Audiences are excitedly curious about the upcoming Disney Plus series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Not only will it serve as the long-awaited introduction of a beloved hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but its status as a "legal comedy" is sure to shake up the formula a bit after years of pure action and fanservice as the driving forces of the franchise.
Fans aren't the only ones enthusiastic about the possible new direction for Marvel. It turns out that Tatiana Maslany, who stars in She-Hulk as the titular hero Jennifer Walters, wasn't initially too keen on joining the MCU. In a franchise full of fantastical set pieces and adrenaline-pumping action sequences, she was concerned that her priorities as a performer might not mesh particularly well with the overall vibe of the now-decade-spanning universe. However, apparently, all the convincing she needed came from the script itself.
In an interview with SFX Magazine, Maslany recently spoke regarding her apprehension about the project upon first being sought for the role of She-Hulk. "I've always sort of been nervous to step into a world like this because I prize character over everything, and I just didn't know how much that would exist in bigger projects," she revealed. "But when I read the pilot [of She-Hulk], this was such an unexpected take on a superhero story. It's so human. There's really great explorations of the mundanity of life, in really great ways. And also, it's speaking to something that I'm really interested in, which is when you suddenly start getting seen as something; then you're seen as one thing, and you become commodified as that thing. What this show does, but in a funny and unexpected way, is deal with this idea."
Those who have been following the previews for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are probably already aware that the series will address the more human side of being a superhero. The first She-Hulk trailer even showed Maslany's character swiping on a dating app and doing other less-than-heroic things while in full She-Hulk mode, and that's exactly what the actress wants to see from such a story. "How do you own the wholeness of what your body is when something has happened to you; or you are suddenly seen so differently, or there's an expectation on you to behave a certain way because of how you look?" she continued. "There's all these undertones that I find really compelling in the subtext of this sort of story," Further adding, "Also, what is the expectation on a female superhero versus a male superhero? It's incredibly different."
She-Hulk has the potential to add some genuine variety to a franchise that has afflicted many with the condition known as Marvel fatigue. After 14 years of battle after battle, the idea of seeing a hero actually dealing with her new powers on a human level certainly sounds enticing. Sure, the concept has been addressed before in the MCU, but it looks as though She-Hulk will turn it into a big part of the series itself, rather than a montage or 2.
One could argue that the Spider-Man movies have already done that. However, Peter Parker's issues almost always seem to stem from his alter ego as Spider-Man. In this case, Maslany's Jennifer Walters looks as though she'll be more about combining her regular life with her She-Hulk life rather than trying to balance them like Peter. It's certainly a fascinating prospect, and it could be just what the MCU needs to keep things fresh.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will premiere on August 17th, 2022, on Disney Plus.
Source: SFX Magazine (via Collider)