When Deadline broke the news last month that Tatiana Maslany would be starring in the upcoming Disney+ “She-Hulk” series, the internet (including this site) was abuzz. She got an enthused response from no less than Mark Ruffalo himself — nothing says confirmed news more than a “Welcome to the family” message from Marvel’s Hulk!
But last week, the Canadian actress told the Sudbury Star that she wasn’t going to be playing the role.
“That actually isn’t a real thing and it’s like a press release that’s gotten out of hand,” she told the outlet. “It’s totally not — I’ve been connected to these things in the past and press has gotten onto it, but it’s not actually a thing, unfortunately.”
A Disney spokesperson contacted by HuffPost Canada declined to comment, and Maslany’s representatives have not yet responded to our questions.
So, what the heck is going on?
It’s possible the “Orphan Black” star was being considered for the role, or that her casting was still in negotiations when the news was reported. If that’s the case, maybe talks fell through, or maybe she’s still in the running but the casting hasn’t been finalized yet.
Or, as Lainey Lui of Lainey Gossip pointed out, it’s less likely but still possible that her team was trying to “negotiate through the press.” Jessica Alba’s publicists reportedly leaked the news that she had been cast in 2005′s “Fantastic Four” before the deal was actually finalized, Lui said, so that Rachel McAdams — also being considered — would drop out.
It’s unusual to get this kind of peek behind the Hollywood PR machine. This story’s odd, and we’ll continue to update it as it develops. Whatever Maslany ends up doing next, we’re excited to see it.