Warning: spoilers ahead for She-HulkThe MCU has taken a sledgehammer (probably Mjolnir's cousin) to its fourth wall, but the reason these straight-to-audience interludes work so well probably isn't the one viewers expected. Taking cues from the super-lawyer's Marvel comic books, Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is the very first MCU entry to burst through the fourth wall, beating Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool 3 to the punch. Every week Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters turns to camera and addresses the audience directly. With her sparkling wit and endless charm, it's no surprise that She-Hulk's ventures beyond the fourth wall have received a largely positive reaction thus far, but what really makes them work, to paraphrase Madisynn, isn't what you thi-ink.
Breaking the fourth wall traditionally has one of two purposes: a humor outlet, or giving the audience a truer sense of the protagonist's persona. She-Hulk, however, doesn't need either. Jen Walters is more or less an open book, especially around best friend Nikki, cousin Bruce Banner, or after a few drinks, which means breaking She-Hulk's fourth wall doesn't necessarily give the audience a deeper dive into her chaotic mind. She-Hulk is also plenty humorous, whether that be Wongers and Madisynn binging The Sopranos or Mr. Invincible's painful method of avoiding breakups.
She-Hulk's fourth wall breaking has instead been used to address MCU criticisms - specifically those aimed toward Disney+ TV shows. Jen's talking-to-thin-air moments have addressed over-reliance on cameos for "Twitter armor," awkwardly-timed bottle episodes, covering the superhero stuff before the "fun lawyer show" begins, and using post-credits scenes to avoid a downer ending. The MCU is renowned for both its consistent tone and intense behind-the-scenes secrecy, so She-Hulk poking self-aware fun at itself and the wider franchise is both hugely refreshing and hugely unexpected. Hearing Jen mock cameo fan service and acknowledging the wedding episode's weird placement almost feels like Marvel writers talking directly to their audience, preempting potential criticisms by addressing them onscreen. Not only does criticizing She-Hulk for flaws Jen flags up herself become very difficult, but her fourth wall breaks reassuringly prove the mighty Marvel Studios is aware of those recurring Disney+ TV series flaws.
She-Hulk's Fourth Wall Breaks Are Great... Especially For Deadpool
When She-Hulk's trailers made clear Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters would be breaking the fourth wall in her MCU series, many wondered what that meant for Deadpool 3. Though both characters address the reader during their comic adventures, it's Wade Wilson who brought the gimmick to live-action with movies in 2016 and 2018. Deadpool 3 is happening within the MCU after Disney's purchase of Fox, and the Merc with a Mouth is unlikely to drop his chats with the audience, which means sharing his favorite toy with She-Hulk.
Jen's super-meta, self-critical asides may be far more interesting than simple gags or momentary dips into the lawyer's innermost thoughts, but it does also bring her fourth wall style much closer to Deadpool's. Ryan Reynolds tosses out jokes on studio politics, post-credits scenes, X-Men character rights, and plenty more. Deadpool was mocking the MCU before it even joined the MCU, but She-Hulk is now infringing on that territory... in a PG-friendly, Mickey-sanctioned way.
Wade Wilson will probably have something colorful to say about Jen's antics, but She-Hulk's fourth wall breaks are actually good news for Deadpool 3. With a tall, green rival stepping on his toes, the 'Pool's next cinematic outing must be more inventive, more daring, and more disgusting to keep its edge. Jen and Wade will be two sarcastic blades sharpening each other's fourth wall shenanigans in the MCU.
She-Hulk continues Thursday on Disney+.