Somehow, the title character of Marvel’s She-Hulk show can break the fourth wall. Though she's not the first character (MCU or otherwise) to do so onscreen, Jennifer Walters brings a unique sense of charm and humor to She-Hulk with her fourth wall breaks. Whether it's a knowing look at the camera or a snarky comment, viewers can feel like She-Hulk is watching her own show right along with them.

Played by Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk, a.k.a. Jennifer Walters, is Bruce Banner's cousin who is exposed to his blood during a car wreck and subsequently develops Hulk-like powers. But while Bruce has spent years attempting to tame his Hulk side or merge his two personalities, Jennifer can effortlessly transform on command and retains all of her memories, personality traits, and full control of her body. So while it features a superhero, She-Hulk is more of a legal comedy, as Jen fights in the courtroom as a lawyer far more often than she fights with her fists.

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One of the highlights of the show is Jennifer's occasional off-handed remarks to the camera, such as, "I love when Wong shows up, it's like giving the show Twitter armor for a week." These moments show that she's not only aware of the audience but also her role in a TV show that she wants to perform well. As for why her character would be able to break the fourth wall like this in the MCU, this can most likely be attributed to how She-Hulk was handled in the comic books. Most Marvel heroes obviously don’t speak to readers or acknowledge that they’re comic characters, but both She-Hulk and Deadpool have done it in the past. Spider-Man has been known to do this as well, on occasion.

Does She-Hulk Break The 4th Wall In The Comics?

She-Hulk Jennifer Walters Breaks The Fourth Wall

For many years now, She-Hulk has mentioned her fans and her role as a comic book superhero, and she has even attempted to get other characters to break the fourth wall with her in her comics. It stems from an old joke that was started by comic book writer John Byrne in the 1980s when he was writing The Sensational She-Hulk. Sometimes, he would write stories where Jennifer would actually argue with him. The idea became quite popular and has been worked into numerous She-Hulk stories for decades. The gag’s long history in the comics means it was likely a no-brainer for Marvel to incorporate into the Disney+ She-Hulk show. It also probably helped that other Marvel characters have pulled this trick on-screen before.

She-Hulk Was The First Ever Marvel Character to Break the 4th Wall

She-Hulk Deadpool

She-Hulk was the originator of smashing the 4th wall in Marvel's work. The most iconic fourth wall-breaking superhero to most moviegoers is probably Deadpool, who rose to R-rated prominence thanks to Ryan Reynolds' hilarious performance. But while the Merc with a Mouth is a longtime fourth wall-breaker in the comics as well, She-Hulk actually did it first. Stan Lee and John Buscema first created the character in The Savage She-Hulk #1 in 1980, but after Jennifer Walters was later adopted by John Byrne, she fully took on this iconic brand of humor. From arguing with Byrne to threatening the readers, She-Hulk has always been a sarcastic, witty character who sticks up for herself, and Tatiana Maslany translates this compellingly to the small screen in her Disney+ show.

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