Episode one of Marvel Studios’ latest Disney Plus streaming series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, gave audiences plenty to chew on. The immediate fourth-wall break, the appearance of one of the MCU’s douchiest characters to date and the breakthrough appearance by Jameela Jamil’s Titania were certainly all eye-catching and worth discussion, however, another brief Easter egg is one that might foreshadow the biggest payoff.
Well before Episode One, “A Normal Amount of Rage”, aired, fans were well aware that a car crash was responsible for Jennifer Walters gaining the incredible powers of her cousin, Bruce Banner’s alter ego, the Hulk. What fans did not know, however, was that the car crash was caused by a Sakaaran ship that came to Earth in search of the Hulk. Why would that ship be on Earth? What could the Sakaarans want with the Hulk? A potential answer comes from both the comics and the ship’s appearance could lend credence to a nearly year-old rumor.
The planet of Sakaar was introduced in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and although the Hulk’s adventures on the planet are done, it doesn’t mean the consequences of those adventures have all come to bear. As explained in Thor: Ragnarok, time moves in mysterious ways on Sakaar, so while Hulk may not have been gone too very long as perceived by his friends on Earth, he also may have spent quite a bit of time on Sakaar.
Thor: Ragnarok very clearly adapted bits and pieces of one of the Hulk’s most popular Marvel Comics’ stories: Planet Hulk. Miek and Korg, who were both major players in Greg Pak’sPlanet Hulk, were introduced in Ragnarok, but there were another half-dozen or so other major characters who never appeared. Foremost among them are Caiera, who Hulk married on Sakaar, and their son, Skaar.
Rumors have long pointed to the potential appearance of Skaar in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and the appearance of the Sakaaran ship on Earth does little, if nothing, to dispel those rumors. Fans of the Marvel Comics might remember that Skaar first appeared in the midst of the World War Hulk event; notably, a World War Hulk film is rumored to be in development at Marvel Studios.
Could the Sakaaran ship be the precursor to Bruce Banner meeting his son, Skaar? Could that meeting be a precursor to a World War Hulk movie being announced, given the rumors that Universal’s distribution rights for Hulk films are set to expire in 2023? Hopefully, these questions will be answered in the near future, allowing fans to start guessing about a whole new set of possibilities.
Marvel Studios’ fourth Phase has been full of exciting new characters making their live-action debut, and tomorrow, Tatiana Maslany will join their ranks as the title character in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The Disney+ series marks a milestone in the 42-year history of Jennifer Walters, but it’s far from the first time a studio has tried to bring the Jade Giantess to life. From the very first time she tore through the page in 1980’s The Savage She-Hulk #1 – Stan Lee‘s last major contribution to the Marvel universe – it was clear Jen had the potential to be every bit as popular as her incredible cousin. Hollywood took note, and the first attempt at putting She-Hulk on camera came within a decade of her conception. Before fans sit down to watch Attorney at Law, it may be worth taking a journey back through time to discover how the series came to be.
The Death of the Incredible Hulk
From 1977 to 1982, the Columbia Broadcasting System (or CBS, to be less dramatic) aired a full 80 episodes of The Incredible Hulk. A dramatic interpretation of the Hulk story, the series starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner, a lonely physician on the run after exposure to Gamma radiation curses him with turning into a giant green rage monster whenever agitated. With very limited digital effects to rely on, bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno famously stepped in for Bixby whenever he transformed, and the overwhelming popularity of the duo is arguably responsible for the Hulk’s lasting influence on mainstream culture.
Following the end of the series, Bixby maintained his interest in playing Banner and pitched an exciting new concept to Columbia – a made-for-television sequel film that paired his character with Nicholas Hammond‘s Spider-Man, who previously headlined his own less-successful show from 1977 to 1979. The idea fell through pretty quickly, despite interest from all parties involved, and Bixby remained determined to make a live-action Marvel crossover happen. Years later, in 1988, this would result in The Incredible Hulk Returns, which paired Banner with Eric Allen Kramer‘s Thor. In concept, the film would act as a backdoor pilot for a Thor show on rival network NBC, although this never happened. Instead, another sequel movie would be made, titled The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, that featured the big muscle-bound meanie teaming with Daredevil, played by Rex Smith. Again, this was intended as a backdoor pilot, and again, it led to nothing but another Hulk film.
On the third try, according to Starlog Communications’ Comics Scene magazine, the writers intended to introduce a newer Marvel character to help carry the franchise forward. As of 1989, Bixby‘s last telefilm was planned to feature She-Hulk in all her green-skinned glory. Oddly enough, when it was ultimately released as The Death of the Incredible Hulk in 1990, there was no sign of Jennifer Walters to be found anywhere. It’s still unknown exactly why the heroine was booted from the production. Some reports, including another from Comics Scene, claim that Jen was abandoned in favor of a Black Widow team-up. Though Natasha Romanoff does not appear in Death, there is a Russian spy character named Jasmine (portrayed by Elizabeth Gracen) who plays a large role in the plot. There was a brief rumor that She-Hulk would be utilized in a possible fourth film, tentatively titled The Revenge of the Incredible Hulk, but production on that project stalled, and Bixby passed away tragically before it could be made. However, it wouldn’t be long before She-Hulk’s name was once again being batted around for television contention.
She-Hulk: Metamorphosis (ABC)
Only a year after she failed to debut in The Death of the Incredible Hulk, ABC reportedly began development on a stand-alone live-action series for She-Hulk. Nothing is really concretely known about the project, aside from the fact it was briefly publicized in 1990 as an upcoming venture from Marvel and New World Pictures. Unsubstantiated internet rumors suggested it may have been intended as a spin-off of CBS’ The Incredible Hulk, with Ferrigno and Bixby returning once more as supporting characters. Producer Jill Sherman Donner, who had worked extensively on the original show as a screenwriter, was attached to make the series happen. Gabrielle Reece, a volleyball player and fashion model, is rumored to have been cast as She-Hulk, while Baywatch actress Mitzi Kapture was supposedly on board as Jennifer Walters.
If the legend is true, ABC’s She-Hulk made it all the way to filming a pilot in 1991. The premiere episode is said to have revolved around Jen as an assistant district attorney, who is still haunted by the murder of her parents when she was a child. Hellbent on exposing a well-respected businessman as a secret criminal mastermind, presumably the one responsible for her family’s death, Walters is sent on a forced vacation to the Caribbean, where she bumps into Bixby‘s former physician. In this world, Jen and Dr. Banner are supposedly not related, and a romance is hinted at early on. Before anything can flourish between the two, however, a hitman shoots Jen for going after his businessman boss, and Banner makes the hard decision to give Walters some of his blood so she may survive. This results in Walters’ transformation into the Savage She-Hulk, who would not be as intelligent as her comic book counterpart. Instead, Reece‘s She-Hulk was rumored to be a lumbering monster much like Ferrigno.
Much of this was actually somewhat confirmed in the 2011 book You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry: A Hulk Companion, by Patrick A. Jankiewicz.* In his coverage of the Hulk’s history, Jankiewicz interviewed She-Hulk‘s Sherman Donner about the aforementioned pilot – which she had apparently titled “Metamorphosis.” The creative relayed much of the same information, and even revealed her version of She-Hulk was going to look radically different than the traditional design. Instead of being entirely green like her predecessor, Jen would have had golden skin with bright red hair and green eyes. Why? Sherman Donner explained:
I made her golden instead of green because green isn’t pretty. Changing her skin color made her seem more feminine, prettier and different than just making her green.
Jill Sherman Donner
It’s not known exactly why the pilot was canned before it aired, but the same sources that spread the plot claim there was concern over the lead actress’s ability to hold her own series. ABC is said to have wanted the more well-known Melissa Gilbert for the part and cancelled the entire production when Kapture couldn’t be replaced. Another potential reasoning behind the show’s end was the lack of interest in more Hulk content after the last telefilm flopped in the ratings. That, combined with Bixby‘s eventual passing, ended up derailing all plans for the jolly giant at the time, and if ABC’s She-Hulk was truly supposed to be connected to Bixby‘s world, it could have simply been an unfortunate casualty of the franchise’s untimely demise. Of course, that is mostly conjecture, but the timing does help the theory make sense.
*Disclaimer: Information regarding You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry: A Hulk Companion came from secondhand sources (cited below) and was included for the sake of providing as much information as possible. The author has not read this book personally.
She-Hulk: The Movie
Once it became clear She-Hulk wasn’t going to appear on television anytime soon, New World Pictures decided to shift gears and begin development on a film adaptation instead. Much like the previous live-action attempt, most of the details surrounding the ill-fated production are a little fuzzy. Different sources have claimed a variety of details, most of which will at least be mentioned here, but there are only a few solid truths that are known to be 100% accurate. Firstly, most everyone can agree that B-movie director Larry Cohen was hired to helm the project sometime in the early-to-mid-1990’s. Some outlets have said that Cohen also wrote the script, while others say screenwriter Carl Gottlieb was commissioned in his place. Either way, the project never made it to filming, and nothing much is known about the hypothetical plot.
What is known for certain, and what is perhaps the most famous aspect of this doomed idea, is that actress Brigitte Nielsen was cast in the title role. Now-infamous publicity photos made their way online some time ago, originating from an article in an issue of Wizard Magazine, showing Nielsen as both Jennifer Walters and the mighty She-Hulk. At that point in the 90’s, the former Red Sonja star had made a name for herself as an action franchise lead. It’s been claimed in the past that the studio wasn’t confident She-Hulk would actually make it off the ground and hoped a photoshoot with someone of Nielsen‘s caliber would interest investors and get the project moving. Alas, the financial failures of the era’s other low-budget Marvel flicks (i.e. Captain America, The Punisher, and Howard the Duck) proved to be too damning and killed the film before lift-off.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Oddly enough, Larry Cohen‘s failed blockbuster would be the last major attempt at bringing She-Hulk to life until Marvel Studios announced it would make a Disney+ series – previously mentioned as being titled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – in 2020. This was likely, in large part, due to Universal’s acquisition of the Hulk’s film distribution rights in the late 1990s, and their subsequent determination to focus on getting a Hulk movie correct for over a decade. With all eyes on Bruce Banner, it doesn’t seem Universal had much interest in Jen Walters.
Even when Marvel Studios were able to get its hands on the Hulk, it was for crossover films only, preventing the studio from developing a full-blown solo franchise for the character that could have resulted in She-Hulk making her MCU debut years earlier. Luckily, after a lengthy and mysterious behind-the-scenes battle, it would seem Marvel Studios was at least able to come away with the ability to produce a streaming series, and now fans all over the world will finally get to see Jen Walters hulk-out in live-action. With any luck, there won’t be a problem bringing her to the big screen going forward.
Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is set to premiere this Thursday, and as evidenced in the trailers, Jen’s fourth wall breaking will be a big part of the series. Jessica Gao, who serves as the head writer on the show, previously discussed the importance of including fourth wall breaking in the series, stating it was one of the most essential factors from the comics she ensured carried over into the series. However, it looks like it took a bit for the creatives to decide how to work it into the show.
During the virtual press conference last week, Gao was asked how She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall in a way unique to her character. According to Gao, it was a bit of an evolutionary process to decide how the titular hero would use the fourth wall breaks within the series. “I mean, we really talked. It went through a lot of evolutionary steps. A long journey of, like, how much should she talk to camera? Is she talking directly to the audience? Is there another meta element? Is she talking to somebody else, like, that’s more behind the scenes?”
Early scripts had the series using text boxes with editor’s notes instead of having Jennifer Walters talking directly to the camera. Gao took inspiration from the comics and how editor’s notes were added in text boxes. “At one point, there was an iteration in the scripts where, instead of really talking directly to the camera, there were, kind of text boxes that were editor’s notes, like the comic books, how there were editor’s notes in comics.”
Had the series decided to keep the text boxes, Walters would’ve interacted with them on screen, but it was ultimately scrapped. “And she was actually interacting with the editor’s notes that would be onscreen. I mean, we did eventually scrap that idea. But I mean, we went through a lot of different versions of how she would do it.”
While it would’ve been fun to see Tatiana Maslany‘s Walters interact with editor’s notes on the screen, the creatives seem to have made the right decision by choosing to have her speak directly to the camera.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres on Thursday, August 18th.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is set to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first foray into legal comedy. And in typical procedural fashion, there will most likely be a new court case every episode or two. With that being said, here are 5 potential court cases that Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, could litigate in her Disney+ series or any of her future appearances in the MCU. Dun-Dun!
Case #1: Rhodes v. Hammer
This is something that’s been done in the comics, but it could be a lot of fun in the MCU. Especially because, while they constantly like to hint at its existence, they’ve never really explored in-universe superhero merchandising to its fullest potential. In the comics, Kingpin owns the merchandising rights to Spider-Man. While Kingpin and Spider-Man wouldn’t be the right characters to do this with here, there is a different hero that’s been on the Avengers, whose enemy could realistically take over their merchandising rights. Honestly, it could actually be really fun to have Justin Hammer purchase the merchandising rights for War Machine.
There could be a Stark Industries fire-sale where Justin Hammer manages to scrounge together some money to secure the rights to sell merchandise based on the War Machine. Hammer can go all out on running the property into the ground, all the while making a huge profit. Rhodes can reach out to She-Hulk for help going up against Hammer in court, suing to get the War Machine merchandising rights back. However, Hammer can retort, claiming that it was he who created the War Machine to begin with. Most of the design choices of the War Machine suit were his, as Rhodes and Stark were using a plain old Iron Man suit. Therefore, they would not be selling War Machine merchandise without Hammer in the first place. It could be a lot of fun.
Case #2: The Innocent Bystander
Remember in Doctor Strange when, after discovering that the Hong Kong Sanctum had fallen, Strange uses the Time Stone to reverse time? Well, it could be funny to see a civilian who was brought back to life after being killed in the Hong Kong Sanctum attack try to collect his own life insurance, since he technically died. Now, this guy can be well-meaning and have good intentions. Maybe he is down on his luck and needs some money. So, he goes to She-Hulk with a brilliant idea: he is going to sue his insurance company, making the case that even though he is alive now, he did die, so they should give him his life insurance money. It’s something that could even be further examined with those that disappeared as part of the snap, only to come back and find their lives had forever changed.
Case #3: Crimes of the Widows
A black widow needs to prove that she was under mind-control when she committed a murder. Mind-control has been a fixture of the MCU since Phase 1, with characters such as Bucky Barnes and Hawkeye being forced to carry out horrible acts while under another’s command. This could be a great opportunity to examine whether or not someone should be held responsible for crimes they’ve committed while under mind-control; something the MCU has never fully acknowledged. While this could also work with Bucky, it would probably be best suited for a black widow, since there’s not really a lot of record of what they’ve done, making it easier for different crimes and assassinations to be pinned on them.
One black widow could be forced to stand trial for a murder they committed while under mind-control, and She-Hulk would have to come up with a way to prove this to the jury, as well as convince them that she should not be held responsible. Bucky could be brought in to testify as a character witness, explaining how mind-control works. She-Hulk could even mind-control an unconvinced member of the jury; a fun way to persuade them that mind-control is real.
Case #4: What Makes a God?
After an Asgardian breaks a local law, She-Hulk could defend them on the basis that you cannot sue a “god.” This would be a great opportunity to explore the nature of “godhood” in the MCU, especially after Thor: Love and Thunder failed to really examine what makes an Asgardian – or any other “deity” in the MCU for that matter – a “god.” Maybe the Asgardians can be a little more sympathetic in this situation. Perhaps the Roxxon Energy Corporation wants to force the Asgardians off of New Asgard so they can dig for oil. She-Hulk can defend the Asgardians and their land, claiming that wherever they are currently is technically sacred ground because they are all “gods” of a religion that did use to exist. There is plenty of room for them to play around with this concept.
Case #5: Hammer v. Stern
Justin Hammer sues to get out of jail, making the case that he was manipulated by Hydra member Senator Stern. There should be more Justin Hammer in the MCU, so why not throw him into She-Hulk: Attorney at Law? And this one’s interesting because Hammer was working with Senator Stern, played by Garry Shandling in Iron Man 2. They were on the same side and the Senator seemed to be propping Hammer up. And it turns out that the Senator was working for Hydra. Now, it’s unclear if everyone working for Stern was part of Hydra, how many people knew about this, or if Hammer even knew about this at the time. However, Hammer can use this as an opportunity to get the charges on him dropped in the process, putting what remains as one of the MCU’s biggest unanswered questions to rest.
Justin Hammer can say that Stern, being a member of Hydra, tricked him into unwillingly participating in Hydra activity, by convincing him that stopping Tony Stark was the right thing to do for the country. Hammer can claim that he didn’t know Stern was a secret evil Hydra Nazi, but ultimately, he was using this as the grounds for why he should be released from jail. Hammer is able to BS his way through the legal system, but She-Hulk can advise that part of the condition of his release be that there needs to be an Avenger looking after him. She appoints Rhodey as his custodian, which could perfectly set up Justin Hammer’s return and play out in Armor Wars.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres on Disney+ August 18, 2022.
Even as Marvel Studios approached Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe did not feel as grandiosely populated as it should have been. Franchises were siloed into their respective corners until they were called to unite while the granular civilian world of the MCU was all but forgotten. The MCU felt only reserved for its mightiest heroes and never the people living in it. In comes She-Hulk, a show that not only blasts the doors wide open by introducing a cavalcade of weirdos and superpowered kooks but a show that examines the impact of superhumans on its denizens. She-Hulk, in many ways, recontextualizes the U in MCU, instilling it with new meaning and giving audiences a new perspective on it.
At the heart of the show is lawyer Jennifer Walters, the hapless cousin of Bruce Banner who gets gamma-radiated after a bizarre car accident. When an attack on the courthouse forces her to use her newfound Hulk powers, Walters turns into an overnight sensation. The limelight quickly nets her a job as the face of the superhuman law division in a prestigious law firm. One would think that Walters’ connection to her cousin would make her a perfect fit but when her own celebrity gets in the way of the job, things don’t go as planned.
Whereas The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Moon Knight are executed as 6-hour films, She-Hulk is one of the few Marvel Studios television shows to embrace the episodic format of the medium. Part-courtroom comedy and part-slice-of-life, episodes range from Wong suing a hacky magician for misappropriating the sling ring to She-Hulk’s firm prosecuting a shapeshifting Light Elf for catfishing a playboy. Head writer Jessica Gao displays a deep reverence for the sheer absurdity of living in a world populated by superheroes, examining heightened daily life while lampooning its blunders. Gao’s script is self-referential and keys heavily into present-day zeitgeist, reflecting the same comedic sensibilities as a culturally meta show like 30 Rock as it lampoons corporate culture, celebrity, influencers, and social media.
This coincidentally makes Liz Lemon and Jennifer Walters unlikely kindred spirits. Socially inept dweebs that have to navigate the corporate ladder and the insanity that comes with their profession. The ever brilliant Tatiana Maslany wields her wit with a gangly finesse that endears Jennifer Walters to every superhero faux pas she encounters. She’s never the coolest person in the room and she knows it. But like Tina Fey, Maslany’s wit and timing make her the funniest in the room in unexpected ways. The result is a Jennifer Walters that is goofy yet tenacious in her footing.
That Maslany succeeds in being funny is a feat on its own given how the breadth of her performance is at the behest of the VFX. She-Hulk has the disadvantage of being a painstakingly difficult character to bring to life. The show itself ends up being a dangerous tightrope act that threatens to fall into the uncanny valley, which it inevitably does from time to time. Director Kat Coiro struggles to find a visual identity for the show and often captures She-Hulk’s zany world through vapid TV lenses. This does the VFX team no favors as the She-Hulk model looks its worst in Coiro’s blandest compositions. The uncanny valley is most discernible in the office scenes, where plastic static walls and bright skylines glare in the frame. Nonetheless, the show’s VFX department does the commendable and thankless job of bringing the character to life. Their work begins to seamlessly blend into the world once the show begins to reach its farthest corners of its storytelling. There are fight sequences featuring Hulk and Wong that look plucked out of an Avengers film.
For a show that constantly pats itself on the back for its revolving door of exciting supporting character cameos, She-Hulk falls short of giving its own ensemble its legs to stand on. Ginger Gonzaga and Josh Segarra play Walters’ co-workers, Nikki and Pug respectively, and they aren’t given much to do. Despite the show insisting she’s She-Hulk’s best friend, Nikki barely feels like a character. There’s no sense of depth to their friendship nor does there seem to be any significant history between the two. Gonzaga pulls her weight in giving the character a semblance of life but the show’s in media res framing and focus on the larger cameos robs her of any real development. Pug, on the other hand, might as well not exist. Hot off the heels of Ms. Marvel, a show that features an ensemble whose characters are deserving of their spin-off, this is an unfortunate shortcoming.
Perhaps the show’s biggest strength is the trove of cameos and easter eggs that lord over each episode. She-Hulk does the incredible job of shouldering the granular world-building that many of the films and other TV shows have neglected to do. Superpowered characters that wouldn’t have otherwise existed in concurrent MCU efforts are proudly ushered in the show. Loose ends from films are purposefully referenced and examined in through the lens of the everyday civilian. Depending on one’s tolerance for cross-pollination, this may be a huge detriment to the show but to MCU fans longing for a more immersive look into the world, this show is a fever dream.
Ultimately, She-Hulk‘s meta-humor and wildly episodic case-of-the-week nature are sure to give viewers a refreshing change of pace. Imperfect VFX be damned, this show hilariously encapsulates the sheer insanity of the Marvel universe.
Tim Roth is currently pulling off one of the most unexpected comebacks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he couldn’t have done it without writer Jessica Gao. The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law creative recently sat down with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast to discuss the debut of her new series, and revealed in the process that she is the reason for Roth‘s return to the Marvel fold. Before Gao boarded the upcoming Disney+ project, the British actor’s Gamma-irradiated baddie was a bit of a one-off character in the franchise. He opposed Edward Norton‘s Bruce Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and though he survived the events of the film, he has mostly been disregarded by Marvel Studios in the years since. That changed with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, last year’s surprise hit that featured the Abomination in a quick cameo appearance.
According to Gao, it was actually her She-Hulk pitch to Marvel that sealed the deal on Emil Blonsky becoming a player in the MCU once more. She explained to Comic Book that she had envisioned Blonsky as part of her series from the very beginning, but was worried Marvel might turn the idea down after so much time away from the character:
So Abomination, Emil Blonsky, was in my original pitch and at that point, the last time we saw him was in 2008, The Incredible Hulk. I had no idea what their relationship to this character was anymore. I don’t know if they had any plans but it was a story I wanted to tell so I just put it in there. What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t get the job. Look, I have not gotten the job so many times at Marvel it was like old hat to me. I had no more fear. I was like Daredevil. I was the woman with no fear now.
Jessica Gao
She then dropped the intriguing tidbit that Marvel Studios was so on board with her concept, they added Abomination to Shang-Chi just to remind audiences of his existence before She-Hulk‘s release. Gao elaborated:
Because he was built in to be such a big part of the show in that original pitch and in the writer’s room, we really like, we were creating this whole story for him. Because everything in Marvel is connected, that was actually why he then was put in Shang-Chi, because he was in our show. That way, it was kind of to seed him so that people can get excited but also remember him and it kind of forced people to go, ‘Oh, I should go back and check in on him and remember who he is and what all of that was about.’
Jessica Gao
It seems Hulk’s former rival will have a lot to do when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law hits the small screen on August 18th. Gao‘s comments may also indicate The Incredible Hulk will have a more important role in the grand scheme of the MCU going forward. After all, the writer’s final comment implicates Marvel boss Kevin Feige as the perpetrator behind seeing Abomination back into the mainstream so seamlessly. When asked whose idea it was to put the monster in Shang-Chi, Gao replied:
Many were relieved when it was announced that Star Wars Visions would return for a second season. The animation anthology became quite the hit with its unique take on the iconic franchise. Not only did it offer small stories that each brought something new to the table, but it also included some truly fantastic animation. Many were surprised when the announcement dropped that the second volume would go beyond Japan, but it seems that is exactly the intention of executive producer James Waugh.
The first anthology is anime because we all loved the style of it, but personally my intention for Visions was to always let it be a more broad palette, because there’s so much great animation work going on in the world. There’s so many interesting voices in all sorts of other mediums that are really focused on animation right now. And we really wanted it to be, in a way, a “sub-brand” that allowed for different creators to come celebrate Star Wars from their own unique cultural perspective.
James Waugh
The animation varies from country to country, and opening up the possibility of other countries contributing does add something that’ll make the next season stand out.
And so Visions volume two is sort of a global tour of some of the most interesting animation studios on a global level. We have studios from Africa, Chile, England, Ireland, France, India… and the guiding light there was that we wanted their storytelling to be a reflection of what Star Wars meant in their culture, but also a reflection of the myths and stories that could only come out of their cultural context. Spring next year is currently where we’re targeting and I think it’s an absolutely beautiful anthology.
James Waugh
Luckily, spring isn’t too far away anymore and it’ll b exciting to see what stories will get explored, especially how the individual mythologies play into the storytelling approach. It also opens up the possibility of many more new stories to join the anthology over many years to come, which is always an exciting prospect for this varied galaxy far far away.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had its official premiere last night, with the social media embargo lifting shortly thereafter. With many calling it the best Marvel Studios series to date, anticipation is building for audiences as they wait to see how all the new characters being introduced will come into the fold of the series and the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, though, fans of the villainous Titania will apparently have to wait a bit longer into the run of the show for her to be a major presence. While being interviewed on the red carpet for the series premiere, actress Jameela Jamil previewed what audiences should expect from her character and when.
Episode five and six is when I really start to come around and ‘fork shirt up’ as the way we would say it on ‘The Good Place,’ and I bring mess and chaos and trouble to She-Hulk. And I really test her limits…she talks a lot in the show about ‘a woman’s patience’ and I think I know all of her buttons to press, and I do it with perfectly manicured fingernails.
Jameela Jamil
The preview of the character Jamil provides seems to set in place that Titania will become a fairly late-game major antagonist for the series. This would certainly be in line with other Disney+ series produced by Marvel Studios such as WandaVision and Hawkeye in how they introduced primary antagonists in Agatha Harkness and Kingpin, respectively. As well with this quote, it will be interesting to follow the dichotomy between Tatiana Maslany’s portrayal of She-Hulk and the social media influencer inspiration that’s seemingly been taken with Jameela Jamil’s Titania. If done right under the writing supervision of Jessica Gao, the dynamic between the two could become a largely memorable pair of rivals in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Thursday, August 18.
Last week, we here are Murphy’s Multiverse were lucky enough to attend the virtual press conference for Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. On hand to promote the series were stars Tatiana Maslany and Ginger Gonzaga, as well as director and executive producer Kat Coiro and head writer and executive producer Jessica Gao.
During the conference, Gao was asked how she went about adapting such an iconic character like She-Hulk, and the important elements deemed necessary to retain for the series. According to Gao, the most important aspect she felt necessary to retain when adapting She-Hulk into live-action was the fourth wall breaking. Which shouldn’t be too surprising as the Rick & Morty writer cited John Burns‘ for helping her fall in love with the character. “For me, foundationally, I felt like first and foremost was the fourth wall breaking and the kind of meta humor and the self-awareness. ‘Cause it was the John Burn run that made me fall in love with this character.”
She felt it was important to keep the lightheartedness from the comics, something the series seems to have successfully captured judging by the trailers for the series. Gao is best known for her work on “Pickle Rick,” the iconic episode of Rick & Morty that went on to earn a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy nomination. Comedy television is where she’s made her career, so bringing that tone to She-Hulk felt right. “For me, because I come from TV comedy, like, the comedy was kind of, like, a priority. But then, what’s great about having such an incredible cast is, then it feels like you’re cheating a little bit as a writer,” she explained. “Because they come in and they really just imbue this, like, humanity and this realness to these characters. Where you were like, “Oh, I was kinda focused on jokes, but you guys made her a real person.”
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law hits Disney+ on August 18th, with a new episode premiering every Thursday.
Rampant and ridiculous rumors accompany the production of every Marvel Studios project and their next project, the Disney + streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, is no different. While the show is loaded with cameos and appearances by no less than a dozen characters, known and unknown, it looks like one character can safely be scratched off the list.
According to head writer Jessica Gao, who spoke to Deadline at the green carpet premiere of She-Hulk, fans should not expect to see Johnny Blaze in the upcoming series.
While rumors of a Ghost Rider appearance have circulated online for months, a recent trailer for the series really fueled the fire that Johnny Blaze would be in the streamer. Fans caught a glimpse of a blurry poster that read “Donny Blaze” and believed it to read “Johnny Blaze.” Despite efforts to clarify what was seen on the poster, a section of fans clung tightly to the belief that Donny Blaze was either actually Johnny or related to him. As Gao explains multiple times to the disbelieving interviewer, Donny Blaze isn’t Johnny and is “just a magician who picked a stage name he thought was going to get a lot of attention.”
No Jonny Blaze and fans will have to wait a few weeks to see Donny Blaze in action, but She-Hulk: Attorney At Law debuts on August 18th on Disney +.
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