Marvel Studios confirms Tatiana Maslany has been cast as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk in the upcoming She-Hulk Disney+ series after the actor previously dismissed the rumors as false. The Marvel character who gained Hulk-like powers after a life-saving blood transfusion from cousin Bruce Banner was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and debuted in the comics back in 1980.
Despite becoming a popular character with fans and making several animated appearances, She-Hulk has never been portrayed in live action, and claims that Maslany had signed on to play She-Hulk made the news as early as September. Known for her Emmy-winning portrayals of multiple clones in the Canadian sci-fi series Orphan Black, Maslany shot down the rumors a month later, claiming the press had latched on to something that just wasn't real. This denial was especially surprising given that even the MCU's Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, had tweeted to congratulate her on joining the family.
Now, as part of a wave of Marvel-related announcements coming out of Disney Investor Day, Marvel Studios makes the news official: Maslany will join the MCU in a She-Hulk Disney+ series as the title character. Ruffalo will also make an appearance, and Tim Roth will return as the Abomination after first playing the role in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. The announcement also attaches two women to direct, both with extensive experience working in television: Kat Coiro, whose previous credits include It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Netflix's Dead to Me; and Anu Valia, who has directed episodes of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and A.P. Bio.
Maslany's denial now appears to have been nothing more than smoke-and-mirrors, given that she retweeted the announcement soon after it was made. With Ruffalo's long and hilarious history of spoiling MCU secrets, it's possible this was just another case of his confirming something before Disney was ready. The incredible range and talent Maslany displayed on Orphan Black should have fans excited to see her finally bring She-Hulk into live action, and with the character able to stay in control of her intelligence and emotions while Hulked-out, she'll be given plenty to do. That personality is usually in contrast to her cousin, though Endgame's introduction of Professor Hulk could change that.
Outside of Maslany's casting, the news of Tim Roth's return as the Abomination is quite a surprise. 2008's The Incredible Hulk was just the MCU's second entry after Iron Man, and while Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has insisted it remains part of the continuity, the movie's unofficial erasure has been an in-joke for fans for years. Ruffalo ended up replacing Edward Norton as Bruce Banner for The Avengers in 2012, and the only significant character to return thus far was William Hurt's General Ross. Roth's return could mean the Marvel team will use She-Hulk to finally address how The Incredible Hulk fits into the rest of the universe, and while many might have preferred for the entire movie to be kept in the past, it will certainly be interesting to see how they approach it.
Source: Marvel Studios