She-Hulk has found its director. The upcoming live-action Marvel series, which is being developed for Disney+, has set its sights on Kat Coiro to take the helm. This will mark the arrival of Hulk’s cousin Jessica Walters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the lead role still needs to be cast, a hugely important piece of the puzzle has slipped into place, bringing the show closer than ever to reality.
According to multiple reports, Kat Coiro is currently in negotiations for the job. Should the deal close, and the indication is that things look good, Coiro will direct the pilot and several other episodes of the show. Additionally, Coiro would join the team as an executive producer. Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) is on board as the showrunner and head writer.
Kat Coiro has an impressive resume of directing credits, having worked on a number of hit shows over the years. Some of her credits include It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia, Dead to Me, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mozart in the Jungle and Shameless. Coiro also has a new movie, Marry Me, starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, set to arrive on Valentine’s Day weekend next year. This would mark her most high-profile gig to date.
She-Hulk was originally announced by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige last summer at Disney’s D23 Expo. It joins a growing lineup of new, live-action shows that will be more directly connected to the movie side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel are also at various stages of development. Originally, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had been set to arrive on August but the production shutdown forced Disney to delay the show. No new release date has been set at this time.
Jessica Walters was one of the last major characters co-created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics, making her appearance in Savage She-Hulk #1 in 1980. John Buscema created the character alongside Lee. The cousin of Bruce Banner, Walters is an attorney who ends up needing an emergency blood transfusion to save her life. Bruce gives her some of his blood, which provides her with Hulk-like powers. But she is able to maintain more control over her strength and emotions, with Walters continuing to practice law, in addition to her duties as a superhero.
Mark Ruffalo previously revealed that discussions have taken place for him to appear in the series, but nothing has been set in stone at this time. As far as casting Jessica Walters, Marvel was said to be looking for Alison Brie type for the part. There is also no word on when production could begin but that is dependant on outside factors, given that the industry is still contending with how to proceed following the shutdown. As we’ve seen, productions are still facing major issues even when seemingly exhaustive precautions are being taken. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news was previously reported by Deadline.