“You’ll like her when she’s angry,” reads one of the taglines for this hotly anticipated Marvel series, and if the viewership for the official trailer for “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” is anything to go by, there’s a huge appetite to see Jennifer Walters, and her mean and green alter-ego back on our screens. Clocking it at less than two minutes, the She-Hulk trailer racked up 78 million online views in just 24 hours, and has Hulk-Smashed its way through 20 million hits on YouTube alone, giving comic book fans their first glimpse of the musclebound female’s big return.
If you are in need of a refresh on the She-Hulk’s origins or need to know more about the newest girl to go green, M&F has the lowdown.
When will She-Hulk air?
Officially titled “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” the new series is expected to premiere on Aug. 17, 2022 on Disney+. The season will be comprised of nine 30-minute episodes that are set to be released on a weekly basis.
Who will play the latest version of She-Hulk?
Tatiana Gabriele Maslany, who is perhaps best known for playing several characters in the sci-fi series “Orphan Black,” has been cast as the She-Hulk. The 36-year-old Canadian will take on both the roles of Jennifer Walters and, thanks to CGI, the She-Hulk herself.
What’s the premise of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”?
According to Disney+, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters is a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. The character will navigate single life in her 30s, while also trying to juggle her career as a civilian with a 6-foot-7-inch green alter-ego.
Disney+ have given little away in terms of episodic storylines, but will likely start with her origin story. Walters is the cousin of Dr Bruce Banner and picks up a milder version of the Hulk’s condition following an emergency blook transfusion. Unlike the Incredible Hulk, the She-Hulk is able to control her emotions and control her impulses, but when she get’s angry, the She-Hulk sees green mist and becomes explosively strong. In some versions of the story, Walters’ transformation into the She-Hulk becomes a permanent one, so it will be interesting to see what Marvel and Disney+ have in store for this series.
What has been the criticism of the latest She-Hulk series?
After viewing the Disney+ teaser, many fans of the legendary “The Incredible Hulk” television series (that ran from 1977-1982) were disappointed to see that both Jennifer Walters and the She-Hulk were set to be played by the same actor. The winning combination of Bill Bixby as Dr. Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, with their hugely contrasting body sizes, made for iconic characters that required no computer jiggery-pokery.
As a two-time Mr. Universe, and beloved Mr. Olympia finalist, the 6-foot-5-inch Ferrigno has created a larger-than-life mold for future Hulk’s, whether male or female, to follow. Many Hulk fans feel that a female bodybuilder should have been given the chance to don the paint. The 2021 Ms. Olympia winner, Andrew Shaw would have made for an incredible mean and green She-Hulk, for example!
Additionally, there has been some early criticism of the CGI execution in the upcoming series, and this could have been avoided had they cast a genuine female bodybuilder as the She-Hulk. Such a move would have provided intrigue and would have been a great flex for the female bodybuilding industry too!
What can we look forward to seeing in the latest She-Hulk series?
While Jennifer Walters is often seen as a sidekick to her cousin Dr. Banner in the traditional comic book sense, her physical dominance has always put her in a class above the likes of Batman’s “Robin” or The Tick’s “Arthur.” No matter whether we are talking Marvel or DC, the She-Hulk is one of comic books’ strongest female creations. Not only does She-Hulk have immense strength, thanks to her superpower, but as Jennifer Walters, she also kicks ass in the boardroom owning an impressive career as an elite lawyer. And, in defence of the new series creator, Jessica Gao, the female of the species was often illustrated as being less jacked than the male.
The controversy around the appearance of the new She Hulk has definitely helped to pique interest for Marvels biggest trailer for a series since “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” but the lineup is pretty unstoppable too. Mark Ruffalo is back to reprise his role at the modern-day Dr Banner / Hulk, and the brilliant Tim Roth returns as the Abomination.
