The following contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel, streaming on Disney+.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is coming around the corner, slated for an Aug. 17, 2022 release on Disney+. Audiences are getting excited to see Tatiana Maslany portray Jennifer Walters in the much-anticipated, fourth-wall-breaking adaptation of Marvel’s She-Hulk comic. In the show, fans will see Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk return Mr. Miyagi-style to teach cousin Jennifer the ins and outs of being a Hulk. “I’m a Hulk,” a featurette released on July 27, 2022, sees actors and Marvel Cinematic Universe execs promising a “radical, revolutionary show.” But how "revolutionary" can a MCU show get at this point?
When executive producer Kevin Feige says She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will “expand the definition of what a Marvel Studios production can be,” it’s eyebrow-raising. Fans trust Feige and the MCU, but shouldn’t those same fans get a say in how far a new show ultimately pushes the envelope? So far, marketing seems to be telling audiences, “don’t worry, we got this.” But because the stories themselves aren’t new, audiences can only trust in Marvel's ability to innovate.
Part of what makes the MCU so successful is its unique way of retelling familiar heroic tales. They sold viewers Hamlet i.e. The Lion King in the form of Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther. And based on the featurette and trailers for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, it seems like audiences will be getting stories from within the MCU they’ve already seen before. Except this time, the stories will have slightly different spins, such as Jennifer breaking the fourth wall. It’s these slight spins on familiar stories that allow Marvel to draw fans in with their “seal of authenticity.”
In “I’m a Hulk,” Director Kat Coiro tells audiences they’re getting an “idea of being a superhero is not appealing,” -storyline in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. This is hardly a “revolutionary” character arc in the MCU. The first Ant-Man featured a reluctant Scott Lang embracing heroism early on. Hank Pym, talking with Scott about his daughter, Cassie Lang, persuades him to “become the hero she already thinks you are.” Scott makes his decision soon after. It appears Ruffalo’s Hulk will persuade and train Maslany’s She-Hulk similarly to how Pym did with Scott. With Maslany’s She-Hulk, however, it seems Walters had no choice, unlike Lang. In “I’m a Hulk,” fans hear she’s “accidentally taken in The Hulk’s blood.” From this, they can assume Jennifer has less agency than Lang in her reluctant hero storyline.
As far as coming to terms with new powers is concerned, audiences have already seen that in 2022’s Ms. Marvel. Teenager Kamala Khan learns to use her colorful crystalline family bracelet blasts over the course of the series. She saves a boy from falling by extending a crystal arm, and runs across square panels she conjures in the sky. In trailers for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, fans see Jennifer Walters learning to turn into She-Hulk at will. She’ll also be dealing with increased public attention as a result of her new power. At their cores, both Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will tell stories about adapting to new powers. The biggest difference being Kamala Khan’s and Jennifer Walters’ positions in society – Kamala Khan is a high schooler while Walters is a lawyer.
In a glass half-empty kind of way, Marvel Studios seems to be reselling trusted tropes, labeling them “revolutionary,” and stamping their brand on it. But there is such a thing as reinventing the wheel. The show isn’t out yet, after all. While She-Hulk: Attorney At Law isn’t likely to be as groundbreaking as “I’m a Hulk” promises, it’s certain to be different in some ways. But calling a show “revolutionary” before it releases is a bit like putting the cart before the horse. Let audiences decide for themselves how “revolutionary” a show is. It’s great that Marvel Studios thinks that, though.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will be streaming on Disney+ on Aug. 17, 2022.