She-Hulk Director Shares Excitement About Daredevil's Inclusion In The Show

She-Hulk’s premiere in just a couple of weeks is all about Jennifer Walters entering the MCU, however, for many fans it was the appearance of a familiar face that impressed the most after the release of the series’ new trailer at San Diego Comic-Con, that being Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.

Besides Cox, Mark Ruffalo will also be reprising his signature role as Bruce Banner as he tries to get his cousin familiarized with all the trappings of being a Hulk, something Tatiana Maslani’s character seems to have no problem with, if one is to judge from She-Hulk’s trailer. Up to now, She-Hulk has been conceptualized and marketed as a legal comedy, much different than any other Marvel Studios production, and that was one of the topics addressed by its director and cast at Comic-Con.

In an exclusive interview with some of the show’s most prominent faces, Entertainment Weekly got to press director Kat Coiro on some of the most frequently asked topics about the She-Hulk, including how its creators tackled the character’s anger issues from a female perspective, her day-to-day affairs as an attorney or her controversial look. On a simpler note, Coiro expressed her excitement over bringing Cox back, saying “how can you have a legal comedy and not have Daredevil come into it?” reassuring fans he will definitely be a crowd favorite even if she can’t disclose much more about the role in fear of being targeted by the Marvel Studios police.

Daredevil’s role is not exactly clear, as is whether Cox will be showing in superhero capacity only or also as a fellow attorney to Walters, much like he did in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the trailer did confirm he’ll be wearing his more colorful yellow costume from the comics. As for She-Hulk's aesthetics, Coiro said it was crucial to keep Walters’ appearance “realistic” because standing at 6’7” she’s still within the realm of real women and their own experiences.

Considering the many tall models and cosplayers that took a swing at Resident Evil Village’s Lady Dimistrescu, it’s fair to say She-Hulk’s proportions are actually are more in tune with reality than the Hulk’s, which is possibly why Marvel fans have been more nitpicky about She-Hulk’s CGI or Jameela Jamil's look as Titania than with other Disney Plus shows. Funnily enough, despite most people being familiar with Deadpool as the mouthy fourth wall-breaking antihero, She-Hulk has been using that same resource before the merc with a mouth ever did, as Coiro pointed out.

There are many questions about what kind of show She-Hulk will be, and yet, for many fans how Daredevil slots in the MCU will be much more important, especially now that the superhero is confirmed to get his own longer series in 2024.

She-Hulk Still Looks Extremely CGI In New MCU Show Image

A She-Hulk show image includes a new glimpse at the titular heroine, who still looks noticeably computer-generated. The upcoming Marvel Studios series will introduce Emmy-winner Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, bringing the character into the MCU and portraying her in live-action for the first time. Officially titled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the show will premiere on Disney+ August 12.

While the announcement of the series generated a tremendous amount of excitement, the general feeling has grown far more skeptical in recent weeks. The first She-Hulk show trailer revealed special effects for the hulked-out character that struck many as unusually rough, causing trepidation over whether the TV project could match the impressive VFX for characters like Hulk and Thanos that fans have grown accustomed to in the feature films. While Disney+ has since released an improved version, and Marvel audiences are aware that CGI is worked on until the very last minute, prospective viewers are nervous about what the final product will look like.

Now, Empire shares a new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law image that won't exactly quell those fears. The frame depicts Maslany in She-Hulk form attending some formal event, wearing a sparkly, silver dress and looking noticeably taller than the humans surrounding her. While viewers got to see this outfit in a shot from the trailer, the character still looks very much like something added in during post-production. 

It is generally true that CGI elements are more noticeable in still images than in motion, so Marvel fans shouldn't really take this as a sign of the VFX team's progress. However, as the studio's marketing department must know, many will anyway, and it's somewhat surprising they would release something that wasn't 100% solid following the She-Hulk show trailer backlash. This is especially so considering they could focus more on Maslany's human Jennifer Walters, since the actor brings with her plenty of goodwill from her acclaimed performances as several clones throughout Orphan Black.

Also, while the She-Hulk CGI will continue to be the main story leading up to the show's premiere, there are other interesting elements that could be highlighted instead. The series will follow up on the surprising Abomination cameo in Shang-Chi, with Tim Roth returning to his The Incredible Hulk character after many elements of that early MCU film were seemingly ignored in subsequent phases. Additionally, the trailer depicted Bruce Banner as Professor Hulk after the Shang-Chi post-credits scene showed he later returns to human form, so fans will be looking for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to explain that transition.

Spider-Man Can't Have Children, And Marvel Shows Exactly Why

Marvel's Spider-Man can never have children, and Marvel has many reasons why this is the unfortunate but necessary case. Peter Parker has long represented the everyman in the Marvel Universe: an ordinary person who receives extraordinary abilities and uses his gifts for the betterment of humankind. Because of the nature of his character, Spider-Man will never become a father in the mainline continuity, and Amazing Spider-Man #4 proves it.

In the new 2022 run by Zeb Wells, Peter Parker has committed an awful act of which the reader is completely unaware. Six months later, Peter's life is even more of a wreck than usual: he's separated from Mary Jane, most of his friends and the superhero community have distanced themselves from him (including the Fantastic Four), and even Aunt May has difficulty forgiving him. While Peter attempts to solve his money issues (he is even more desperate now than usual), Mary Jane is revealed to have children of her own.

In Amazing Spider-Man #4 written by Zeb Wells with art by John Romita Jr, the story begins with Mary Jane putting her daughter to bed. She's visited by the superhero Black Cat, inquiring as to the whereabouts of Peter Parker. Mary Jane has no idea; she hasn't spoken to Peter for over six months, but she doesn't appear to miss him too much (unlike Peter, who is devastated to be without his on-again off-again love interest). Mary Jane seems perfectly happy raising her children away from Spider-Man because she prioritizes them over everything else in her life - something Spider-Man, as tragic as it may seem, would never do.

Peter's ever-present sense of "great responsibility" is always mixed with his sense of guilt: he helps others thanks to an overactive guilty conscience which will go into overdrive if he does not. He always prioritizes the well-being of New York City and its inhabitants, and puts the important people in his life after the average citizen whom he does not know. While this could be seen as an admirable way of thinking, it would be downright horrible parenting. The elements that make Peter Parker a compelling character are the same elements that would make him a horrible father.

But Marvel editorial are not the only ones responsible for preventing Peter from becoming a parent. Mephisto himself took away Spider-Man's marriage to prevent his daughter's existence; she is prophesied to defeat the demon at the very apex of his triumph. Between Mephisto's actions, Marvel's reluctance to age Peter beyond his late 20s and Peter himself being a truly irresponsible parent, it's no wonder why Spider-Man has no children currently, and most likely never will.

Kevin Feige Explains Why MCU Projects Have Different Tones From One Another

Ever since the Infinity Saga ended in 2019, Marvel Studios turned over a new page with their gigantic Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was time to set up a new universe, one that doesn’t have Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, but still has numerous heroes that have already been or will be introduced into the canon of the franchise.

But one thing that caught the fans’ eye is how every movie seems different now. Black Widow was a spy movie, Shang-Chi was a fighting movie, Moon Knight was an adventure series, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was sort of a horror movie, upcoming Ms. Marvel will be a teen series, etc. The president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige now explains how Phase 4 projects are so different from one another.

“That’s always the intention, is that the Marvel Studios logo doesn’t promise a particular group of characters and a particular exact tone. It promises a spirit and a style and a vibe and an emotion, I hope. And it’s perfect timing to go from Moon Knight to Ms. Marvel, specifically because they’re so unique and so different with Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder on either end of that. That is what makes Marvel in publishing and now in the MCU so unique, is being able to see all of those different tones and styles and characters. So I like very much that people say, ‘Look, they’re all different.’ Because that’s how we always feel about them and always want them to feel.” — Kevin Feige (via The Direct)

The fact is that Phase 4 of the MCU is something that Marvel fans aren’t used to. The upcoming Ms. Marvel series is set to premiere tomorrow, June 8, and it will be interesting to see how the fans will react to it because this definitely isn’t Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, or something like that. Ms. Marvel is described as a teen series about a teenage superhero fan who will become a superhero herself.

“A great student, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she has a special affinity for superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel. But Kamala struggles to fit in at home and at school—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life is easier with superpowers, right?” — Ms. Marvel, official synopsis

Love & Thunder Will Answer Biggest Thor & Jane Mystery

Thor: Love and Thunder will answer one of the biggest lingering mysteries regarding Thor and Jane Foster. Chris Hemsworth returns to the MCU as the God of Thunder after the events of the Infinity Saga. But in Thor: Love and Thunder, he isn't the only one who has the superhero persona, as Natalie Portman's Jane Foster also assumes the identity of Mighty Thor.

Arguably one of the biggest announcements from Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con 2019 panel was the confirmation that Foster would return to the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder. At that point, Portman hasn't been in the franchise since Thor: The Dark World, although unused footage of her from the Alan Taylor-directed flick was featured in Avengers: Endgame. Director Taika Waititi confirmed then and there that Foster will be getting her own superhero persona as Mighty Thor. But aside from her bigger role in Thor: Love and Thunder, her MCU comeback revived questions regarding what truly happened between her and Hemsworth's hero.

Luckily, it's been confirmed through the D23 Magazine Spring 2022 issue (via The Direct) that Thor: Love and Thunder will address this lingering question. Hemsworth reveals that the upcoming MCU film will not only show the reason for their break-up, but also the nature of their romance through flashbacks. Meanwhile, Portman backs up her co-star's sentiments, saying she enjoyed revisiting their relationship. Check out their quotes below:

"Hemsworth: There actually wasn't a whole lot of evidence to definitively say, 'This is how they broke up. This is what happened.' It was left open for interpretation, which was great because it allowed us to go on this fun journey; 'What did their relationship look like when they were together? What did it look like when they were breaking up? Why did they break up?' It's some of the funniest stuff in the film.

Portman: It was really fun to get to imagine the parts of their relationship we hadn't seen...and the hard parts of a scientist dating an otherworldly Super Hero."

As part of Ragnarok saving the Thor franchise, the 2017 film flippantly revealed that the God of Thunder and Foster broke up. No specific details were given at that point, only a vague sense that the human scientist dumped her Avenger lover. This is something that the God of Thunder denied, saying that the split was mutual, although it seems like in Thor: Love and Thunder that the separation continues to weigh on the Asgardian. Despite their love story developing over the course of two Thor standalone movies, there's barely anything known about how their romance works, and that will also be addressed in Thor: Love and Thunder.

It's difficult to predict what exactly caused Thor and Jane's break-up. Behind the scenes, the decision mainly stems from Portman losing interest in continuing her Marvel stint, given the underwhelming reception of the movies she appeared in. Narratively speaking, Foster's choice to leave Thor may have something to do with the potential cancer storyline that fits in her journey to becoming Mighty Thor. Luckily, with only barely a month away from Thor: Love and Thunder hitting theaters, fans won't have to wait that long to find out.