The best new MCU character in years has She-Hulk fans wanting more
Viewers have embraced the instantly iconic Madisynn, and we can't blame them
Sometimes a hero comes along at the exact right moment to rise above the discourse. She might arrive just in time to save the day, or she might stumble onto a stage at a magic show with a drink in her hand and disappear through a portal to a demonic realm. We are, of course, talking about the one and only Madisynn King, who made her glorious debut in last week’s She-Hulk episode, “Is This Not Real Magic?” If you can spell her name from memory, you know of whom we speak.
In her recap of the episode The A.V. Club’s own Saloni Gajjar had this to say about Madisynn’s introduction:
“On paper, an eccentric civilian like Madisynn (with two N’s and a Y, but not where you think) is a one-note bimbo. She talks in specific millennial lingo, she’s forever tipsy, and, as a result, doesn’t comprehend the supernatural dangers she finds herself in. Luckily for us all, Patty Guggenheim is goddamn hilarious. She elevates Madisynn from a grating side character to a pivotal part of the episode. She-Hulk’s comedic bits primarily succeed due to Madisynn and Wong’s dynamic. … If I were rating “Is This Not Real Magic?” purely on the arrival of legend and queen Madisynn, it would get an A+.”
Nothing against She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany, who continues to slay on a weekly basis as both Jen Walters and her titular green alter-ego, but we just haven’t seen such an immediate and passionate reaction to a new MCU character in a while. Almost as soon as the episode was over, fans took to social media, praising her and creating tributes in her honor.
Although Jen joked that having Wong make an appearance would give the show “Twitter armor” for the week, it seems like Madisynn has actually done that for real. Though to give credit where it’s due, her precious friendship with Wong has been a big part of that.
Even Guggenheim (@patriscuit) was overwhelmed by the response, and one extremely timely reference.
But Madisynn’s popularity didn’t come as a shock to everyone. Marvel clearly knew they had a breakout star on their hands, releasing a character poster and adding an emoji to her Twitter hashtag, as well as one for her bestie “Wongers.” Guggenheim’s She-Hulk co-star Jameela Jamil, who we’ll be seeing a lot more of as Titania’s trademark case against Jen Walters heats up this week, was also confident in advance that Madisynn would become a fan favorite.
A few days later, she tweeted again (this time nailing the spelling) that she believed Madisynn could have taken on Thanos singlehandedly, and who are we to argue?
Ginger Gonzaga, who plays Jen’s gal pal Nikki on the show, also appreciated the glowing reception her co-star has received.
We don’t know if we’ll see Madisynn again this week—or anytime in the near future—but that hasn’t stopped fans from demanding more, especially alongside a certain Sorcerer Supreme and binge-watch buddy. Maybe they could join forces in an epic quest for bottomless gin and tonics. We’d watch the hell out of that.