She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

By July 1989, the character Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk was expected to appear in the television film The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990).[54][55] The character ultimately did not appear, and a proposed television series featuring She-Hulk at ABC was canceled a year later.[55][56] In 1991, a film based on the character entered development at New World Pictures with Larry Cohen serving as director, and Brigitte Nielsen set to play She-Hulk.[55][56][57] Nielsen participated in a promotional photoshoot, but the film ultimately did not materialize.[55][58]

In August 2019, Marvel Studios announced at the D23 conference that She-Hulk was being developed for the streaming service Disney+, to be set in their shared universe the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[59] Shortly after, Jessica Gao was approached to pitch for the series.[60] Gao had previously met with Marvel Studios to pitch for Captain Marvel (2019), Black Widow (2021), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), which did not pan out,[61] and had expressed her desire to be approached about a potential She-Hulk project each time. She was one of the first creatives to include the character in her pitches to the studio,[7]^: 32 doing so in her Black Widow one, which Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum felt was more of a She-Hulk film featuring Black Widow.[62] Gao believed her past pitches allowed her to build her relationship with Marvel Studios, so by the time she pitched for She-Hulk, Feige and the other executives knew the type of writer she was, her humor, and "the quirks and nuances" she put into her scripts.[61] Her pitch for She-Hulk had included Bruce Banner and Emil Blonsky / Abomination, despite being unsure if they would be able to appear; her pitch also featured more of Blonsky's trial than what is shown in the series.[62] Gao had also included the Leader in her pitch as a character the series could include, with either Samuel Sterns returning, having been portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson in The Incredible Hulk (2008), or creating a new version of the character that possibly could have been related to Sterns; The Leader ultimately did not appear in She-Hulk.[63] Gao was hired to serve as the head writer in November 2019.[64]

In September 2020, Kat Coiro was hired to direct the first and final episodes plus four others, and to executive produce the series,[65][66] while Anu Valia had also joined as a director by December 2020.[22] Valia said she was directing a few episodes of the series and described Coiro as the series' "visionary leader",[66] hoping by joining the series she would be able to add what Gao and Coiro had created and find her "own personal connection to the story".[67] Coiro ultimately directed six episodes, with Valia directing three.[68] In May 2022, Marvel revealed the series would be titled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.[1] Banner has a line in the series, "She-Hulk attorney at law, it's got a nice ring to it". While working on the editing of the episodes, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige heard that line and felt it would be a "great title for a show" and that they should alter the series to it.[69] The title is briefly changed to She-Hulk: Attorney for Hire in the second episode,[70] She-Hulk by Titania in the fifth,[71] Just Jen: Attorney at Law in the sixth,[72] and The Savage She-Hulk in the ninth.[73]

The series consists of nine 30-minute episodes,[1][74] after originally being announced to be consisting of ten episodes; Feige had previously said these ten episodes would equal approximately six hours of content.[74][75] Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Winderbaum serve as executive producers along with Coiro and Gao.[1] She-Hulk: Attorney at Law reportedly had a budget of $225 million.[76]

In February 2021, Feige stated that some of their series, including She-Hulk and Moon Knight (2022), were being developed with the potential to have additional seasons made, in contrast to series like WandaVision (2021) which were developed as limited events that led into feature films instead.[77] Coiro echoed this in August 2022, stating the series could get a second season, or the character could appear in films.[8] Gao had an idea and premise for what a second season could entail, but focused on telling a complete story with the first season. She was hopeful some of these ideas and material cut from the first season would be able to appear in future projects.[17]

Francesca Gailes, Jacqueline J. Gailes, Melissa Hunter, Dana Schwartz, Kara Brown, Zeb Wells, and Cody Ziglar serve as writers on the series,[78] many of whom come from a sitcom background.[6] Francesca Gailes also serves as story editor.[79] Wells and Ziglar contributed their knowledge of comics to the series, such as Wells suggesting the lesser-known villains who appear in his episode, "The Retreat".[24] Writing began in 2019,[80] and by early May 2020, work on the series' scripts had ended.[81] Feige described the series as a "half-hour legal comedy" that would be faithful to John Byrne's take on She-Hulk in Marvel Comics,[82][83] with star Tatiana Maslany calling it "this really absurd take on a legal show".[3] Gao added that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was "threading a fine line" of being a sitcom while still existing within the MCU, likening it to the series Ally McBeal,[6] though that series was not a major influence for the writers given many were not in the right age demographic to have experienced that series when it was originally airing.[62] Gao said it was "tricky" balancing tone of the series between the comedic and meta elements with the expected action and drama being within the MCU.[84] Other influences were Legally Blonde (2001) and the series Seinfeld and The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.[4][62] The series adapts a "case of the week" procedural format while still featuring some serialized elements that contribute to the season arc; Gao implemented this format due to her wanting the audience to enjoy each episode as a complete story.[85]

The various comic series featuring the character from Stan Lee, Byrne, Dan Slott, and Charles Soule are referenced in Attorney at Law,[29] with Gao "cherry-pick[ing]" various elements from each and "fus[ing] it all together so that it really felt simultaneously like a culmination, but also completely its own thing";[7]^: 33[62] most of the series draws from the storyline of Slott's run with elements from Byrne's.[86] Soule, who has a legal background and is also an attorney, served as the series' legal consultant, provide advice on aspects such has how lawyers and judges would behave in a courtroom.[87]

The series incorporates Jennifer Walters' self-awareness and meta nature from the comics,[7]^: 33[88] with Walters gaining the awareness and ability to break the fourth wall in the series following her becoming a Hulk.[89] Coiro said there were "some big surprises" regarding the fourth-wall breaking, with Valia adding it was "very fun, very cool", and Maslany saying it was a good mechanism to "bring the audience in" to the story.[90] Gao, Coiro, and the writers discussed how much of the meta nature should be featured, discussing options such as would she talk to the camera, directly to the audience, or another person "more behind the scenes", and if there was another meta element.[88] Initially Walters was constantly breaking the fourth wall, which Marvel Studios felt was too much,[62] resulting in the writers being asked to do a version with editors' notes, a tool used in the comics to clarify story elements, appearing for Walters to interact with.[62][88] The editor's notes were ultimately scrapped for her just breaking the fourth wall, but not to the extent that was originally conceived. Gao's initial pitch for the series had included Fleabag and Better Call Saul as references for how to portray Walters breaking the fourth wall,[62] with Maslany believing the Attorney at Law scripts drew from Fleabag's "irreverence and sense of humor".[91] The fourth-wall breaks culminated in the final episode of the season, with Walters entering the real world and confronting K.E.V.I.N. (Knowledge Enhanced Visual Interconnectivity Nexus) at Marvel Studios; this was heavily inspired by what Byrne did in his comics run.[92]

The series takes a "high-concept, extraordinary idea" that becomes grounded in Walters' life,[7]^: 32–33 with Gao interested in exploring "that little slice of life" outside the normal huge scale and action of the MCU.[84] Including Walters' family helped keep the series "intimate and centered on" her life, with Gao interested in exploring the family dynamic when a Hulk exists in that family and then a second one gets added to it.[6] With the series also exploring dating for a modern woman, Maslany enjoyed how Walters' dating life "was just as much of a stress as potentially becoming one of the Avengers".[91] Having a majority of women on the writing staff allowed them to take their different points of view to create a "well-rounded female perspective" in the series and discuss what it was like to be a woman, and what that meant if they became a public superhero. Gao explained that "a lot of commonalities and a lot of themes emerge[d]" that the writers were able to put into the series.[69] Gao crafted a season arc for Walters' about accepting her new life as She-Hulk,[93] describing the season as the character's "origin story", which allowed her in future appearances to be "so much more confident".[94]

The series addresses and incorporates many real-life misogynistic and Internet troll comments made about Marvel and female superheroes. Gao called these comments "very tired and unoriginal" given the writers were able to "predict" what the reaction to the series would be when they started writing in 2019.[80]

Attorney at Law is set "a relatively short amount of time" after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in the MCU.[95] Gao avoided discussing the Blip given other films and series have "already covered that territory" and the events have been accepted and people of the MCU are moving on.[69] The first four episodes and the final episode feature mid-credits scenes.[96][97] They were derived from Gao's love of end credit scenes, not just within the MCU, since they reward audience's patience and are "like an extra special little treat". Additionally, it allowed the writers to include more jokes into the episodes.[17] An original pitch for these scenes was to have them be a "running plot with bad guys".[98]

Mark Ruffalo, who portrayed Bruce Banner / Hulk in the MCU films, said in November 2019 that he planned to meet with Feige about making an appearance in the series.[99] In March 2020, Ruffalo confirmed that he was in talks to reprise his role in the series.[100] That September, Deadline Hollywood reported that Tatiana Maslany had been cast in the lead role of Walters,[101] but Maslany denied being cast and said the report was "a press release that's gotten out of hand" and "not actually a thing".[102] The Hollywood Reporter reaffirmed Maslany's casting in November 2020,[103] and Feige officially confirmed it the next month.[22] Maslany was initially hesitant to join large-scale or franchise projects given her desire to perform in ones "focused on character" and tended to "guarantee" collaboration. Deciding to audition to the role, Maslany enjoyed Gao's script and was excited by the challenge the role could bring to her and believed it would bring "a little bit of a shift" in her life. She later stated she "flat-out lied" about denying her casting as she was unsure what she was allowed to say.[104] Feige also confirmed in December 2020 Ruffalo's involvement and the casting of Tim Roth in the series.[22] Ruffalo was reported to have a "small role" in the series.[105] Roth reprises his role as Emil Blonsky / Abomination from The Incredible Hulk (2008).[22] Marvel Studios approached Roth to appear in the series after he returned to provide vocal work for the Abomination in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the role in the series appealed to Roth's "anarchy" within himself and having his career "being chaos".[25]

In January 2021, Ginger Gonzaga was cast as Nikki Ramos, Walters' best friend,[2][106] and Renée Elise Goldsberry was cast that April as Mallory Book.[107][108] Jameela Jamil was cast in June 2021 as Titania,[109] with Josh Segarra joining the following month as Augustus "Pug" Pugliese.[2][110] In May 2022, Benedict Wong was revealed to be reprising his MCU role as Wong,[1] while Jon Bass was revealed to be part of the cast as Todd Phelps.[1][30]

Nicholas Cirillo,[111] David Otunga,[112] and Griffin Matthews were revealed to be part of the cast in May 2022.[113] That July, Drew Matthews was revealed to be playing Dennis Bukowski.[114] The following month, Mark Linn-Baker was revealed to be playing Morris Walters,[23] Patty Guggenheim was revealed as Madisynn King,[42][115] and Rhys Coiro, Kat's husband, was revealed as Donny Blaze.[116] In August, Megan Thee Stallion was revealed to have a cameo appearance in the series as herself.[26] Her inclusion in the series was suggested by Jamil, after the two had worked together on the television series Legendary.[27]

Feige also teased appearances from other MCU characters given Walters' work as a lawyer for superheroes,[22] with Maslany confirming there would be "some really fun characters" in the series that Walters was defending or going up against in court.[3] The majority of the cameos in the series are characters from the comics that have yet to appear in the MCU.[117] Charlie Cox was revealed to be appearing in the series in his MCU role of Matt Murdock / Daredevil in July 2022,[35] which Coiro called the series' "biggest surprise".[117] He had been approached by Feige in June 2020 to reprise his role from Marvel's Netflix television series for this and the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).[118] In August 2022, Brandon Stanley was revealed as Eugene Patilio / Leap-Frog.[119] Nick Gomez and Justin Eaton appear as Wrecker and Thunderball, respectively, members of the Wrecking Crew,[50] while David Pasquesi appears as Craig Hollis / Mr. Immortal.[51] Additional characters include Nathan Hurd as Man-Bull, Joseph Castillo-Midyett as El Águila, Terrence Clowe as Saracen, and Jordan Aaron Ford as Porcupine.[52] Wil Deusner provides motion-capture for Skaar, Hulk's son.[53] Gao was unaware if Marvel Studios planned to have Deusner remain in the role for Skaar's future appearances.[120]

Ann Foley served as the costume designer, after previously working on the Marvel Television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[121] Gonzaga provided input into Nikki's wardrobe since she enjoys and knows fashion. She said that Nikki's wardrobe "can't be too crazy" given she works in an office, but was able to make it "cool and edgy".[13]^: 5 Gonzaga felt most comfortable portraying Nikki when she was wearing "something a little defiant or something that she shouldn't be wearing at work or something that's a little too high fashion". Additionally, Gonzaga sold some of her own personal clothing to the series to wear as Nikki.[21] Speaking to Titania's look in the series, Jamil said the creatives wanted "to go for eleven [with] her style and everything about her", noting her "hair is so big and her outfits are so extra". It was important to Jamil that Titania looked "very fake in every way", so she wore a padded butt to replicate buttock augmentation and did her own make up to make it seem like Titania had plastic surgery by "overlining my lips and chiseling down my nose and overdoing my cheekbones".[16] Daredevil's costume is similar to the red one he wore in Marvel's Netflix series, but with an updated color scheme to include the yellow helmet and accents from the character's debut comics design in Daredevil #1.[122][123] Cox's original suit was used as a reference and for his costume fitting for the one featured in She-Hulk.[118] Marvel Studios had clear intentions as to what his costume would look like for the series.[69] Cox was excited that She-Hulk was using this suit, also understanding the fans and viewers would equally be excited that the character was able to wear that suit.[124]

Elena Albanese served as production designer.[31] The series' end credits are in the style of courtroom sketches and are drawn by Kagan McLeod, who worked with Aspect on them.[125]

Filming began on April 12, 2021 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia,[126][127] with Coiro and Valia directing episodes of the series,[22] and Florian Ballhaus and Doug Chamberlain serving as cinematographers for Coiro and Valia, respectively.[13]^: 1 The series was filmed under the working titles Libra, Clover,[127][128] and Big Lady.[129] Filming was previously expected to begin on July 6, 2020, but was postponed to March 2021,[103][130] due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[127][130][131]

Coiro worked to visually keep the comedy of the series balanced with the expected cinematic scope of the MCU, stating, "We obviously are exploring themes and we're exploring tone and we're exploring very everyday comedic moments, but we still need it to feel like it's part of the MCU."[60] Roth initially found it difficult to return to the character but was able to approach the role with more humor after watching and beginning to work alongside Ruffalo.[25][132] Coiro worked to find a balance when portraying sex in the series, without it going "too far" or being "taboo",[133] while still making it accessible and enjoyable for general audiences. She noted that Maslany felt the sex positivity of the character was "very important to her" and was a main contributor to the conversations about the sexualization in the series.[134]

Jamil said she would be filming her scenes until the week of August 15,[135] and filming for the series wrapped by that date.[136] During filming, Coiro partnered with the environmental nonprofit Habits of Waste and their "Lights, Camera, Plastic" campaign, to avoid featuring single-use plastics on screen when possible and replacing them with reusable and eco-friendly items.[137]

Visual effects for the series were created by Digital Domain, FuseFX, Soho VFX, Trixter, Wētā FX, and Wylie Co.[138] Coiro discussed the digital character of She-Hulk, believing some of the initial negative reactions to it in the marketing was because "she is so different" than other digital characters, as she does not have the same "grisliness, harshness, [or] bulkiness" as characters like Thanos or Hulk do. She added that the creatives were focused on achieving detail in She-Hulk's facial expressions and her "nuances of reaction", and credited Alonso for her "incredible eye" in helping to design the character.[139] As well, the creative team focused on strength over aesthetics, studying musculature and woman athletes rather than bodybuilders. Coiro explained, "So she doesn't have a bodybuilder's physique, but she absolutely has a very strong physique that can justify the actions that she does in the show. I think people expected a bodybuilder and for her to have these big, massive muscles but she looks more like Olympians."[8]

Gao noted that, despite Feige encouraging her and the writers to feature She-Hulk as much as possible in the series, when it came time to start filming, it was requested that some of the scenes with She-Hulk be changed to ones with Walters. She added that "a lot of things... had to be changed at the last minute" because of this shift, and even while editing the episodes, a number of shots were cut that featured She-Hulk due to budget constraints.[62] Digital Domain drew inspiration from the ripening of a strawberry when designing Walters' transformation into She-Hulk.[140]

Amie Doherty was revealed to be composing the score for the series in July 2022.[141] Doherty wanted her main theme to work for both Walters in the courtroom, and then be able to transition into "this big superhero world" for She-Hulk. The She-Hulk part of the theme Doherty described as "big and bombastic" and one that would fit in the "well-established sound" of the MCU and found Walters' portion more challenging to fit alongside the MCU sound while still being unique. She watched legal dramas like Ally McBeal, The Good Wife, and The Good Fight for inspiration. Doherty wanted to bring a "modern" sound to her score alongside the orchestra, looking at songs from Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, and other artists in the top 40. Woodwind instruments were intentionally left out of the score, with Doherty using synths to fill the frequencies they would have provided; brass and strings were also recorded for the score.[142] The score was recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna.[143]

The score for the series was released digitally by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records in two volumes: music from the first four episodes was released on September 16,[144] and music from the last five episodes was released on October 19.[145] The series' main theme was released as an eponymous single on August 18.[146]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 77%, with an average score of 6.50/10, based on 613 reviews. The site's critic's consensus states: "Whether she's fighting bad guys, defending a client, or managing her messy social life, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law passes the bar for bingeworthy viewing."[184] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 67 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[185]

The series' first four episodes were reviewed by critics before they debuted.[186] Daniel Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter called these episodes "broad, bright and eager to serve the audience with a wink and a nudge" though lacking "stakes or a distinctive style". He felt the series' writing for characters previously seen in more dramatic situations, and the Easter eggs and cameos would be divisive with viewers.[186] Writing for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall said attempting to be a half-hour comedy series produced "mixed but mostly positive" results, but believed the series had a harder time distinguishing itself within the MCU than the character's comic series because the MCU had a lighter tone already compared to the other comics being published around She-Hulk's runs, which made the contrast of her comics more apparent. He also noted the MCU was "drastically less populated" in regards to characters that could be featured, with Slott having an "enormous toy box" in the comics to feature a wide array of characters. Sepinwall said the humor of Attorney at Law was "softer than what you find in the more overtly ridiculous MCU films like Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy" and did not become consistently funny until the fourth episode.[86]

Joelle Monique at TheWrap called the series "a delightful break from the cutesy family fun and intense heroic introspection" of the previous Marvel Studios Disney+ series, praising Maslany's performance and noting it was "incredibly rewarding as a long-time fan of the franchise" as well as those who enjoy legal television series.[187] Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times gave the episodes 3 out of 4 stars, praising Maslany and believing She-Hulk: Attorney at Law "plays like a 21st century take on a 1980s TV show" and felt like "one of those 'cameo every week' kind of shows, with gratuitous but entertaining fight sequences sprinkled in between the courtroom antics and the comedic byplay".[188] The Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore said the series a "surprisingly refreshing spin" on the Marvel Studios Disney+ series, one that felt "like the precursor to something new yet very familiar".[189] Arezou Amin of Collider gave the first four episodes an "A", saying they were a "delightful ride" and was hopeful the final five episodes would be equally charming.[190]

Caroline Framke of Variety said in her review that the series was "charming enough as it bounces from one hijink to the next, especially in Maslany's capable hands. But between its obligations to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, a far more limited budget than its film peers, and attempts to infuse Jen's story with dated #girlboss energy, She-Hulk also represents an unsteady balancing act that needs more time than it likely has to settle into its own groove." She also noted having Walters be able to have more control over She-Hulk than Banner with Hulk because of her daily experiences as a woman keeping her emotions in check was "an undeniably effective way to make the She-Hulk experience markedly, urgently different from that of" Hulk's. Framke also called the story's approach to Walters' job and dating life, and the series' costumes, "several steps out of date", and wished for a more innovative approach to the fourth-wall breaking, that has become more commonplace in media since Byrne introduced it to the character in the comics back in the 1980s.[191] Giving the series 2.5 stars out of 4, USA Today's Kelly Lawler said She-Hulk: Attorney at Law "oh-so-close to being a great show, but doesn't fully commit to any of the three or four different shows it's attempting", wishing it committed better to the legal comedy, with more fourth-wall breaking and the examinations of regular humans in the MCU. Despite this, Lawler felt Walters was "a very appealing protagonist", with praise also going to Maslany, and that the series had "some well-placed humor", believing if Attorney at Law "leans into its strengths, it could be a really unique, fun take" on the MCU.[192] Kirsten Howard from Den of Geek enjoyed that the woman characters were portrayed as "smart, strong, and girlbossing it", but, like Framke, added it was "a rather rote narrative" that felt "dated as all hell, [and] speaks to how far behind the MCU is with female superhero representation that it feels the need to catch up in such a lazy and clichéd way". They also felt the second, third, and fourth episodes were "too fluffy [and] too hackneyed", criticizing the comedy, procedural elements, and infrequent fourth-wall breaking that ended up being "jarring".[193]

The response to the series' visual effects were mixed,[186][188][191][192] with some reviewers feeling it was an improvement over what was featured in the trailers,[191] while others called it distracting and entering the uncanny valley.[189][192] Some were critical of it, but believed it did not detract from the series,[86][186][194] with Howard stating some visual effects in the later episodes leaned towards "Polar Express territory". Howard also felt it would have been "a pretty powerful statement on its own" to have a fully realized She-Hulk character model against the Hulk model.[193]

In a review of the entire series, Amelia Emberwing from IGN gave She-Hulk: Attorney at Law an 8 out of 10, praising the approach from Gao, Coiro, and Maslany. She enjoyed the humor Gao and the writers were able to find in moments that highlight "some of the most ridiculous parts of everyday life as a woman" against the struggle of suddenly gaining superpowers along with the sitcom format and the fourth-wall breaks. However, both the sitcom format and fourth-wall breaks "fall apart" in the finale, which was "unable to reconcile with its tone" and did not adequately resolve "the abject humiliation Jen experiences" in the penultimate episode. Despite this "little bit of a bobble" at the end of the series, Emberwing found Attorney at Law to be "completely fresh to the Marvel Cinematic Universe", particularly in bringing "female sexuality front and center" and its approach to toxic masculinity. Emberwing's colleague Alex Stedman felt Attorney at Law was a successful first sitcom in the MCU, praising Maslany's performance, though feeling the 30 minute runtimes were at times too short, and sometime wishing multiple episodes had been released each week.[195] Polygon's Matt Patches called the series "easily one of the horniest shows currently streaming on Disney Plus, and for that, one of the most refreshing".[134] Debiparna Chakraborty at MovieWeb said Attorney at Law was "a feminist satire, an origin story, and an overall fun show that manages to break away from many regular MCU tropes", enjoying the fact the series set a clear tone early on and Walters' ability to break the fourth wall.[196]