Back in May, the podcast Scriptnotes?hosted a program with several script writers of superhero comic films.?Among them were David S. Goyer,?for “Man of Steel,” as well as writer for the upcoming “Batman vs. Superman” film. While the original podcast episode was taken down, there are transcripts?of the podcast all over the net.
The subject of the podcast came to how the writers might envision a movie with certain superheroes.?The subject eventually worked its way to popular Marvel character, She-Hulk. Goyer gave this response about the character (offensive language kept in for context):
“I have a theory about She-Hulk. Which was created by a man, right? And at the time in particular I think 95% of comic book readers were men and certainly almost all of the comic book writers were men. So the Hulk was this classic male power fantasy. It’s like, most of the people reading comic books were these people like me who were just these little kids getting the sh*t kicked out of them every day? And so then they created She-Hulk, right? Who was still smart? I think She-Hulk is the chick that you could f*ck if you were Hulk, you know what I’m saying? ? She-Hulk was the extension of the male power fantasy. So it’s like if I’m going to be this geek who becomes the Hulk then let’s create a giant green porn star that only the Hulk could f*ck.”
So, to the un-initiated, this might not seem a big deal. Sure, we all know comic books are a male-dominated world in which women tend to get ?sexed-up? for boys with overactive libidos. However, fans were outraged by Goyer’s comments for several reasons.
She-Hulk, aka Jenifer Walters, is the cousin of Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, who received her powers after a blood transfusion of a very rare blood type from her cousin. The family relation there is one bit of the offensive comments, but it is also just the tip of the iceberg with her character.
Stan Lee, creator of both Hulk and She-Hulk, remarked that, ?Only a nut would think that? about Goyer’s statement. She-Hulk was created in 1980. Some say she was created because CBS was rumored to have a spin-off series to the popular “Incredible Hulk” series in the works. If true, CBS would have owned the character, so it is obvious why Marvel would jump to create her.
At first, She-Hulk seemed a female version of Hulk, but she very quickly evolved into her own character. She retained the identity of her alter-ego, Jenifer Walters, with a bit of a twist. Walters had been portrayed as introverted and shy, whereas She-Hulk was outgoing and very vocal. Another aspect of the character was her career as a lawyer, something that became very definitive of her.
The mainstream media ignored the story with the exception of an op-ed piece in the Washington Post by Alyssa Rosenburg who sad:
“My gateway to She-Hulk was writer Dan Slott’s run on the character, in a story arc called ‘Single Green Female.’ In those comics, She-Hulk is simultaneously kicked out of the Avengers? Mansion because her partying has become too disruptive and fired as a prosecutor because her side gig as a superheroine is seen as a prejudicial force in her trials. ‘Single Green Female’ was a wickedly funny riff on the ways women get punished for succeeding professionally and for having fun personally.”
That is a strong commentary on women when you think about it. In the same story line, Walters was hired by a prestigious law firm but was told she must remain in her human form (as She-Hulk can control her transformation and had remained in She-Hulk form for many years). This aspect of the story can be seen as pressures of society upon women to be as others want them to be and hiding the true self. Again, an example of how She-Hulk tackled women’s issues in often subdued ways.
Rosenburg went on to say:
“She-Hulk was sexy, too, of course. But what Goyer seems to miss is that in her earliest and best story lines, She-Hulk’s sexuality is her own. She is not some brain-dead courtesan, but a swashbuckling heart-breaker.”
This is perhaps the real problem Goyer sees in the character; if you watch “Man of Steel,” a movie Goyer wrote, you see Lois Lane turned into an almost doe-eyed schoolgirl when Superman appears. On the other hand, She-Hulk once punched Hercules through a brick wall for slapping her rear end.
She has a very successful and established career, owns her sexuality, and expresses strength and confidence with little effort. She expresses anger and strength without falling into the ?b*tchy? trope so many female characters of all media slip into repeatedly. She expresses her sexuality without falling into the ?slutty? label. Most of all, she is beloved by male and female fans alike, who took great offense to Goyer’s remarks.
So the question is, why should anyone care? Well, as previously mentioned, Lois Lane’s character has already shifted from feisty career-driven reporter to adolescent crush. Goyer has also written “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which reportedly will have Wonder Woman’s first cinematic appearance.
Most of all, Goyer is at the creative helm of a huge media franchise, a franchise that stands to earn millions over the next several years and will bring to life one of the most well known female heroes ever. Like it or not, movies not only reflect our outlook, but they also influence the way we look at the world.
George R.R. Martin once said in relation to writing female characters, ?I’ve always considered women to be people.? It’s sad that such a simple statement is so profound in this day and age. ?It is very sad that people in Goyer’s position do not understand this, as well.
