Since 2021, Marvel Studios has produced a number of TV shows for Disney+ across both live-action and animation. Some, like Loki and WandaVision, furthered the stories of established characters, while others, such as What If…? and Echo, broadened the scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with more standalone tales. The overall reception to this branch of the MCU has been decidedly mixed; for every fan-favorite, critically acclaimed project like Loki, there’s another that doesn’t quite resonate with audiences, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Perhaps no MCU show has been quite as divisive as the 2022 effort She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The Jessica Gao-created series brought the character of Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) who becomes a Hulk after coming into contact with his blood, into live-action for the first time in the form of a half-hour legal comedy. Played by Tatiana Maslany, Jennifer was a messy, intelligent woman facing down both superhuman threats and modern-day misogyny. From the moment the first trailer was revealed, She-Hulk was embroiled in controversy, but over three years later, it’s clear the series hasn’t gotten the credit it deserved.
‘She-Hulk’s Backlash Started Because of Its CGI and Only Got Worse
She-Hulk was first announced in 2019, but due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t come to fruition for another three years. After so much speculation about how the series would depict Jen, her Hulk form was finally revealed with the release of the first trailer in May 2022 and immediately hit with criticism over the special effects. It was around the time when Marvel Studios’ filmmaking methods were coming under closer scrutiny, particularly when it came to its VFX department. Employees were overworked in order to keep up with the rapid pace of production and, in the case of She-Hulk, had to contend with reported script changes (via Variety) that required post-production fixes.
Per data from Flixpatrol, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law cost $225 million, making it (along with WandaVision) Marvel’s most expensive Disney+ show thus far, according to recent numbers. The idea that a series that cost so much was unable to produce sharper CGI only increased the ire around She-Hulk, which then included toxic backlash surrounding Jennifer’s status as a female hero, the series’ humor, and everything in between. As with all Marvel projects, there were plenty of valid criticisms to be raised, but there also seemed to be just as many that simply took issue with how unapologetically feminist it was.
Everything ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Did, ‘She-Hulk’ Did Better
We’re not comparing apples to green apples here.
It’s the same kind of backlash that has cropped up around projects like Captain Marvel, The Acolyte, and even the 2016 Ghostbusters. She-Hulk even integrated it into the story, flashing negative comments about how the world doesn’t need a female hero and that turning the Hulk into a woman is stupid. Additionally, Jen dealt with a villain group that thrived on toxic masculinity. Beyond the unfair commentary, Marvel was at peak saturation and had produced so many projects that more casual viewers grew tired of the franchise. With the notion that this wasn’t Marvel’s best work persisting, She-Hulk got left behind.
‘She-Hulk’ Used All Its Resources To Create a Unique Marvel Show
Despite all the noise, though, She-Hulk is far from Marvel’s biggest misfire. In fact, it’s arguably underrated, especially as one of the only MCU shows to really make the most of its time. The CGI could’ve been stronger, it’s true, but the series is so much more than its special effects. As written by Gao and played by Maslany, Jen was a deeply relatable, fully fleshed-out female character, the kind the MCU hasn’t always paid the closest attention to. She had real, meaningful relationships with other women, most notably Ginger Gonzaga‘s Nikki, and her sex-positive approach to relationships was a breath of fresh air for the MCU.
She-Hulk also knew how to have fun with the MCU’s typical formula. Beloved characters like Bruce, Wong (Benedict Wong), and Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) all play satisfying supporting roles, and Jen’s ability to break the fourth wall meant the series could skewer everything from those aforementioned cameos to Marvel’s finale problem. It was allowed to cultivate its own personality, making it a far more memorable watch than a boilerplate MCU entry. Consider Secret Invasion, another Disney+ show that cost nearly as much as She-Hulk, yet couldn’t muster much urgency, intrigue, or creativity. She-Hulk is leagues above it.
Gao and the rest of the creative team took some big swings with its format and story, and they certainly aren’t for everyone. However, She-Hulk is an example of Marvel spending big bucks on something new rather than a formulaic story. Recent years have seen the MCU struggle to chart a new path and release several underwhelming titles, and She-Hulk got unfairly brushed off because of a few imagined problems. It isn’t yet clear when — or if — Jen will return to the MCU, but her show is still definitely worth checking out.
