Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law brings ‘feminist undertones’ to the Marvel universe in a funny and self-aware adaptation of the comics
- Starring Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk is a faithful adaptation of the comic series that tackles the ‘overemotional female’ stereotype, without feeling prescriptive
- Sentient quips and subtle humour lend a light-hearted tone to protagonist Jen Walters’ navigation through big personal change – making up for at-times bad CGI
It’s easy to lose track of everything that’s going on in the Marvel universe, with countless superhero movies and shows out there that are often linked through recurring characters and interweaving storylines.
Tatiana Maslany, who plays the lead in She-Hulk: Attorney at law, knows the problem well, saying she was glad that Marvel producer Kevin Feige didn’t probe her knowledge too much.
“He, gratefully, didn’t ask me to watch everything,” says Maslany, laughing. “I think he realises that it’s an enormous universe. I know that there’re people who’ve watched chronologically from the start to the finish. I’ve not gotten through everything yet,” she added.
Directed by Kat Coiro and now streaming on Disney+, She-Hulk: Attorney at law, is the eighth Marvel Cinematic Universe series to date.
The shows, as well as the 29 movies released so far, are all more-or-less intertwined, sharing common plot elements, characters or settings from the Marvel Comics.
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Maslany plays Jennifer Walters, a lawyer nicknamed Jen, whose cousin is no other than Bruce Banner, the Hulk from the Avengers films. In She-Hulk, he’s also played by Mark Ruffalo, who already portrayed the green colossus in the movies.
When Jen and Bruce get into a car crash, some of The Hulk’s blood accidentally makes it into her system – meaning she now inherits his superpowers and turns big and green herself.
But unlike her cousin, Jen is able to control her anger and keep a clear head when she transforms, something that women do every day in order to avoid being called “emotional” or “difficult” – or “just literally get[ting] murdered”, she tells Bruce at one point.
Maslany says it was important to creator Jessica Gao that the series had feminist undertones. “At the same time it’s not a show that tries to tell you how to feel about anything,” the actress says.
“And it’s a comedy, too, so it does it in a way that doesn’t necessarily feel prescriptive.”
According to Maslany, She-Hulk could be considered feminist in the sense that “it feels more like you’re on Jen’s side, you’re put in her shoes in so many ways. And you experience her life and her coping with this massive change in her life in a way that is very personal to her.”
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Jen doesn’t want to be a superhero; she wants to continue working under the radar as a lawyer in Los Angeles.
However, courtesy of one brief transformation during a court hearing, she suddenly finds herself in the limelight, now universally known as “She-Hulk”, a moniker she despises from the get-go.
Maslany also has mixed feelings about the name, in the same way Jen has a problem with being “tagged on to the idea of being a Hulk”.
“It’s so reductive,” the actress says about the moniker, laughing. “I have the same irritation with it, but also I love it.”
After the first four episodes, it’s not clear where She-Hulk is taking Jen in this first season – which consists of nine episodes in total.
In her first case as a lawyer in green, she is to represent Emil Blonsky aka Abomination (Tim Roth), of all people, who once wanted to kill her cousin (in The Incredible Hulk, back in 2008 when Edward Norton still played Bruce/Hulk).
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As the name suggests, She-Hulk: Attorney at law doesn’t take itself too seriously and is full of surprisingly funny jokes, guest appearances and side issues like: Do superheroines have health insurance? Did Captain America die a virgin? And how do you actually date as a She-Hulk?
As in the comics, the main character breaks the fourth wall several times – perhaps a little too often – and addresses the audience directly. The subtle humour is funnier than the less subtle humour, but the mix is just right.
As always, though, being familiar with the universe helps.
By the way: For those of you who haven’t watched The Sopranos yet, She-Hulk is full of spoilers, as one character is a massive fan.
