Why Disney’s got a ripping headache with She-Hulk series
If you thought Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl, it was nothing compared to what She-Hulk has to go through
Opinion
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As part of Disney’s ongoing attempts to rule the pop culture world — sorry, to launch its streaming service — She-Hulk is going to get her own TV show. On the one hand, this is great, because she’s a cool character and deserves some time in the spotlight. On the other hand, I can foresee some problems. Chief among them is her costume.
The premise of She-Hulk is pretty much the same as for regular Hulk. She’s Bruce Banner’s cousin who needs a blood transfusion from him to survive and then develops Hulk-like powers. But while Hulk has no problem having a shirt that will rip to pieces … I think you can see where I am going here.
If you thought Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl, you ain’t seen nothing yet. In the comics She-Hulk’s shirt rips but enough always remains to cover just the right places and, anyway, each panel can be drawn so that the fragments of shirt might be suggestive but are never pornographic. That might be a little trickier in live action TV.
Still, I anticipate the teenage male audience for this show is going to be massive. Is that Disney’s evil plan?
But it’s going to spoil the drama if She-Hulk has to stop mid-transformation to apply some of that famous Hollywood tape to keep her shirt in place. Or, worse, velcro. I’m hoping she will have a costume on underneath her regular clothes, like Superman. One that is super-stretchy, obviously.
But also of concern is who to play her alter ego, Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters.
Gwendoline Christie of Game Of Thrones and Star Wars fame has been one name thrown around. Ronda Rousey, the former cage fighter and wrestler who now dabbles
in acting is another name being thrown up.
But, seriously, have these people ever seen the show? The whole charm of the Hulk/She-Hulk story is they are unassuming characters that transform into rage monsters who wreak vengeance on the baddies. I’m a massive fan of Christie but, let’s face it, she’s not the right choice because she doesn’t need to transform to beat the bad guys up. I don’t know Rousey’s work but, likewise, the pair of them can kick anybody’s butt as it is.
They don’t need to go green to pummel their opponents. Unless they are being named because they will play the transformed She-Hulk.
Now that would be a bit of a slap in the face. Hulk gets to be computer generated in Avengers but, for She-Hulk, they go back to the 1970s TV series and Lou Ferrigno in green body paint. Besides, She-Hulk is supposed to be about adding some more balance to the Marvel Universe — an extra female character and a character of colour. Granted, that colour is green but that’s immaterial. Is ripped clothing and body paint really the right message?
Still, I pity the Disney executive who tries to sell that concept to Rousey and Christie. Oh, you wouldn’t like it when they’re angry.