In recent years, the MCU has been all about breaking down barriers, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has been no stranger to that. The Tatiana Maslany-led series takes fans on an adventure through the world of super-powered law, showing off the "very regular life" of one Jennifer Walters (aka She-Hulk)
At this point, diversity within Marvel Studios has been made a key initiative. Whether it is representing new cultures with projects like Ms. Marvel, or a diverse set of gender identities like what will be seen in next year's Ironheart.
But She-Hulk has not been left out on this front whatsoever. While the most recent episode dove into the dating life of the titular Jolly Green Giant, it also featured a small nugget pointing towards wider representation.
She-Hulk Actress Reacts to LGBTQ Reveal
Speaking with TVLine, She-Hulk actress Ginger Gonzaga reacted to the Episode 4 reveal of her character being a member of the LGBTQ community.
Gonzaga's Nikki was revealed to be queer in the latest episode of the streaming series while offhandedly mentioning "Oof, hetero life is grim” to Jen while taking care of the titular Attorney at Law's dating life.
On this small nugget, Gonzaga said she always thought of Nikki "as being bi" and wishes "that [fans] got to more" when it comes to that part of her life:
"I wish that we got to more. Nikki is definitely queer, she’s free, she’ll love anyone. i thought of her initially as being bi, because I’m kind of projecting myself onto this character. But in truth I think Nikki will love anyone — and she can hang with anyone, which is fun. She can hang with villains, and she can all of a sudden convince them to get on her side. She can charm herself out of any situation. There are no rules for Nikki, which is a nice balance with Jen Walters."
She continued by saying that while she "[wishes] we got to see [Nikki] dating more," even alluding to "a secret crush on Mallory (played by Renée Elise Goldsberry)." But the series is ultimately about "getting Jen to love herself in both forms" and not Nikki's quest for love:
"I wish we got to see her dating more, but I will say she has a bit of a secret crush on Mallory (played by Renée Elise Goldsberry), which we’ll see. Nikki doesn’t have any problems dating, so were trying to focus on what needs to happen, which is getting Jen to love herself in both forms and finally go on some decent dates — without getting monkeypox, I hope!"
Will She-Hulk's Nikki Ever Find Love?
It's cool that these mega-franchises have gotten to a point where a small detail like this can be so flippant and not something the studio is tooting its own horn for. The moment happens, it establishes that Nikki is in fact a member of the LGBTQ community, and then it moves on. Like the real world, it is just part of who someone is and it's totally normal.
Sure, it would be nice to see such a fun and lovable character find someone to love her back on-screen, but as Gonzaga says, this is about Jen first. The show is called She-Hulk is it not?
But that's not to say Nikki's romantic life won't be explored at all. The actress did point out that her character does have a bit of a "secret crush" that will reveal itself in the coming weeks, mentioning Renée Elise Goldsberry's Mallory Book, another lawyer at the firm. So, Jen's paralegal/best friend may have a happily ever after moment after all.
For now, fans wait as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law continues to debut new episodes every Thursday on Disney+
