Kat Coiro Discusses The Wildly Meta She-Hulk Finale And Its Many Cameos - Exclusive Interview
The following interview contains major spoilers for the "She-Hulk" season finale.
The "She-Hulk" finale took every epic concept that the Disney+ series introduced and amped it up to 11. With director Kat Coiro at the helm of the episode, it's no surprise that the conclusion to the show's 1st season is a delightfully wild ride.
Just when fans thought things couldn't possibly get more meta, the series turned Kevin Feige into an all-knowing A.I. machine. And like in the comics, Jennifer demands a better story from the writers when she playfully pokes at the patented MCU tropes the finale initially falls into. The beauty of this particular series comes from the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously, allowing everyone from the writer's room to the director's chair to the actors to play in this meta sandbox.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Kat Coiro discussed the bonkers "She-Hulk" finale, the show's many cameos, breaking the fourth wall, and how the show got the last laugh when it comes to sexist trolls.
Break the fourth wall, but make it art
The finale massively breaks the fourth wall with Jennifer bursting through the Disney+ interface, crashing the writer's room, roasting some of the MCU tropes, and meeting an A.I. version of Kevin Feige. What went into the decision to take things quite this meta, and why do you think it's so important that Jennifer controls her own narrative in this feminist show?
The concept of smashing through the fourth wall and demanding a better story from the writers comes directly from the comics, and that was always baked into the concept. We always knew as we were making the series that that's where we were going. In terms of poking fun at the MCU, I was so shocked at how game Kevin Feige and Lou and Victoria were to do that. I was more squeamish about it than they were. When I raised concerns, they were like, "No, no, it's fine. It's going to be hilarious." Their self-deprecation and their willingness to play speaks to what works about Marvel, which is that it isn't precious and it really is tied into the fans. The finale anticipates anything that anybody could ever say, positive or negative, about a Marvel film or television series.
Right, because if you play into the joke, then no one can really [roast] you.
It's the same with the trolls. When the series first came out, I would get these nasty messages, and they've stopped. I think it's because now they realize that they're playing directly into our hands and proving that we, this group of female filmmakers, knew what was coming, and they don't want that.
Daredevil, Skaar, and Hulk walk into the MCU
Now that the show has finished airing, do you have any fun stories from Charlie Cox's stints on the show? Did he and Tatiana ad-lib or add anything in those scenes in the moment? Where do you think his role might go in the future of the show?
Speaking to the future, Charlie now has his own series that Marvel is putting out with 18 episodes, so that's really exciting. He's such a joy to work with. When he jumps off the roof in the episode, he did that by himself and shocked everyone. He was like, "Can I have a little pad?" Then suddenly, he flipped off the roof, and we were all like, "Did Charlie just do that by himself?" He's so used to doing stunts for many years, but it took us all by surprise.
Yeah, their chemistry is electric. My one little fun story about that episode is our editor, Jamie, is the world's biggest "Daredevil" fan. So having her edit that episode, I feel like, gives it a special magic because she was in love with the character and in love with every little thing that he did and knows his history and added a layer to the whole episode.
I don't think anyone expected to meet Skaar in the finale of "She-Hulk." How did you react to that news, and how do you think his appearance will affect the next stage of the MCU?
Skaar — it's funny now when I say it because of the finale, but that was a Kevin thing. I'm sure it's connected to something big that is coming, but I cannot tell you any of those answers. I just know that that was always a part of it, and it was just a little hint.
Though his arrival was brief, were there any notable moments filming Hulk's cameo and his later scene with his son, and what is their onscreen dynamic like?
As brief as it was for the audience, it was almost as brief shooting it, because the idea is to introduce the character but not give anything away. Mark is such a pleasure to have on set and brings so much, and you completely understand why he is the superstar that he is.
Keeping the Abomination shady
The Abomination plot twist was wild. Did you expect that [after] his redemption arc? Why do you think it was necessary to showcase that he's just a money-grubbing jerk?
The Abomination is such a slippery character, and Tim Roth elevated everything because you never know what the man is going to do. You do not know what his motivations are. You don't know if he's bad or good. I love that Tim kept that right through to the very end because, in the original scripts, he was a little more of a straightforward bad guy. But what Tim did is he made you doubt everything you think about him. Then you're like, "Maybe he is okay. Well, he didn't mean to do this." I think it's genius of Tim.
"She-Hulk" showcased more than a few epic cameos. Is there anyone that you would have loved to see come onto the 1st season that didn't, or anyone that you would love to see in the future?
I petitioned early on to have Madisynn come back in the finale. I think Madisynn and Wong should have their own show.
I think our level of cameos was just right because it was enough. Part of the great thinking about being on a legal show is that you have a superhuman law division, so all of these people coming through the doors felt very organic. It never felt like a cameo just for the sake of a cameo.
A green middle finger to sexist MCU fans
On that note, you've directed a ton of brilliant comedies, [including] "The Mick," "Dead to Me," "Girls5eva," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Are there any actors from those projects that you'd love to see on future seasons of "She-Hulk," and do you have a specific character in mind that you think they'd nail?
I think there should be more Renée Elise Goldsberry. I did the pilot of "Girls5eva," and so I brought Renée to "She-Hulk," and I always wanted more of her. And I always wanted more of Jameela [Jamil]. I love the way the season played out, but those two especially, I feel like we could see more of them.
I love that the roasting of toxic and sexist fan culture is present right through the end of the show. Was it cathartic at all for you to address this in a professional capacity on such a large scale? And which of those moments were your favorites?
The writers are very connected to Twitter. I am not. I'm only on Instagram. So when this showed premiered, it was my first direct experience with trolls, and it was shocking. The things that people say are horrifying. So it was definitely gratifying to be one step ahead of them all the time. I love addressing it straight on, head-on, like this. And I love the bravery of the writers for doing that because it is a part of the culture that we know exists and that we talk about. This addressed it head-on, and I was very proud to be a part of that.
The 1st season of "She-Hulk" is now streaming on Disney+.
This interview has been edited for clarity.