Plot: Jennifer Walters—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk.
Review: Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe streaming series so far, few have garnered as much divisive buzz as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. While the majority of the criticisms lobbed at the MCU series were focused on the perception of sub-par CGI effects, there have been vocal proponents against the more inclusive angle taken in the latest phase of the ongoing Marvel Studios franchise. Having seen the first four episodes of She-Hulk, I can say without a doubt that this is an incredibly fun series that showcases the most MCU connections and characters of any Disney+ series thus far while still delivering a blast for audiences of all ages. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is my favorite MCU series to date and proves once again that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios know how to deliver for comic book fans and casual viewers alike.
Having seen the first four episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, I am fully bought into the tone and approach this series brings to the MCU. While we have had more comedic elements on the big screen in the recent Taika Waititi Thor sequels as well as aspects of WandaVision, She-Hulk masterfully blends its humor within the serious elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the very first scene of the first episode, She-Hulk establishes that Jennifer Walters is not the same as her cousin Bruce Banner. Tatiana Maslany, who has already amassed a huge fanbase thanks to her work in Orphan Black, is perfectly cast as the title character. Adept at breaking the fourth wall as much as Deadpool, Maslany’s take on Walters is that of a modern working woman struggling to find love and success in a man’s world. When she is imbued with similar powers to her cousin, Jen must find a way to balance her newfound persona with who she still is under her green skin and super-strength.
The first episode serves as the origin story for She-Hulk and her debut to the world and moves far more quickly than I was expecting. Rather than prolong the narrative and introduce her powers in the finale, She-Hulk cuts right to the chase. Much of what is shown in the trailers and clips for the series comes in these first four episodes along with a lot more. Each episode clocks in at just about thirty minutes but never feels rushed. Of the four episodes I have seen, only one features a secondary plot that ties into the main narrative. We spend the majority of each episode with Jen as she tackles her new role as head of the Superhuman division at her law firm. Partnered with her best friend and paralegal, Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga), Jen works on hero and villain cases, notably involving Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) and Wong (Benedict Wong), connecting this series to The Incredible Hulk as well as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. There are other connections as well to other films and characters that I won’t spoil here, but that doesn’t even include the much-anticipated inclusion of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, which does not happen in the first four episodes.
While the trailers make it seem that Jameela Jamil’s Titiana is the primary antagonist for this series, her inclusion is one of many along Jen Walters’ journey from attorney to superhero. There are also appearances from other Marvel Comics characters, notably the Wrecking Crew, which are played for laughs but also connect to the overall MCU mythology in interesting ways. This series also lays the groundwork for where Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will appear next which should have fans buzzing when this series premieres. Aside from the MCU connections, She-Hulk is very much its own series and not one that can easily be compared to other projects from Marvel Studios. The scale of the story is far different than the action-heavy entries in the MCU, but that is not to say there aren’t action sequences here. The story is very funny but not in a way that detracts from the dramatic connections this story successfully makes. And the CGI is nowhere near as distracting as many were fearful it would be. It actually looks very good in the finished episodes.
Creator and writer Jessica Gao, who wrote the iconic “Pickle Rick” episode of Rick and Morty, makes Jennifer Walters’ journey in this series a very relatable one. While there is very much a female-centric perspective to this series, it does not come across as preachy nor does it turn the male characters into caricatures to drive home a message. Partnering with directors Kat Coiro and Anu Vaila, Gao and her team of writers successfully deliver one of the most distinct entries in the MCU to date while featuring a ton of references and appearances from the various movies and series in the franchise along with some non-Marvel cameos that work really well. I found myself laughing a lot more in this series than I anticipated and loved every fourth-wall-breaking moment. Could this be an entry for a crossover between She-Hulk and Deadpool? I would expect Ryan Reynolds would have his hands full pitting the Merc with the Mouth opposite Jen Walters.
Everything about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law worked for me. While the stakes are low compared to other entries in the MCU, this may be the most world-building the franchise has accomplished in a single production to date. Very funny with an excellent lead in Tatiana Maslany, The haters out there are going to complain no matter what, but this story connects a lot of loose threads fans have been asking for years. They may not be consequential threads, but it is very cool to see them addressed, even if it is for laughs. She-Hulk also boasts the most post-credit sequences of any Disney+ MCU series to date with the first episode’s tag delivering my all-time favorite one-liner from any Marvel Studios production. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an absolute smash and the most fun Marvel series ever.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres on August 18th on Disney+.