She-Hulk Trailer is in Contempt of Court

Television

The MCU would like to approach the bench, as Marvel has released a trailer for its upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk, which has been retitled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law follows Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who, after a blood transfusion, becomes a less-powerful version of the Hulk – thanks to the donor being her cousin, Bruce Banner. (Whether the show retains this origin is unknown.) Tatiana Maslany stars as Jennifer Walters, with Mark Ruffalo once again portraying the Hulk and Tim Roth returning as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, Hulk’s nemesis from his only MCU solo film, The Incredible Hulk. Ginger Gonzaga, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jameela Jamil, and Benedict Wong also star. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will premiere on Disney+ on August 17, 2022, and run for nine episodes. Check out the She-Hulk trailer below:

That looks bad. Apart from the corny jokes and faux girl power stuff that are Phase 4’s stock in trade, She-Hulk, the character, looks awful. I often joke about bad CGI looking like a cartoon, but I don’t know how else to describe the effects in the She-Hulk trailer. What’s strange is that the Hulk looks perfectly fine, just as he does in the movies. So what’s the deal with She-Hulk? I guess we should assume the effects aren’t finished yet, and there are still three months until the show hits Disney+. But isn’t She-Hulk the lead? I would figure they’d finish hers before Hulk’s since he’s probably barely in this beyond the first episode. And even if they’re still working on it, wouldn’t they have mixed and matched some completed scenes to put in the trailer? Because if this is the finished product, I’m flabbergasted as to how anyone thought this looked good, or even passable. I’ve seen a lot of Shrek jokes circling social media, and that’s understandable. Even the proportions don’t look right; her legs are long and ultra-thin instead of muscled, like she’s a beanpole rather than a bodybuilder. I know this is primarily a comedy, but it looks weird as opposed to funny.

Speaking of which, the humor in the She-Hulk trailer doesn’t land. Her wacky friend loves her some shots; relatable! A reporter calls her “girl” and compliments her ass; cute! She carries her date to the bedroom because she’s got super strength; unexpected gender dynamic reversal! And like other recent Marvel content, this one also comes from a Rick and Morty alum – Jessica Gao, who wrote the beloved (for good reason) “Pickle Rick.” This should be reassuring, but after Loki (yep, still haven’t seen Multiverse of Madness), it does nothing for me. On top of that, we’ve got Smart Hulk, the version of the Hulk with all the fun stuff removed, so we won’t even see any cool Hulk action. (At least that stupid broken arm is finally healed, though.) The only thing I find kind of interesting – and this is a guess because it’s only hinted at in the trailer – is Jennifer having to defend Emil Blonsky; that plotline has some potential, especially if Hulk is around long enough to voice his displeasure. The downside is having She-Hulk fight a battle Hulk already won, which is redundant and diminishes The Incredible Hulk. However, there’s a brief glimpse of someone who is more likely the show’s main villain (pause the trailer at 1:24), so maybe this is unfounded. Regardless, this trailer is underwhelming and makes me wish we just got another Hulk movie (with the Savage Hulk, so it would actually be fun).

What do you think of the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer? Are you looking forward to the series? Is Wong the new Nick Fury? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to Geeks + Gamers for more on the endless parade of Marvel series!