She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Everything you need to know before watching

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is shaping into an eclectic mix of genres. Between the sitcom treatment of WandaVision and the coming-of-age story seen in Ms. Marvel, the studio has experimented quite a bit. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, the next show joining the line-up is yet another step into the unpredictable Phase 4. Starring Emmy-winning actress Tatiana Maslany as the titular character, the show is about a superhero who has the same powers as the Incredible Hulk. And that’s perhaps all you know about her. She is, after all, one of the most underrated Marvel characters.

So as the show drops, here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know before watching the series. 

First up, who is She-Hulk? 

She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters played in the series by Maslany is the cousin sister of Bruce Banner/Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo in the MCU). As the title suggests, she is a lawyer by profession and a pretty good one at that. The show is a 9-part legal comedy that will follow her breaking the fourth wall and navigating life as a single 30-something who has the ability to transform into a towering green superhero. She was first introduced in The Savage She-Hulk #1, a 1979 comic run by Stan Lee, Steve Buscemi and Chic Stone. In the comics, she gets her powers after Bruce Banner performs a blood transfusion in an emergency. The gamma radiation in his blood gives her the powers of Hulk. So what’s the difference between Hulk and She-Hulk, you ask? Unlike the Avenger, she is fully conscious even in her Hulk form and retains her intelligence. Walters at first tries to suppress her powers till she learns to control them. However, she has a whole new set of challenges. She has her work cut out between keeping her powers in check and using her qualifications as an attorney to help superhumans like herself. 

When and where does She-Hulk fit into the MCU’s chaotic timeline? Marvel has not officially confirmed when the events of She-Hulk are set so it’s hard to tell for sure. In She-Hulk’s trailers so far, Bruce Banner is in his human form with a sling around his arm. He was seen in the same look in the mid-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He also appears as Smart Hulk without the arm injury from wearing the Infinity Gauntlet in the film Avengers: Endgame. This is where it gets tricky. However, we do know that the show is set a little after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings thanks to the show’s writer Jessia Gao who in an interview with TV Line confirmed that the show is set  “not too far” after the film. Another hint about the timeline is the presence of Abomination in his human form in the trailer. The character was seen in Shang-Chi in his beast form alongside Wong (played by Benedict Wong). This brings us to the barrage of cameos in the show. 

The confirmed MCU cameos She-Hulk will see  Bruce using all his knowledge about being a Hulk to guide Jennifer. The promos see them train together as well so it looks like Bruce is going to make quite a few appearances in the show. But it is unclear how big a role he will play. Apart from Bruce, Wong who was last seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is also in the show and he’s still the Sorcerer Supreme. The most highly anticipated tie-in into the show is Matt Murdock/Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox). Fans have been clamouring for the character’s return in any capacity since his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home and now, it looks like he’s here in the MCU to stay. As per multiple reports, the showrunners have revealed that the She-Hulk will see a lighter side of the character. 

Who is Abomination? 

One of the returning MCU characters making a comeback in  She-Hulk is Emil Blonsky/Abomination (played by Tim Roth) who made his first MCU appearance as an antagonist in The Incredible Hulk. Blonsky was injected with the super soldier serum and later with Bruce Banner’s blood which turns him into a monster. He was defeated by Hulk in the film and was nowhere to be seen in the MCU till Shang-Chi where Wong and Abomination clash before the former gives the latter tips on fighting. So their bond is a friendly one. Coming to the show, Emil is seen in a high-security prison, interacting with Walters in the trailer, possibly as his lawyer. 

Who is Titania? 

Mary MacPherran/Titania is one the newer faces to be introduced to the MCU. The character is played by Jameela Jamil. In the comic books, she has dreams of attaining superpowers and goes as far as pretending to be Spider-Woman. She gets her superpowers after a run-in with Doctor Doom and transforms into super villain Titania. In She-Hulk’s trailer she is seen crashing a courtroom session where Jennifer is working on a case. The show will see her as an influencer putting a modern spin on the character. 

She-Hulk is written by Jessica Gao who is also onboard as showrunner. Anu Valia and Kat Coiro serve as directors. The show also features Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jon Bass and more. The show is set to premiere on August 18 with new episodes dropping every week.