When news broke yesterday that Tatiana Maslany would star as She-Hulk in an upcoming series on Disney+, the actress’ name immediately started trending on Twitter.
Marvel Studios confirmed the news on Dec. 10, which was first reported by Deadline in September, and people are overjoyed at the prospect of seeing a super talented Canadian star helm a major Marvel Studios production, including one Bruce Banner.
Mark Ruffalo, who plays Banner (a.k.a. The Hulk a.k.a. She-Hulk’s cousin) in the Marvel movies, congratulated Maslany on her new gig via a tweet yesterday afternoon.
But stans of the actress — known as the Clone Club — know it’s about time Maslany star in a major production like “She-Hulk.” Not only did she play multiple characters in the critically acclaimed series, “Orphan Black,” for five brilliant seasons, but she’s won a ton of accolades for her work, including multiple Canadian Screen Awards, Constellation Awards, and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (for “Orphan Black”).
For the uninitiated, here are a few reasons Tatiana Maslany is perfectly suited for “She-Hulk.”
1. She has incredible range
Maslany played 14 — YES, FOURTEEN — characters on “Orphan Black.”
The characters (most of whom are clones) range in age, gender, and personality. One of these characters was a hallucination of a talking scorpion that Maslany voiced. Yes, Maslany is so talented she can even convincingly play a hallucinated arachnid.
So, taking on a character who turns green and bulks up when they’re enraged? Easy peasy.
2. She reportedly almost landed a lead role in a Star Wars film
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Maslany tested for the lead role in the first “Star Wars” spin-off film, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” back in 2015. Now of course we know the role of Jyn Erso went to Felicity Jones (and she rocked it), but at the time, Maslany fans knew she would have been a perfect fit in the “Star Wars” universe.
Star Wars films these days are not unlike Marvel films in that both feature strong, independent, and kick-ass women who have depth and nuance. It’s a credit to Maslany’s talent that, although she missed out on hoodwinking Stormtroopers, casting agents and directors saw something in her that made her perfect for “She-Hulk.”
According to Variety, Maslany’s She-Hulk will do more than just fight bad guys: Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk’s alter ego) will be “able to retain most of her personality, intelligence, and emotional control,” even when she hulks up.
3. She played one of the most bad-ass women on television
If you’re a Clone Club member then you know who we’re talking about: HELENA. (We would have also accepted Sarah, Cosima, and Rachel. No offence to Alison — love ya!)
Helena, one of the many clones Maslany plays on “Orphan Black” is not to be messed with. An orphan who was taken in by a couple who trained her to be a killer, Helena is ruthless and a survivor who has escaped near death countless times. But she’s also loyal and will literally kill to protect her loved ones, which are, admittedly, few and far between.
And while it may not seem there’s many similarities between playing a Ukrainian killer who’s an excellent shot with a sniper rifle and a woman who’s an attorney by day and an Avenger ... also (probably?) by day, Maslany will be able to effortlessly channel Helena’s thirst for vengeance into She-Hulk’s fight for justice.
Details on the new series are scarce — it’s just one of several Marvel projects in the works and no release date has been announced — but we’re pretty confident Maslany is going to nail it.
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