The She-Hulk Finale Features Another Meta Cameo You Surely Didn't Catch
Spoilers ahead for the ninth episode of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law."
Whenever a film or TV project leans heavily into fourth-wall breaking — whether that be "Deadpool" or "Family Guy," for example — there is a sense of restraint at times to not go overboard with it. "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" has been fairly lenient on that front, only having Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) speak to the audience in quick bursts. But this week's episode throws that notion out the window, going all-in on the meta themes at play and diving headfirst into the inner workings of Marvel Studios. There are a few obvious references, but one special appearance ranks high on the neato-meter.
The season finale of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" features a plethora of reality-breaking meta-commentary — including a sentient robot modeled after Kevin Feige — and pays homage to the busy bees behind the scenes. The cameos are aplenty, but one seals the deal as the most obscure of them all. In addition to the actual writer's room, the episode features a real-life employee present in the highest of offices.
After She-Hulk breaks free of the shackles of Disney+ (and the lackluster finale plot surrounding her), she arrives at the Marvel Studios office where K.E.V.I.N. resides to air her grievances. However, before walking into the A.I.'s lair, she is greeted by a receptionist who makes her sign an NDA. Not only is this a normal procedure, but the man behind the desk was the then-actual receptionist for Marvel Studios.
The ultimate receptionist
Showrunner Jessica Gao discussed the meta cameo, revealing his true identity as Matt Wilkie. Although he is still employed under the Marvel Studios umbrella, Wilkie no longer hands out NDAs to visitors. According to Gao, he got promoted after filming the cameo and no longer holds the same position:
"Matt Wilkie, who plays the receptionist is, or at the time, was the receptionist at Marvel. My hope — and he's since been promoted which I'll hold against him forever because it ruins my dream, which was that somebody would watch the show and then have a meeting at Marvel Studios and then go to that actual lobby, see Matt Wilkie and sign the NDA."
The fever dream that is the entire sequence only gets more surreal, considering the fact that actual people who work for the company are now in on the joke in "She-Hulk." Despite any reservations about the fourth-wall breaking done in the finale, it's pretty fun to see people who otherwise would not be known by casual fans get some time in the spotlight. It must be gratifying for Wilkie and company to see themselves represented in the flesh on the small screen.
All episodes of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" season 1 are available on Disney+.