The series moved its release date, but not by too much.
Marvel’s Phase 4 on Disney+ started somewhat safely, with shows about characters who fans already knew and whose stories easily tied back to the franchise’s hit big-screen adventures. But with Moon Knight, Marvel began taking risks with unknown characters. With Ms. Marvel, it began branching out into shows that were aimed at younger viewers. With She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Disney+ is going in a new direction yet again: comedy.
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know the Hulk's origin story, in which he was exposed to gamma rays that make him "Hulk out" when angry. She-Hulk is Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Susan Walters. She's a New York lawyer, a hard-nosed, deeply intelligent, take-no-crap kinda gal.
In the comics, when she is hit by a car, her life nearly ends, and Bruce, hearing Walters needs a blood transfusion, donates to her, hoping the gamma-ray mutations won't transfer as well. Unfortunately, they do.
How much the show plans to stick to that origin story remains to be seen. Here’s what is known about the series so far.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Premiere Date
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was initially slated to debut on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, on Disney+, just like all the other Marvel TV series. But in a surprise move, Disney+ is expanding its release days to include Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with She-Hulk as the anchor for that added middle weekday.
The new premiere date is Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022; the series will run nine episodes on a weekly release schedule, with new episodes every Thursday.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Trailer
The first trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law arrived on May 17, 2022, giving fans their first look at Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters and her transformation into She-Hulk.
The first trailer reveals Walters will not go full Hulk, since her exposure wasn’t direct. Her transformations are less severe and more controlled. She keeps most of her personality while also being imbued with the ability to help save the world. But her ability to control her transformations won’t stop villains from popping out of the woodwork. Her job will see to that.
Marvel released She-Hulk’s second trailer during its 2022 San-Diego Comic-Con presentation on July 23. The video shows Banner’s Hulk training Walters to master her newfound strength, which she’s surprisingly adept at right away.
The trailer also brings in some familiar MCU faces. Sorcerer Supreme Wong warps his way into the new series, as does Daredevil, whose appearance is teased in the trailer’s final moments.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Cast
On Dec. 10, Marvel confirmed Tatiana Maslany will play Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. It’s hard to understate how big a name Maslany is in the sci-fi world. Her breakout role(s) in Orphan Black was the stuff of legends. She played a full dozen clones, each character an entirely crafted unique personality from the next, winning her an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2016.
But she's not the only Hulk who will appear onscreen. Mark Ruffalo will reprise his role as the Bruce Banner version of Hulk as well. If that weren't enough, there's another Hulk returnee heading for She-Hulk. No, this isn't a case of multiple Hulks — the show will bring back another actor from the 2008 film: Tim Roth. Roth played Emil Blonsky, a Russian-born officer in the UK's Royal Marines. In the film, Blonsky attempted to Hulk himself out, only to turn into the Abomination, a near-skeletal humanoid monster. Marvel confirmed Roth will reprise that role, making this the ultimate union of the MCU's Hulk stories.
On June 10, 2021, another actor joined the She-Hulk gang. Variety announced A Good Place’s Jameela Jamil will star as the series’ main villain, Titania. The character, born Mary MacPherran, is from the 1980s era of Marvel comics. A tiny and petite girl who grew up bullied for her short stature, she spent her life fantasizing about becoming a superhero, tall and powerful. But when she finally gets her wish, nothing goes the way she planned.
The cast is rounded out by a couple MCU returnees: Benedict Wong as Wong and Charlie Cox as Daredevil. Cox will return as Matt Murdock following the 2018 cancellation of Netflix’s Daredevil after three seasons. His role in She-Hulk will likely set up his upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Plot Details
With the inclusion of Bruce Banner, one assumes that the first season will function as something of an origin story. The problem, of course, is not knowing if or how the Marvel Cinematic Universe plans to alter the original comic or not. The synopsis isn’t much help here: “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law follows Jennifer Walters as she navigates the complicated life of a single, 30-something attorney who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk.”
Though no one would call 2008's The Incredible Hulk a flop, the Norton-led film is viewed as a lower point in the Infinity Saga. Banner's recasting (the only time the MCU recast a leading titular character) and the lack of a sequel have made it feel like Disney would rather forget the film ever happened. (The Incredible Hulk also is the only MCU film not on Disney+ other than the Sony Spider-Man films, which doesn't help that impression.) Mark Ruffalo’s version has had a full arc over the final Infinity Saga films, but none of it feels like it hangs together.
This means that whatever She-Hulk aims to do, it had the franchise's entire weight on its back. Good thing She-Hulk is a strong woman.
Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is available to stream on Disney+, except for The Incredible Hulk, available via Starz, and the Spider-Man films, which are available on HBO Max, and as an Amazon rental. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder are playing in theaters now.
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