She-Hulk Stunt Woman Comes Out Swinging For Trans Women

What Malia Arrayah taught me about how to go full HULK SMASH!!! on transphobia

Graphic by Stephenie, elements from She-Hulk (Marvel/Disney), Malia Arrayah’s Instaram, and Tatiana’s Maslaney’s sweatshirt in “I’m a Hulk | Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (Marvel Entertainment)

She-Hulk SMASH!! Transphobia

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Y’all remember She-Hulk?

How about what the on-set reference person behind her green-skinned incarnation said about trans women?

But wait, wait, wait…surely you also remember that time She-Hulk was played by a man?

Note: a previous version of this article referred to Malia as a stunt person; the appropriate term for her role on She-Hulk is “on-set reference person”

Role models come in all shades of green

Jennifer Walters as the She-Hulk during her debut in *The Savage She-Hulk* #1 (November 1979). Art by John Buscema.

We are Giant Women and girls and we have purposes as large as our bodies and we cannot be stopped by bullies, angry, envious people or toxic femininity/toxic masculinity. Yes, there is a thing such as toxic femininity too. We are part of the diversity movement so that one day all body types, all races/ethnicities, all genders can feel free in pursuing what they desire without the persecution of a majority denying opportunities in a prejudice way. — “Is this the time of GIANT Women in the Media?” by Malia Arrayah, on-set reference person for She-Hulk

If you saw the season 1 finale for She-Hulk, you remember that delightful fourth-wall-breaking sequence where Jen broke through the Disney+ streaming platform in order to visit the the writers room to demand better representation.

But they let her know who’s really responsible: K.E.V.I.N. “Baseball Head” Feige himself (itself? is a baseball non-binary? a-gender?).

It’s a standout sequence in a standout season of television, but Jen’s motivation for breaking genre norms to go speak to the literal writers of the show speaks to me as a trans woman in a unique way.

For Jennifer Waters, played by 5’4 Tatiana Maslany, it feels almost impossible to value her body and how others experience her when she transforms into a 6’7 She-Hulk. She’s always been as tiny as a hobbit.

Such is why Jen faced so much internalized shame halfway through the first season.

The Trial of the Incredible She-Hulk

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (Bixby-Brandon Productions, New World Television, Marvel Comics, NBC)

Taken to trial over the trademark for her name, Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, is challenged to claim her worth as a woman regardless of whether her body matches her internal sense of self. She’s literally put on trial and threatened with being stripped of her identity if she cannot prove that she is just as valid a woman when presenting as Jennifer as she is when presenting as She-Hulk.

Despite already facing foes with super strength that equals her own, facing her own internalized shame proved to be her biggest challenge.

What would she say, though, if she had lived in a Hulk form her whole life?

Malia Arrayah, On-set Reference Person For She-Hulk: “There is NO right way to be WOMAN”

With Malia Arrayah as their collaborator, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law joins a growing body of work across media channels representing all variations of women as worthy.

(And men! But that’s in the bonus section at the end.)

There are people out there waiting to see us, to love us, to desire us.

One vital tool for cultivating such a place comes from the role models who show us what is possible with their lives and their words.

Writing on her blog, the on-set reference person for the transformed version of She-Hulk shares her experience not just as a tall queer woman, but as a champion for trans rights.

Here are 11 quotes from Malia Arrayah on how to go full HULK SMASH!!! on transphobia

11. Mistaken for a man due to my extreme height

I am tired of people using the term transwomen as a degrading form of being. As if it is bad to be a transwoman. It is not. It is beautiful!

10. They are usually always just looking at the stature

You see, they are reading patterns in order to make their lives easier as they help probably hundreds of customers a day or more. I most always find that people in restaurants as well, call me “sir” because they are always looking at my stature, which is, extremely tall, versus anything else that would say “woman”.

9. One of the stereotypes for extremely tall women is that we are all transwomen

It is no shade to transwomen at all, for me I am just in constant observation of why my extreme height causes so many people to question my sexuality, existence and validity as a woman. Whereas a very tall man, is NEVER mistaken for a woman and is NEVER asked if they are a transman!!! And, I am tired of people using the term transwomen as a degrading form of being. As if it is bad to be a transwoman. It is not. It is beautiful!

8. I never signed a contract to respond to everyone’s comment to me or about me

I do not owe anyone an explanation. If they cannot comprehend that there are people that come in all shapes and sizes, then that is there problem. That is for them to reflect upon. Not me. I do not need to prove myself or my gender to anyone.

7. Protect your energy

If you get the sense that these people are hostile and are trying to start trouble, my advice is to protect your energy. People are cray sometimes, and this is a cray world, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. There are a lot of people who think we deserve to go to hell and do not deserve to be treated equally, among also, hating us. This is the truth. Protect yourself first.

6. I want very tall women to be a norm

Because if it is a norm, a diversity movement, then we will be respected beyond the world of basketball and we can finally be included in society beyond being seen as a Fetish or a mythical creature

5. There is NO right way to be WOMAN

I’VE ALREADY KNOWN THAT MY BODY IS NOT ACCEPTED BY THIS WORLD!! And I held onto the strength of the women before me who sacrificed themselves to FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, FOR VOTING RIGHTS, FOR HEALTHCARE PROTECTIONS FOR ME… FOR A TIME WHERE I CAN BE POWERFUL WOMAN, STRONG WOMAN, ARTIST WOMAN, EXPRESSIVE WOMAN….

4. I’m not sure why we thought [the misogyny] was gone

But, the backlash is so deeply engrained in our society, every inch of it. The misogyny, that hate for women, it’s already been here, it’s still here, it hasn’t left, and I’m not sure why we thought it was gone..

3. I’m being told I don’t have a say over my body

I’ve already felt this PAIN because it’s still here and now the progress that women have made through the years before me are being revoked. I’m being told I don’t have say over my body and this message will be detrimental to the girls and women after me if nothing is said or done.

2. I will do what I can

I won’t ever stop expressing, in writing, now in speaking. I won’t stop in any way I can stand up I will do what I can.

Because I think of the girls after me, my future daughters, and generations after me, filled with people who identify as WOMAN because it is powerful to be WOMAN

1. IT IS TIME FOR MEN TO SIT DOWN AND LET WOMEN LEAD

IT IS TIME FOR MEN TO SIT DOWN AND LET WOMEN LEAD. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

Note: quotes from Malia Arrayah’s blog posts “Mistaken For a Man Due To My Extreme Height” and “There is NO right way to be WOMAN”

For more awesome body and trans-positive blog posts from Malia Arrayah

Join me in also celebrating Devon Lewis, the male actor for Savage She-Hulk representing people of color and gender diversity with PRIDE

Devon Lewis: So this has been a hidden project that I’m grateful to say I was apart of She-Hulk was by far the greatest set I was ever apart August 18th 2 days from now you’ll see it in the making… Being apart of Marvel Studios was amazing one I couldn’t be happier to be apart of! Being the body double of She Hulk was amazing and now you can watch it on Disney+ don’t miss it! I always had the dream of being The Incredible Hulk but the universe has a funny way of answering you I was She Hulk

I REGRET NOTHING… looking forward to the next Marvel Studios project Hopefully a main character next go round I’m ready!

Correction 3/19/23: Malia Arrayah let me know that there were actually TWO men who helped visualize She-Hulk. As stated, Devon Lewis was the actor who provided key shots of Savage She-Hulk in the season one finale, but you should ALSO check out the stunt double/stunt performer/fight coordinator Matt Laborde.

From ScreenRant: “What was it like working with Tatiana Maslany and her stunt double and the stunt team to create a cohesive physical character?”

Malia Arrayah: The stunt team is phenomenal. I was just in a state of learning as fast as I could and making sure I did what they wanted. I want them to get what they want, and I want to do my best, and I also want to learn. The stunt team was fantastic. I would show up to set and sometimes Matt Labard, who’s the stunt double for She-Hulk, and then Sarah Irwin, and then Monique Anderson helped me. If there were something that I needed to do regarding choreography, either Matt, Sarah, or Monique would help show me the movements…

Most of the time, it was Matt, but he would show me the movements right before my slate, and I would go on and try to do them. There were a lot of times it was tricky, but it was so much fun. I have a background in athletics and some martial arts, so it wasn’t super foreign. I did realize that stunt acting is so intricate, and these stunt people are just phenomenal to me. I think they’re so cool…

There’s one scene where we fight demons, and Matt guided me through that. I did get to fight demons, so that was fun. That was very physical. I had to stand up on the floor; get on the floor and just fight and throw and stuff. It’s very different, but a lot more physical than doing an office scene where I would just be required to basically sit there and do her movements and walk in, and either be with the actors while we’re doing that or by myself. However, the production wanted to shoot it at the time.

But wait…the actual She-Hulk actress Tatiana Maslaney is EXPLICITLY PRO TRANS too

After enough fans asked her where she got her shirt, Maslany replied in her Instagram stories, saying she got the shirt from gc2b, “an awesome company that also makes comfortable binding options designed by trans people for trans people.”

gc2b was founded in 2015 by trans creator Marli Washington. The company sells comfortable and safe binders in lots of designs and sizes, making sure that everyone can bind safely.

Other Hulk stuff I made

Collateral (Dreamworks/Paramount), Hulk (MCU/Disney)

Tom Cruise Vs The Incredible Hulk (Fanfare)
That Time My Hulk Form Saved My Sweet Trans Life (Queerly Trans)
Attracted To She-Hulk? You’re Actually Attracted To… (An Injustice)
MFW Malia Arrayah reads the article 😍😍😍

Until next time

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