Public defenders rejoice - the legal profession’s own ass-kicking superheroine has finally made it to the screen with the debut of Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, a spin-off of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the same vein as Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight. Tatiana Maslany stars as 30-something lawyer Jennifer Walters, who gains some of the powers of her cousin Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, as a result of a mixed-up blood transfusion. The resulting attention threatens to upend the normal life she’s built for herself, but finding a date and winning her cases might soon be the least of her worries.
As the last character created by comics titan Stan Lee for Marvel Comics until his return to the industry in 1992, She-Hulk’s debut marked an epilogue to one of the most beloved (and mined for content) eras in comics history. As such, she occupies an odd space in the Marvel canon. She’s had her share of serious stories, but she also turned into a vehicle for self-aware comedy - as early as 1989 she was breaking the fourth wall to crack jokes at the comics' industry’s expense and berate her artist John Byrne, well before Deadpool made similar jokes his gimmick.
Tatiana Maslany will be taking on the role of Jennifer Walters, and she’s a great fit for it - she’s most famous for her leading roles (roles, plural!) on the sci-fi thriller series Orphan Black, and her most recent credit is for period legal drama Perry Mason. She’s joined by Ginger Gonzaga (Space Force) as Nikki, Jennifer’s best friend and source of common-sense advice; and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) as antagonist Titania, a superpowered social media influencer whose super strength is matched only by her obnoxiousness.
In addition, several actors from around the MCU will be reprising their roles for this project. Chief among them is of course Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, I Know This Much Is True), back in green as Bruce Banner. He’s joined by Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk, Tin Star) as Emil Blonsky aka Abomination; Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Marco Polo) as Wong, current holder of the title Sorcerer Supreme; and Charlie Cox (Kin) returning as Jennifer’s fellow superhero lawyer Matt Murdock, alias Daredevil, reprising his role from the Netflix show of the same name that was canceled in 2018.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s executive producer will be Kat Coiro, who will also be directing the first six episodes of the series. She’s previously directed the pilot episode for Girls5eva and directed and co-produced the comedy film L!fe Happens. Coiro will be joined by head writer Jessica Gao, whose previous credits include Rick & Morty and Robot Chicken.
Read More About She-Hulk: Attorney at Law:
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'She-Hulk: Attorney at Law' Cast and Character Guide: Who's Who in the Marvel Legal Comedy
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'She-Hulk': Tatiana Maslany, Jessica Gao, and Kat Coiro Defend Marvel's VFX Artists
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'She-Hulk': Tatiana Maslany Says Jennifer Walters' Transformation Convinced Her to Take the Role
Watch the Trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
We begin with a familiar voice speaking over scenes of violence and disaster, trying to sway Jennifer to the superhero side. We get our first (partial) shot of She-Hulk before cutting to our first shot of Jennifer Walters, introducing herself as a lawyer and showing us the parts of her life she values: “great friends, a demanding job, and a frustrating family.” Said family includes a fan favorite: Bruce Banner, alias Hulk, now fully integrated and in control of his transformation after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Bruce has taken on the responsibility of training Jennifer to do the same thing. “The transformations are triggered by anger and fear,” Bruce explains. “Those are like the baseline of any woman just existing,” Jennifer shoots back. While she’s not wrong, most women are not locked in a box and threatened by sawblades. The threat succeeds in triggering Jennifer’s transformation, much to Bruce’s delight (at first).
Speaking of being locked in a box with sawblades, we cut to Jennifer being hounded by the press. “I just want to be a normal, anonymous lawyer,” she complains, to which her friend replies, “Jenn, you’re a story now.” The trailer then launches into a series of shots of Jennifer attempting to balance her old life and new: hanging out with friends in her green skin gives way to fighting off an attacker; training with Bruce against drinks with her best friend; going green in what looks like a courtroom, and lastly a glimpse of perennial antagonist Abomination. The trailer leaves us with Jennifer facing another terrifying challenge: online dating. Fortunately for her, some guys are into strong women.
When And Where Is She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Being Released?
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is set to premiere on August 18, 2022, exclusively on Disney+.
What Is the Plot of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law?
Like the protagonist herself, the plot of She-Hulk is set to be split into two parallel arcs. The first will concern Jennifer’s ‘real’ life and how it is upended by her newly-acquired transformation: her relationships, career, and her dating life are all reshaped not only by her becoming She-Hulk but by all of the attention she receives because of it. The other plot will be the more standard superhero action fare we’ve come to expect from Marvel Studios: Jennifer expresses reluctance to join this world’s ranks of flashy armored superheroes and their propensity toward property damage, but from the small glimpses of carnage and danger from the trailer, it’s pretty clear that the only choice she may have is in how she responds when danger comes knocking at her door.
More Series Like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to Watch Next
Ms. Marvel - She-Hulk joins a star-studded lineup of streaming series that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4, and Ms. Marvel is one of the best. It centers on Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey, whose dreams about the superheroes that populate the media landscape of her world take on a new dimension when she gains superpowers herself. Iman Vellani is a delight as Kamala, whose heart and charisma easily make her one of the most watchable and most important new cultural icons of our generation. It doesn’t hurt that the show is smartly written, packed with action and amazing character work. Ms. Marvel is available on Disney+.
Daredevil - Fans everywhere were shocked when Netflix’s Daredevil was abruptly canceled after three successful seasons. Charlie Cox’s portrayal of Matt Murdock, whose day job as a defense lawyer dedicated to the rule of law conflicts harshly with his nighttime activities as a vigilante who doesn’t shy away from extrajudicial violence, was a highly popular addition to the Marvel canon. His story was continued and expanded upon in the crossover series The Defenders and a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel clearly has no plans to abandon Daredevil’s story despite Netflix’s cancellation: in addition to his appearance in She-Hulk, Cox is set to reprise his role alongside Vincent D'Onofrio as series antagonist Kingpin in the revival series Daredevil: Born Again in 2024.
Jessica Jones - Daredevil’s gritty aesthetic is shared by Jessica Jones, a contemporary series to Daredevil which also led into The Defenders. Krysten Ritter stars as the titular Jessica, a superpowered woman attempting to rebuild her life after an encounter with a mind-controlling supervillain left her with PTSD, a problem with substance abuse, and a cynical outlook on life. Jessica’s new venture is a private investigation firm specializing in superpowered issues, until her dangerous nemesis Kilgrave walks back into her life and threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard to rebuild. David Tennant turns in an utterly terrifying performance as Kilgrave, and he and Ritter’s Jessica play off each other incredibly well as a chilling portrayal of the power of the cycle of abuse. Jessica Jones is available on Disney+.