She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Trailer Breakdown: It's All About Balance
When Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con this year, he shared a lot about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He unveiled the Multiverse Saga to Hall H by clearly defining Phase Five and touching on the start and the finish of Phase Six. But of course, he also addressed the immediate future of the MCU, which will see Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters take center stage in "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" on Disney+ next month.
Ahead of the Jade Giantess' debut on the House of Mouse's signature streamer, Feige was joined by directors Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, head writer Jessica Gao, and stars Tatiana Maslany, Ginger Gonzaga, and Jameela Jamil to drop a brand new trailer offering an expanded look at what we can expect from the upcoming series. The first teaser was met with various criticisms from fans, the most prominent being the sub-par CGI. However, with the premiere date creeping closer with each passing day, it looks like those issues have been addressed. (Although, working conditions could still definitely improve for the VFX artists that work on shows like these.)
While we scrutinize the CGI of the latest Phase Four project, this is also the perfect time to break down everything that happens in the new trailer. Let's take a look at all the details that we may have missed amidst all the excitement of SDCC.
Wakey wakey
The trailer opens with Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters in a peaceful slumber. However, she's about to have a very rude awakening courtesy of the strongest Avenger aka her cousin Bruce. Ever the scientist, Mark Ruffalo's Smart Hulk is observing Jen's abilities at work. Using an air horn, he points out that she reverts to her human form while she sleeps, but hulks out when jolted awake. Yet despite activating her powers, she remains in control, albeit having a "normal amount of rage" from being woken up like that. Maslany and Ruffalo certainly have chemistry as family members, so it'll be fun to see the full extent of their interactions when the nine-episode series premieres.
Injury update
Bruce and Jen's excellent adventure continues with more training. The duo throw around boulders as Hulk talks about a multi-year journey that She-Hulk is about to endure in order to become a superhero. It's giving me similar vibes of Hercules arriving on Phil's doorstep for training after he learns that he's the son of Zeus. Of course, there's likely no montage musical number in this show, but there's no way to know for sure at this point, right?
Another important thing to note here is that the Hulk's arm isn't badly disfigured or in a sling following the events of "Avengers: Endgame." This could mean one of two things: 1. "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" (or at least this part of the show) is set during the Blip after Banner learns how to integrate his personality with the Hulk's. 2. "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" is set far enough from Banner's appearance in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" that he's been able to completely heal from using the Infinity Stones. Either could be a believable possibility.
"Hawkeye" also brought us back to the Blip years via flashbacks, so it's possible that other shows could take that route as well. Alternatively, Hulk has an insane healing factor. After sustaining damage from using the Nano Gauntlet, it would definitely take a good while for him to get back to normal, but it would get there eventually. Banner has talked about surviving attempts to kill himself as Hulk, so he'll bounce back from this sort of injury for sure. Hopefully we get some clarification when the episode with this bit drops.
Work-life balance
While slowly working his way into some yoga poses, Bruce says that being a Hulk asks for balance. Meanwhile, Jen shows off her grasp of balance by pulling out some b-girl moves into her cousin's pose, except one handed. This kicks off a training montage showing off more of She-Hulk's abilities, many of which surpass Hulk's in many ways. While she clearly has the physical balance covered, how will Jen balance her life as single, thirty-something lawyer with the green 6-foot-7-inch hulking superhero? That's likely the core theme of this whole show.
Aside from the superhero training exercises, it's hard to look past the beautiful setting they're training in. Blue skies, clear water, and lush greenery surround them. It's not confirmed, but Jen is wearing an "I heart Mexico" shirt at some points in the trailer. Did the Hulk set up shop in a remote part of Mexico during the Blip or after he helped Steve Rogers return the Infinity Stones to their proper places in time? It's possible. And with a view like that, you can hardly blame him.
Breaking the fourth wall
As previously promised, She-Hulk will borrow from her comic book roots and break the fourth wall in her MCU debut. Inspired by John Byrne's "Sensational She-Hulk" run from the '90s, Jen will look directly into the camera and address the audience from time to time. In this trailer, it happens a few times, so it's probably an ongoing thing throughout the season à la Zack Morris or Deadpool or Ferris Bueller. Whereas the comic version of the character made meta remarks about being in a comic book, I could see the writers having a lot of fun with commentary on television or superhero media in general at various points in the show.
And in addition to Byrne, it's been said that "She-Hulk: Attorney At Large" will draw inspiration from the stories told by Dan Slott and Charles Soule from the 2000s and 2010s, respectively. The combination of all that is sure to produce some very comedic moments for True Believers to enjoy.
Hop along
Once Jen decides to return to her life as a lawyer, she speaks to someone at the law firm of GLKH about eccentric superhumans coming out of the woodwork and launching a new division for them with She-Hulk as the face of it. Of course, one of the eccentric superhumans that he's referring to is Frog-Man, a rather obscure Marvel Comics character that is making the leap from the page to the screen.
We met him and his "Power Rangers"-esque super suit in the first trailer, but he pops up again here, except this time he's flying. Why is a man dressed as a frog flying? I certainly can't tell you, but I can tell you that it makes me very happy to see a goofy character like this get his moment in the spotlight.
Jailhouse rock
Following his appearance as the Abomination in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" as part of the underground super-powered fight club, Tim Roth reprises his role from "The Incredible Hulk" in the latest Disney+ series. This marks the first time that we see the actor in the flesh in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since he faced off with Edward Norton's Hulk back in 2008. Apparently, despite the conflict of interest that comes with Emil Blonsky trying to kill her cousin, he's also Jennifer Walter's first client as part of this new superhuman law division of her firm. There was some speculation previously that this would be the case, but now we have official confirmation on this interesting plot point.
Also, it's worth noting that Roth's Blonksy greets his lawyer with a peaceful, "Namaste." While this doesn't seem like an important detail right now, I'm going to circle back to that later on.
Disorder in the court
The Abomination isn't the only villain that She-Hulk will have to contend with on her show. Jameela Jamil of "The Good Place" stars as long-time Shulkie rival Titania, who we see burst into a courtroom using her immense strength. We're not sure what her motivations are for the attack, but luckily Jennifer Walters is there to step in and save the day. However, it looks like she's also streaming the fight on her social media. Breaking the fourth wall again, Jen says that she's not proud of this, but what is this exactly? Is she trying to gain more notoriety as a superhero? Maybe she's using it to promote her services as a lawyer? Or is she recording this for some kind of dating app? There's a number of possibilities and not enough information to figure out which one to go with right now.
What we can say though is that Titania's costume is a pretty far departure from the purple and gold colorway we're used to seeing her in. It's perfectly fine to update or alter a comic book character's attire for a new medium or for the modern day, but the Ultimate Warrior-esque fringe around the boots is certainly a choice. But speaking of professional wrestling, the first character to use the name Titania was a wrestler that formed a stable of other female wrestlers that gained super strength from the Power Broker. The MCU has taken bits and pieces of characters and put them back together to form a completely new character before (like in "Moon Knight" with Layla El-Faouly aka Scarlet Scarab), so it wouldn't be surprising if "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" combined the Davida DaVito and Mary MacPherran versions of Titania to form their version of the character.
Your witness, counselor
When Titania busts into the courtroom, Jen's associate tells her to do her thing. As she transforms into her big green alter ego, she laments having worn an outfit that she really likes. The loss of one great outfit to benefit the greater good isn't too bad though, right? It's always funny how the Hulks always find a way to work purple into their wardrobe. It's a solid color and really pops against their green skin. This frame from the trailer looks like the sort of outfit superstar artist Jen Bartel might put She-Hulk in for an impeccably colored comic book cover.
The Sorcerer Supreme
When "Doctor Strange" star Benedict Wong called the fourth phase of the MCU "Phase Wong" back in March 2022, he wasn't kidding. Since "Avengers: Endgame," the Sorcerer Supreme has popped up in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Now, Dr. Stephen Strange's colleague is set to make an appearance in "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law."
While this is most welcome news because more Wong is always better than less Wong, it's not exactly a surprise to see him in this show. Before he joined Shang-Chi in a rousing rendition of "Hotel California," he was facing off with the Abomination at the underground fight club. After their match, the opponents seemed pretty friendly, so maybe Wong shows up in Jennifer Walters' office to be an advocate for Blonksy. It's possible that he's convinced that the Hulk's former foe has really turned over a new leaf and is ready to reenter society. Or it's the opposite and Wong wants to make sure that the Abomination stays behind bars. Either way, Wong and She-Hulk share some very funny banter about doing things by the book.
With no direct sequel to his the latest film Wong's "home" franchise on the books at the moment, I hope that Kevin Feige and company keeps finding fun spots for Wong to pop up in. It may make sense for one of the most powerful sorcerers in our universe to show his face in "Agatha: Coven of Chaos," but it's unclear where else he could fit. All I'm saying is that if we have to wait until "Avengers: Kang Dynasty" or "Avengers: Secret Wars" to see Wong again, a lot of people will be very unhappy.
Whoa now, big fella
I wonder how many shirts Emil Blonksy goes through weekly since each one rips whenever he transforms into the Abomination. Are the guards just like, "Well, too bad. We don't have enough shirts for everyone, so you just don't get a shirt until more come in next week. You did it to yourself!"? I do expect to get some answers to the questions that I'm posing in this breakdown when "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" premieres, but probably not this one.
America's next top supervillain
After Jen's conversation with Wong about how universe is on the edge of a precipice, we get a bunch of quick cuts from scenes of She-Hulk beating up bad guys, meeting her adoring fans, and walking down a red carpet. There's also text touting the arrival of the "next big thing" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But also in this montage is this shot of Jameela Jamil's Titania in a fashionable pink business suit. We still don't know what she's up to, but we know that she plans on looking good while doing it.
Mommy? Sorry.
The series' synopsis and the first trailer emphasize that Jennifer Walters is single and ready to mingle. Apparently, dating is even difficult for funny and beautiful lawyers/superheroes. If that's the case, then what hope do I have?! Anyway, the SDCC trailer tones down the horniness a little bit to focus on the plot of this upcoming Marvel series, but they had to throw a little bit in there since it's just as much a part of She-Hulk as all that other stuff is.
After throwing down with the Abomination and Titania (and Frog-Man?), Ms. Walters is looking to throw down in her bedroom once in a while too. After seemingly finding a partner that isn't intimidated by the Jolly Green Giant's extremely attractive and buff cousin, it seems like she'll finally get to do that. And there's nothing wrong with a couple of consenting adults have a good time.
Uhhhh what?
I have no idea what this thing is or where it came from, but it lunges at She-Hulk and definitely tries to take a bite out of her. Very unpleasant.
Actually, this might be one of the Chicago rats that chewed through some wires in my engine this past winter. Get em, Shulkie!
Oh hello
Also during the montage of quick cuts, we hear a voiceover of She-Hulk saying, "You know that friend you had in high school who was way cooler than you were, attractive, got all the attention from everyone? Hello!" With that greeting, it's revealed that she's saying this while sitting in a circle of other presumably superpowered individuals. Maybe it's a support group of some kind as it sounds like Jen is saying that her She-Hulk form is like that friend for her. Either that or it's the set up for a self-deprecating joke at her own expense.
But remember when I said that it might be important that Emil Blonsky said, "Namaste" earlier? This is why. In the background of this scene is a poster with a quote on it. It says "Today is today" and it's attributed to Emil Blonsky. I'm guessing that the Abomination has somehow managed to start a cult disguised as a wellness retreat from prison. Blonsky might have become "enlightened" during his time in captivity and he's turned into some kind of self-help guru. Now, as his lawyer, Jen is probably investigating his whole operation to see if it's on the up and up. And while there, she gets roped into joining a session or two.
Sharing circle
While we can't confirm this self-help guru theory about Blonsky just yet, we did get a glimpse at the other people listening to She-Hulk share. While I'm sure that this duo has roots in Marvel Comics, I can't identify them. All I know is that one guy looks like a more medieval or militaristic version of Littlefinger from "Game of Thrones" and the other looks to be a human-steer hybrid. I wonder what they're looking to share when Jen's done.
Puny god
This shot is clearly a callback to Thor and Hulk from "The Avengers." However, instead of knocking the God of Thunder's block off by punching him in the face and sending him flying offscreen, Banner frustratedly shoves his cousin by the face after he contemplates feeling jealous of Jen in the scene prior.
The devil of hell's kitchen?
Finally, in the closing moments of the trailer, a masked individual leaps over She-Hulk and rolls into a fighting stance. In his hands, he's holding a pair of batons at the ready. This mysterious figure looks to be catching Jen off guard on top of a parking structure and possibly even preparing for a fight. But this Man Without Fear looks familiar, especially after he unsheathes his weapons. Could this be the next appearance of Charlie Cox's Daredevil before starring in Phase Five's "Daredevil: Born Again," which is set to premiere in spring 2024?
Following the cancellation of his Netflix show along with the other Defenders, Cox appeared in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as very good lawyer Matt Murdock. When "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" was first announced, many speculated that Murdock could be a part of the show as well. But now it looks like his superhero alter ego will be making an appearance instead (or as well).
Disney+
The scene goes by in a matter of seconds, but after painstakingly examining the sequence frame by frame, it certainly looks like Daredevil jumping and flipping circles around She-Hulk. Also, if you look closely at his costume closely in the light of the cars' headlights, it looks like this suit is inspired by the blind vigilante's red and yellow costume mixed with his armored suit from the '90s.
DIsney+
While I want to get my hopes up and join in the excitement for Daredevil returning to a streaming service for all new adventures, a part of me can't help but think that there's a small possibility that this is actually D-Man. Also known as Demolition Man, this Marvel hero looks like a mash-up of Wolverine and Daredevil. Thanks to the Power Broker, he received augmented strength. He's also an ally of Captain America, who works with D-Man on improving his fighting skills. D-Man is exactly the kind of low-level, obscure character that the creative team behind "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" would dig out of the toy box. I mean, if they pulled out Frog-Man, why not D-Man, whose first costume was intentionally a knock-off Daredevil?
I really hope that I'm wrong and it's Charlie Cox in this suit because a ton of people will be very mad when the episode drops and they get bait and switched. But for now, I'm remaining cautiously optimistic until we get official confirmation of Daredevil and She-Hulk teaming up.
"She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" debuts on Disney+ on August 17, 2022.