Fans welcomed Tatiana Maslany’s casting as the title role in the Disney+ and Marvel She-Hulk series. However, the actress said the reports aren’t true, nearly a month after the news came out.
Maslany’s casting ignited a fire among Marvel fans after Hulk/Bruce Banner actor Mark Ruffalo posted a tweet to welcome his “cousin” in the family in September. She-Hulk showrunner Jessica Gao also seemingly confirmed the casting after retweeting the story of the cast announcement from Deadline.
Welcome to the family, cuz! @tatianamaslany #SheHulk https://t.co/VXcaE9Fine
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) September 17, 2020
— Jessica Gao (@ChairmanGao) September 17, 2020
But in a recent interview with The Sadbury Star, Maslany said that the casting report “isn’t a real thing.”
“It’s like a press release that’s gotten out of hand,” the actress said. “I’ve been connected to these things in the past and press has gotten onto it, but it’s not actually a thing, unfortunately,” Maslany added.
A representative from Disney, Marvel’s mother company, told iO9 that reports from Marvel.com are the only official announcements and everything else is “all just rumors.”
So, who’s playing Jennifer Walters?
Maslany’s casting announcement came out in major and legitimate Hollywood news outlets. The deal likely fell through if the actress now denies the reports.
Before Maslany, there were many speculations that GLOW star Alison Brie would play Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk. The actress said that she follows the stories linking her to this project for nearly a year but she denies that she’s on the show.
She-Hulk scribe Dana Schwartz confirmed that they finished the scripts for the series in May. Kat Coiro also agreed to come aboard to direct the episodes. Had the casting been settled, the TV project would have likely kicked off with production later this year.
However, Marvel has always been protective of their projects and has a track record of keeping some details of their movies and series as top secret.
Young Bruce Banner casting
Meanwhile, Marvel is reportedly looking to cast a younger version of Bruce Banner for She-Hulk. According to The Direct, the casting directors are auditioning 10-year-old boys for the role. This means that the series will explore the childhood of Jennifer and Bruce.
It’s unclear, however, if Ruffalo will have a part in the show. In April, the actor said that negotiations are still underway.
In the comic series, Jennifer acquires her cousin’s powers following a much-needed blood transfusion. An exploration of their childhood relationship, however, will bring more layers to the character of Hulk.
Marvel has not yet set the release date for She-Hulk. Disney+ will be streaming the show once it’s ready.
Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)