Warning! SPOILERS for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1.From the return of Avenger Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to making fun of Oscar Isaac, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1 was anything but boring. The premiere episode of the series documented She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters’ (Tatiana Maslany) MCU origin story. After being run off the road by a spaceship, gamma-irradiated blood entered a wound on her arm when she attempted to pull her injured cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) from the wreckage.
Prior to their accident, Jennifer and Bruce engage in witty banter, primarily about whether or not Captain America was a virgin. In another bit, Bruce notices a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with chopsticks sticking out of it in Jennifer’s cup holder. Holding it up, he asks, “What’s up with this? Cheetos and chopsticks?” Jennifer rationalizes that it is “so you don’t get Cheeto fingers!” Bruce acknowledges the idea is smart, prompting Jennifer’s quick quip about him not being the only genius in their family.
Though subtle, the scene is likely a reference to an Oscar Isaac meme that went viral in 2016. In the picture, a casually-dressed, mustached Isaac is eating a bag of Flamin’ Hot Limón Crunchy Cheetos with chopsticks. The picture grew popular, with many confused as to why he was using chopsticks to eat the crunchy snack. Isaac was mocked for the picture, as perpetuated by the She-Hulk episode 1 easter egg.
What Oscar Isaac Has Said About The Cheeto Photo
In 2018, Isaac was finally able to defend himself. After a joke about looking his best in the picture, he explained, “I really was into Flaming Lime Cheetos, which at the time you couldn’t get on the East Coast.” He continued, “So I just did that, and, you know, I’m a sophisticated gentleman, so I didn’t want to get the powder on my fingers” (via Jimmy Kimmel Live). She-Hulk episode 1 not only joked about the picture, it also took Isaac’s justification too. He even shared his appearance in the photo was because of a bad cold, also crediting the mustache to one of Isaac’s most overlooked roles from the 2015 HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. His look in the meme became so popular, it even resulted in cosplays by fans. Isaac recalls only realizing what a big deal the picture had become when he “started getting huge boxes of lime Cheetos at home.”
The inclusion of the meme in She-Hulk is an interesting choice, given it could imply Isaac is canon in the MCU. However, this can’t be true, as the actor plays She-Hulk’s fellow MCU hero Moon-Knight. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law making fun of Oscar Isaac is more likely just an innocent bit of fun the writers included as cheeky meta Marvel fan service.
New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are out every Thursday on Disney+.