Although there have been TV series and films about the Hulk since the 70s, there was actually an attempt to bring She-Hulk to the big screen in the 90s, according to Digital Spy. However, the film got scrapped and nothing ever came into fruition until 2019, when Marvel announced that She-Hulk would be joining the MCU’s latest phase.

Deadline reported in 2020 that Canadian actress Maslany was confirmed to lead the show alongside Mark Ruffalo reprising his role again as Bruce Banner, with Jameela Jamil as the show’s antagonist.

So, what do we know so far about the 36-year-old lead actress in the series?

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She played 17 characters in one TV series

You are forgiven if you are not yet familiar with the Canadian actress’ work. But she’s been around for longer than you probably think. In 2013, she played not seven, not 10, but 17 characters on BBC America’s Orphan Black. She played the series’ lead character – a woman who finds out that she is part of a compelling conspiracy that involves clones.

The show garnered a wide audience and was especially popular among sci-fi fans. It ran for five seasons from 2013 to 2017 and Maslany won a slew of accolades for her performance, including an Emmy, a Critics’ Choice Awards and Canadian Screen Award.

Orphan Black also streamed on Netflix, adding more viewers to its cult following. “I think, for me, it’s the most natural thing an actor can do, to transform like this. I think that’s what we’re born to do,” she told ABC News.

Before her breakout role(s) with the series, she had acting credits dating all the way back to 1998 and appeared in various TV shows throughout the early 2000s, from Instant Star to Heartland.

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An improv girl at heart

Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Maslany took part in numerous school productions and improvisations. She moved to Toronto to pursue her on-screen career more seriously by the time she turned 20, according to The Guardian.

However, her background will always be in improv. Maslany has performed comedic improvisation for over 10 years, took part in the Canadian Improv Games, and is a certified improv trainer, as per The Canadian Encyclopedia.

The actress, who is of German descent, also credited her improv background for nailing Orphan Black’s myriad of characters. “In terms of character relationship and just story of in-the-moment building of a character … We’re really lucky. We really just are allowed to play [but] always within the scene,” she said in her ABC News interview.

She married her boyfriend in secret

Maslany has been dating actor Brendan Hines, 45, (known for Netflix’s Locke & Key) since 2020. The two made their relationship public this year when they attended the opening performance of Broadway’s Take Me Out together.

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While promoting She-Hulk recently on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Maslany shared some big news: they had secretly tied the knot.

She described her new hubby as a “wonderful guy” and shared how their dog was the ring bearer at their intimate wedding.

According to British media, Maslany had also dated Welsh actor Tom Cullen for eight years after they worked together on World Without End (2012) and then co-starred in the 2016 indie film The Other Half.

Although no official confirmation was ever made, some fans speculated that they may have broken up after the two unfollowed each other on Instagram in 2019 and Maslany reportedly moved out of the LA home that they bought together.

She was hesitant to join the MCU at first

With her impressive acting talents, it’s no surprise that the MCU wanted to scoop Maslany up with a leading role. But apparently she wasn’t too sure about it at first. She even repeatedly denied her involvement to the press when rumours first surfaced, before Marvel made their official announcement.

Maslany told SFX Magazine that she was initially nervous because she “prizes character over everything”. But when she read the pilot, she was surprised by the unexpected take on a superhero story.

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She also shared her worries of the expectations around playing a female superhero, but added that “there’s all these undertones that I find really compelling in the subtext of this sort of story”.

Despite the hype, some fans were not happy about the CGI for She-Hulk, per Screen Rant. They were expecting her to be more bulk and muscle, like the male Hulk.

Since its release, She-Hulk’s official trailer has been viewed over 22 million times on YouTube. The series’ first teaser – released in May – became Marvel’s second-biggest trailer debut behind The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She is a proud feminist and LGBT advocate all about body positivity

“I go to a spa in LA sometimes, a Korean day spa, and all the women there are nude,” she shared with Elle back in 2016. “And I’ve never felt so in love with the human form as when I’m walking around and seeing all those bodies, thinking, oh my god, we’re all just built so differently. And every single body is beautiful.”

Maslany is also an outspoken feminist, but she doesn’t like being labelled as playing strong female characters only.

“That’s so boring!” she told The New York Times in 2015, condemning the way female strength is underrated in male-dominated narratives.

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Recently, Maslany wore a “support trans futures” cropped shirt while doing a She-Hulk promotion. We stan!