Here's How She-Hulk's Head Writer Hilariously Smashed Every Internet Troll
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" wrapped up its first season, going full comic book mode with Jen Walters (Tatiana Maslany) confronting the Marvel Studios writers to get a better ending. Throughout its season, "She-Hulk" never shied away from telling it like it is, giving an authentic female perspective of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This season of "She-Hulk" was very much an origin for the fan-favorite comic book hero. Fans got a look at Jen's relationship with numerous Marvel characters, including her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong), and Daredevil (Charlie Cox). "She-Hulk" also introduced a lot of great new characters into the MCU, like Titania (Jameela Jamil), Ginger (Nikki Ramos), and Pug (Josh Segarra). Needless to say, the series masterfully handled balancing its massive list of side characters without taking away from Jen's origin story.
Head writer Jessica Gao made a statement with "She-Hulk," and we need her attached to another MCU project as soon as possible. Marvel Studios has yet to reveal the character's future, but Gao teased a more confident She-Hulk was in store. Although the show received general praise from critics, earning a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was also review bombed online, primarily due to its depiction of internet trolls. Fans of "She-Hulk" know that it hit the nail on the head regarding how online troll communities would react to a superhero like Jen Walters, and it turns out the writing team predicted those reactions a long time ago.
Warning: Spoilers for the "She-Hulk" finale are below.
Jessica Gao clapped back at internet trolls
One of the best parts of the meta-humor in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" was how the in-universe internet trolls reacted to Jennifer Walters becoming a public figure as She-Hulk, which very closely resembled real-life trolls' reactions. Head writer Jessica Gao sat down with ScreenRant to discuss the show's decision to combat internet trolls by making them the primary antagonists. When asked about toxic fandoms, Gao revealed the team predicted their reactions when writing "She-Hulk" three years ago.
"We started writing the show three years ago; that's how long ago this all was," Gao said. "The fact that we were able to very accurately, every single time, predict exactly what the toxic reaction was going to be is sad but also goes to show how tired and unoriginal these guys are. Three years ago, I could tell you what you were going to say because you're just that predictable and boring. But the little troll that lives inside of me was utterly delighted that we were able to troll the trolls."
Clearly, Gao has had enough of the nonsensical comments thrown at "She-Hulk" by internet trolls. Thankfully, she and the rest of the "She-Hulk" cast and crew didn't let the online toxicity get the better of them. Instead, they used their platform to make fun of them directly.
"She-Hulk" star Tatiana Maslany also commented on combatting toxic fandoms, telling Variety that she anticipated that response after initially reading the script. She recalled how the cast would send each other troll responses they found online and laugh, calling it a thrilling experience to see them become the show's villains. Maslany said the role was a significant step forward for women in the superhero genre and loved how angry the character's mere existence made certain individuals.