She-Hulk is an exciting addition to the Marvel world. During Disney’s Investor’s Day, Marvel Studios president revealed that the upcoming story would be a half-hour legal comedy. It made me wonder how they would approach the story and tone of the show. There is one legal-comedy that seems like a perfect template that also suits the character quite perfectly. I am talking of none other than Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. The Adult Swim show re-used old Hanna-Barbera assets to create an adult comedy reinventing many of their beloved characters. Our titular hero is a criminal defense attorney that also acts as a parody, especially by making the various characters even more eccentric than they already were in their original renditions. You might be wonder, why would this type of comedy work for She-Hulk?
Well, many tend to overlook that she is fond of breaking the fourth wall long before Deadpool was around. In 1989, John Byrne introduced a cross-dimensional awareness of the character. She would tear the page or walk through advertisements. Dan Slott‘s run in 2004 also took this aspect one step further. As every comic before 2001 got published with the Comics Code Authority of America, they are considered legal documents that she actively uses in court to represent her clients. She has her own unique blend of destroying the fourth wall, which would be a waste not to explore.
She isn’t new to meta-humor and could mix up the formula we are familiar with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the MCU faces an ever-expanding multiverse, they can introduce her “world-altering” abilities through Wanda and Doctor Strange’s adventures. Not only did she transform into She-Hulk, but also at a timing that gave her some self-awareness. We will probably see many characters show up throughout her show. So, each episode could focus on a different client. We could finally meet some of the most bizarre superheroes ever created by Marvel, such as Demolition Man, 3-D Man, or Frog-Man. They don’t have to hold back in mocking some of the hero’s mistakes throughout the last 10+ years. Deadpool offered us a more unfiltered look at the X-Men world, while She-Hulk can expand it in creative ways.
Not just that, she also is forced to face a variety of cooky characters at her office. Stephen Colbert, who played Birdman’s boss Phil Ken Sebben, is a partner who makes her daily life a living hell. Not just that, she also is trying to adjust to the fact that her cousin’s blood transfusion gave her Hulk-like abilities. We can expect some accidental destruction. One episode can focus on Falcon, who is trying to ensure he can’t lose the Captain America title to the government again. His appearance would make for a great tribute to Birdman and makes for a great sequel to Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Plus, with hints at Charlie Cox‘s return in Spider-Man 3, she might drop a comment if he ever appeared in a competition streaming service before. These are just examples of how She-Hulk can tackle a similar structure to the Adult Swim series, while also making use of a similar type of meta-humor just to flip the entire MCU on its head.
