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- She-Hulk Is Judged More Harshly than Deadpool
- She-Hulk’s Jokes About the MCU Felt More Relevant, While Deadpool’s Felt Pandering
- The Dancing Double Standard
As a lifelong Marvel fan, I’ve seen my fair share of highs and lows, from the epic battle scenes of Avengers: Endgame to the cringe-worthy dialogue in some of the lesser-known films. But recently, I find myself grappling with a peculiar conundrum that has left me scratching my head – the double standard between She-Hulk and Deadpool.
As a die-hard gamer and Marvel fan, I can’t help but feel elated about the blockbuster success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” at the box office. Raking in an impressive $211 million during its opening weekend, it now stands as the sixth highest-grossing debut of all time and the largest for an R-rated movie – a record that’s hard to ignore!
As a passionate fan, I’ve found myself pondering the similarities between the latest Deadpool and Wolverine adventure and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. While many fans have hailed the former for its humorous tone and action-packed format, it seems they might be overlooking the fact that the MCU tackled a similar vibe with She-Hulk in 2022.
She-Hulk Is Judged More Harshly than Deadpool
At first glance, She-Hulk and Deadpool might appear to be extremely different characters, but they share a significant trait: both characters frequently interact with the audience by acknowledging their fictional nature. This shared characteristic sets them apart from other superheroes. Although She-Hulk made her debut in 1979, it wasn’t until 1989 that she started to address the reader, breaking the fourth wall for the first time. Interestingly, Deadpool didn’t appear in Marvel Comics until two years later, but he has since become more recognized as a character who breaks the fourth wall.
In the movie, neither She-Hulk nor Deadpool acquire their ability to interact with the audience (or break the fourth wall) until they’ve already gained their superpowers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe utilizes She-Hulk’s fourth-wall-breaking as a means of depicting her internal thoughts, and while characters like the Hulk catch a glimpse of this, no one in the universe is aware that she’s doing it. Contrastingly, Deadpool uses his ability to break the wall for banter with the audience, as well as for telling jokes, but other characters only partially acknowledge it.
The way She-Hulk shattered the fourth wall, especially during the season finale when she altered the ending, was criticized as disrupting the coherence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, this didn’t seem to bother fans regarding Deadpool’s similar actions within the MCU. Similarly, Deadpool breaking the fourth wall in the Fox X-Men franchise was not met with criticism but rather admiration for its ability to challenge the reality portrayed in those films.
In a unique and candid portrayal, both Deadpool and She-Hulk are characters who boldly express their sexuality. Deadpool freely flirts with Wolverine and other male figures, demonstrating his openness about his sexuality. On the other hand, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law explores Jennifer Walters’ dating struggles, featuring three romantic interests throughout the series. However, a small group of critics have been quick to judge her, labeling such behavior as ‘slut-shaming’. Interestingly, the series seems to counteract this by portraying these critics as villains, while Deadpool is celebrated as a humorous, eccentric hero. It appears that Deadpool receives more leniency in his actions compared to She-Hulk.
She-Hulk’s Jokes About the MCU Felt More Relevant, While Deadpool’s Felt Pandering
She-Hulk and Deadpool/Wolverine often poke fun at the Marvel Cinema Universe. It’s surprising that people were taken aback by Deadpool’s witty jabs considering that She-Hulk, two years earlier, did something similar without resorting to profanity or explicit humor. However, both characters use their unique abilities to break the fourth wall and make jokes about the Marvel Cinema Universe.
In the final episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Jennifer Walters becomes frustrated with the storylines in her series and steps out of her fictional world to address both the show’s writers and K.E.V.I.N., an AI representative for Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. The finale is brimming with witty jabs about the expansive MCU, as K.E.V.I.N. boasts about their algorithm producing “almost flawless” productions, joking about viewers preferring other movies and mocking criticism that all MCU films share a similar feel.
In simpler terms, She-Hulk, the TV series, criticizes and satirizes some typical Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) tropes, such as the predictable third-act battles and overused magic blood plotlines. Unlike other MCU productions, its climax features a lawyer’s closing argument instead of a conventional fight scene. Moreover, She-Hulk playfully mocks the magic blood plotline that Marvel Studios would later use in Secret Invasion the following year. Essentially, the show’s humor stems from both common criticisms and originality.
In a different wording, the dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine presents an interesting conundrum: while Deadpool mocks Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) conventions, he simultaneously adheres to them. The statement “Welcome to the MCU, you’re arriving at a bit of a low point” seems like a humorous jibe regarding the current state of the MCU, but it can also come across as somewhat unfair because it doesn’t clearly specify which movies or aspects are being criticized. This observation feels less like offering a constructive criticism and more like parroting a popular opinion. Isn’t this ambiguity about criticism also indicative that Deadpool & Wolverine might be contributing to that supposed low point?
Attorney at Law made fun of the MCU formula and offered a unique ending, Deadpool & Wolverine think that making such comments is enough to allow the film to still indulge in these familiar tropes.
The Dancing Double Standard
The key difference between how audiences have reacted to She-Hulk and Deadpool, and particularly how one is given a bigger pass than the other, is in their dance scenes. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s third episode, “The People vs. Emil Blonsky,” the episode’s mid-credits scene features She-Hulk dancing with Megan the Stallion, with the two twerking to the singer’s hit song, “Body.” This clip became a lightning rod for a specific subset of the fandom, saying how far the Marvel Cinematic Universe had fallen for allowing this scene to exist and making a whole joke of the franchise.
This is in sharp contrast to Deadpool & Wolverine‘s opening title credits, which see Deadpool killing an entire group of TVA agents with the remains of Wolverine’s corpse to the *NSYNC song “Bye Bye Bye.” The opening credits also feature Deadpool doing the iconic dance moves from the hit music video. This scene was praised, and within days, the official NSYNC YouTube renamed the song video as “*NSYNC – Bye Bye Bye (Official Video from Deadpool and Wolverine).”
In a unique twist, the team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine allows for the song “Bye Bye Bye” to be perceived as a nostalgic tune, considering it was released 24 years ago – the very same year Hugh Jackman first graced our screens as Wolverine in X-Men. While fans in the year 2000 might have vehemently disliked the pop boy band’s presence in a superhero movie, the passage of time has made people more receptive to things they initially despised upon their initial release. This phenomenon, where nostalgia makes individuals more open to accepting what they once hated, is evident in some surprising revelations from Deadpool and Wolverine, which were met with cheers instead of boos, a marked shift from the reaction in the mid-2000s.
As a lifelong comic book fan, I’ve always appreciated the unique and entertaining personalities that these characters bring to the table. However, it is frustrating to see such a stark difference in the reception of female-led superhero content compared to their male counterparts.
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2024-08-01 04:01