The following contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1, Episode 2, "Superhuman Law," which premiered Aug. 25, on Disney+.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many characters ended up getting recast. Damion Potter was swapped out so Josh Brolin could take on the role of Thanos; John Slattery took over from Gerard Sanders as Howard Stark; while Zachary Levi replaced Josh Dallas as Fandral. In addition, Ross Marquand replaced Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, while Emma Fuhrmann was switched so that Kathryn Newton could play Cassie Lang in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
It makes sense as many actors run into scheduling conflicts, especially with big franchises. However, some are mired in more controversy, per Terrence Howard reportedly running into pay issues for his War Machine role, only to be replaced by Don Cheadle. However, the most notable recasting is undoubtedly Ed Norton being nixed as Bruce Banner, with Mark Ruffalo taking over. Now, while Marvel Studios has tried to avoid referencing anything close to this topic in its Multiverse, especially as Universal Pictures still holds distribution rights to Hulk solo films, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law did manage to make fun of the situation a bit.
The moment occurred in the final act of "Superhuman Law" when Jen Walters had to call Bruce to let him know she was taking up a new job with a law firm rather than being forced into a superhero path by her controlling cousin. The catch was she had to get Emil Blonsky (aka the Abomination) freed from prison. He felt the super-serum General Ross gave him damaged his mind and made him angry, so Jen thought he had a case.
But when Jen called Bruce, nervous and worried, he laughed it off. He revealed Emil actually wrote him a nice letter (er, haiku) a while back, and they resolved things. He no longer held ill-will towards his former adversary, making this a spiritual sequel to The Incredible Hulk. Bruce then stated he actually felt like a totally different person, "literally," which then saw Jen looking at the camera and laughing in a mocking manner.
As she broke the fourth wall, this was her nodding to how Marvel booted Norton from the franchise. After the 2008 flick directed by Louis Letterer, many dramatic reports emerged. Norton was said to be unhappy with the run-time and other creative details in the finished project. Other reports stated he wasn't collaborative, while some indicated he had a desire to do other projects and the MCU would take up too much time. Either way, it led to Mark Ruffalo taking the role, becoming an integral cog as Marvel Studios used him for 2012's The Avengers.
Admittedly, fans were initially apprehensive of the move as The Incredible Hulk came out after Iron Man, and Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark did cameo in the former, meeting General Ross in the end. But thankfully, Ruffalo pulled off the tortured role, winning over cynics with his own balanced spin. It left fans pleased with how he upgraded Norton's Bruce -- a role that was well-liked, too.
Ruffalo added a bit more levity to Bruce's darkness, though, producing a surprising, yet iconic trip across the emotional spectrum that's now culminating in Smart Hulk being a bit more comedic. Ultimately, it's a recast that worked out brilliantly, especially as Ruffalo loves and embodies the pathos of the MCU. And this brief, She-Hulk quip was a cheeky way of acknowledging the past, while embracing the future, as Ruffalo continues Bruce's evolution and unpredictable superhero journey.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams Thursdays on Disney+.