She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, the Marvel TV series created by Jessica Gao, has its task cut out for itself. It has to become a superhero-origin story, a legal drama, and tie everything into the larger gamut of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Its pilot episode does all this, while also becoming the Hulk TV show we’ve always wanted, and a more feminist production than any other female-led show/film from the MCU.
The Hulk face-off: Bruce Banner vs Jennifer Walters
Tatiana Maslany is instantly likeable as Jennifer Walters and her chemistry with Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner carries the episode, with much of it being Banner training his cousin to deal with her new gamma-powered strength. The cousin dynamic at the centre is extremely refreshing. For context, we first see Banner getting jealous of Walters’ superior Hulk-ism, followed by the epic Hulk vs Hulk face-off that legitimately feels like two siblings fighting, albeit with super strength.
Walters calls out Banner’s mansplaining!
The show owns its feminism but never tokenises it, with Walters powerfully capturing the subtext of being a woman in a man’s world, calling out the spectrum of misogyny that women face. Her strength lies in the matter-of-fact treatment she gives to male entitlement, remarking that she doesn’t need to manage fear or anger because like all women, she has been navigating these emotions all her life. In the process, she also calls out her cousin's mansplaining! Though not the show’s protagonist, Banner’s Hulk gets as much depth as the central character, with glimpses of the sacrifice he made to live a super life, and the caged trauma that he still holds.
Tight pacing with quippy and intense moments
Over the 35 minute runtime, we see Walters’ origin, Banner’s rebirth as ‘Smart Hulk’, and her first public brawl. And yet, it does not feel overstuffed. The pacing never drags during the episode, with both the quippy and intense moments hitting the right notes. It also doesn’t drown itself in the larger Marvel multiverse.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law feels like a more grounded entry, taking its time to flesh character over narrative. The fun, fourth wall-breaking theme remains largely consistent, making it a rare Phase 4 production that seems to know exactly what it wants to be. With multiple arcs to pursue and a Daredevil reveal teased in the trailer, we can’t wait to see how the dots connect going forward (please give us a lawyer-off between Walters and Matt Murdock).
