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The first reviews for She-Hulk, the next Marvel show to hit Disney Plus, are in – and critics have mixed feelings, despite the verdict mostly skewing positive.
The series stars Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk, a successful lawyer and the cousin of Bruce Banner, who ends up also turning green after the pair are involved in a freak accident. The aforementioned OG Hulk, Mark Ruffalo himself, makes an appearance in the show, along with other familiar faces like Tim Roth’s Abomination, Benedict Wong’s Wong, and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.
Part legal sitcom and part superhero show, with some fourth-wall-breaking to boot, She-Hulk certainly seems to be treading new ground for the MCU. But is it worth tuning in? Here’s what the critics think.
Variety (opens in new tab)
“She-Hulk is 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.”
IGN (opens in new tab)
“She-Hulk: Attorney At Law hits all the right notes as a sitcom while still nailing the beats you’d expect out of an entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though the first episode is all the necessary, run-of-the-mill origin story you’d expect, none of it is presented in a way that could be considered boring. And yes, the effects look better than the first trailer you saw.”
RadioTimes.com (opens in new tab)
“Anyone familiar with Maslany’s earlier performances in Orphan Black and Perry Mason will be aware of her dramatic ability, but it’s a real delight to see her flex a different muscle with such an overtly comedic role. She-Hulk is a cheeky, witty and scene-stealing persona that she slips into with ease, bringing an endearing charm to both her human form and motion capture alter-ego.”
The Verge (opens in new tab)
“When She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s firmly in comedy mode and playing up the influence of John Byrne’s and Dan Slott’s comics or hammering home an important idea about the importance of rehabilitation over incarceration, the show feels like it’s in a pretty good spot. But in moments where She-Hulk tries to shift gears, the series occasionally seizes up a bit, almost as if it’s remembered just how much it’s trying to do and panicked.”
The i (opens in new tab)
“This breaking of the fourth wall – what I call ‘Fleabagging’, after the most famous and best example of such a move – has become shorthand for feminism, for funny, flawed women who we’re supposed to relate to. Some (Fleabag, obviously, and I May Destroy You) employ it with meaning, adding to and deepening the meaning of a scene. In She-Hulk it feels like a cheap, cringeworthy attempt to align itself with such shows.”
Metro (opens in new tab)
“She-Hulk strikes a brilliant balance of introducing new characters into the Marvel fold, while also retaining plenty of links to the stories that fans have been familiar with for over a decade. Fans will be falling over themselves at some of the cameos – some of which have already been revealed (ahem Daredevil and Wong), others that have remained under wraps – but as Jennifer points out to the camera during one of her signature fourth-wall breaks: ‘Just remember whose show this actually is’.”
She-Hulk premieres on August 18 on Disney Plus, with new episodes releasing every Thursday – make sure you never miss an episode with our She-Hulk release schedule. And, for more on the MCU, check out our guide to everything we know so far about Marvel Phase 5.
