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She-Hulk became the talk of the town by breaking the fourth wall in all the episodes of the hit Disney+ series. Despite being trolled by a section of viewers not comfortable with the take, the green attorney continued to make this interesting move and succeeded in making it look casual.
Breaking the fourth wall is a special part of an enactment where the character seems to talk to or connect with the viewers directly. In some cases, the characters may behave as if they are right beside the audience, commenting on the show. It signifies a two-way relationship between characters and viewers.
The titular character in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, played by Tatiana Maslany, added humor to breaking the fourth wall. This was done with either a snarky remark aimed at the audience or with a meaningful gaze at the camera.
She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall to add a bold connection with the audience
She-Hulk broke the fourth wall because her character had the confidence to carry off this new approach. As such, the attorney at law is a self-assured woman who is not afraid to speak her mind - whether to fans or the producers.
The writer for the show, Jessica Gao, believed that the superhero attorney needed to break the fourth wall. She collaborated with John Byrne, the comic creator of the green monster, to present this well.
She-Hulk interacts with the viewers
The character starts breaking the fourth wall as soon as she turns into a Hulk. Initially, she dropped a hint directly to viewers that this was a different kind of MCU show. Moreover, she often talks to the audience and to the camera as a friend.
In the first episode of the show, she looks right at the camera for a fleeting moment. From the next episode onwards, there are small dialogues used to break the fourth wall. In the final episode, she rips out of her space to convince the production team to change the ending of her show.
She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall in comic books too
In the 1980s, writer John Byrne’s creation of the Sensational She-Hulk featured the character Jennifer Walters arguing with the creator. The success of the idea made him repeat this method in numerous She-Hulk stories.
Moreover, many Marvel characters have used this trick to add something special to their stories. It was inevitable that the Disney+ show would break the fourth wall, which left viewers wanting more.
Who else has broken the fourth wall in comics?
For cinephiles, Deadpool is the most popular fourth wall-breaking character. Actor Ryan Reynolds, playing the role of the Merc with a Mouth, added his charm to the move. She-Hulk, on the other hand, breaks the fourth wall by talking to the writer-creator, which is a meta-take.
In 1962, the Fantastic Four #4 showed Johnny Storm reading a comic book on the Sub-Mariner. In the next publication, Fantastic Four #5, Storm was shown reading a copy of The Incredible Hulk #1 published a month before.
The special take of fourth wall-breaking in the finale episode
The Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had a special meta-take on breaking the fourth wall in the finale episode.
An apparent streaming glitch lands viewers on the homepage for a few seconds. Furthermore, when irritated viewers reach for the controls, the titular character crawls out through the tab and goes into the Marvel Studios production office.
While there, she talks to the writers about the conclusion and they send her to look for Kevin. As fans wonder if it is Kevin Feige, the producer of MCU she is looking for, it turns out to be an AI robot named K.E.V.I.N. Moreover, Jennifer Walters is seen discussing changes in the conclusion with the robot. She then returns to the expected plot for the show to continue.
Jennifer Walters says:
“That’s what Hulks do. We smash things. Bruce smashes buildings. I smash fourth walls and bad endings.”
The scene was fascinating to viewers as She-Hulk approached the production team and demanded a different ending for the show. As such, the finale of the show marked a direct connection between the lead character and the viewers. More so because she mirrored the thoughts of her fans.
