’s superpowers. “There’s something about She-Hulk’s awareness, where she’s able to go from being Jen to She-Hulk with a seamlessness… and she’s aware of the audience, that feels like it’s her superpower engaged within the meta element of the comics,” Maslany said. “It’s like an extension of her superpower. She’s like, ‘I know I’m talking to camera. I know you guys are watching this.’ And there’s something about that super-hyper-awareness that is who she is.“

In addition to Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also stars Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. A few Marvel favourites will also be showing up, including Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong. The series will follow “Jennifer Walters as she navigates the complicated life of a single, 30-something attorney who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk.” She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will debut on Disney+ on August 18th.