The first appearance of Stan Lee and John Buscema’s comic, The Savage She-Hulk, was in Feb. 1980. It caught many Marvel fans’ attention because the comic resembled the 1962 The Incredible Hulk, which was released 18 years earlier. Now, nearly 40 years later, the She-Hulk comic has been reanimated. 

On Aug. 18th, 2022, Disney premiered the first episode of a new series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Like many other Disney+ shows, the show has a specific schedule in which they release a new feature every week. Each Thursday up until Oct. 13, Disney will broadcast a new episode of the show. 

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a comedy show about a new lawyer, Jennifer Walters, who is trained in superhuman legal cases. It takes place after Avengers: Endgame, around 2024. Walters works at Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway in Los Angeles. Like the original comic, Jenifer Walters is cousins with the well-known Bruce Banner. The catalyst of Jennifer Walters’ transformation to She-Hulk was an emergency blood transfusion. Coincidentally, Bruce Banner was the one providing her blood. In the new Disney series, she accidentally comes into contact with Banner after a car crash, whose blood combines with Walters and turns her into She-Hulk. 

Like the Hulk, her madness causes the famous transition. After her evolution, she learns how to maintain her two forms, but rejects the idea that she herself is part superhero. Unlike her cousin, she can control her forms. Along with Walter’s heroic denial, the show decides to focus on her career and her anonymity. Walters struggles with her superhuman problems, as well as her new job that entertains legal problems related to superpowers. She only allows her cousin Bruce, and her best friend Nikki, to know her secret. Jennifer Walters has to learn how to live her life as a single 30-year-old lawyer, but also as a 6’7” female Hulk. 

Jessica Gao, the creator of the show, and Kat Coiro, the director, teamed up to bring She-Hulk to life in order to break gender norms. Many superheroes are males, which contributes to the existing construct of a male-dominated fantasy universe. When thinking of a superhero one often pictures a male. Gao and Coiro hope that having a female superhero character will promote gender equality and erase the collective idea that men are always the heroes.

Many are buzzing about how Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk actor,  is making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. Maslany is most recognized from Orphan’s Black, where she plays the protagonist who lives in a world where scientists use clones for human experimentation. Not only is Maslany first appearing in the MCU, but she also introduces a new element. Maslany breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience. Many Marvel fans criticize this. They believe that it is greatly overused and unnecessary, especially since she only addresses the viewers when switching between forms. 

Yet overall, fans have very positive feedback on the first few episodes of the show. Many were surprised with how well the CGI  looked in the show compared to the trailer. They also praise Walter’s confidence and ability to own her power. Within a few months after the show’s release date, She-Hulk fans are already attached and cannot wait to see what the show has in store for the future. Many fans crave to see more Bruce Banner, brawls between characters, and She-Hulk learning to live her new life. Anticipation is high!