Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perfect for introducing She-Hulk
Subscribe now to Disney + for € 8.99 per month or € 89.90 per year That She-Hulk was a heroine with a particular ethical charm is nothing new, considering that since the 90s it has been was trying to give life to a project that would bring Jennifer Walters to the small screen, with a series put in place by ABC, or with a film that would ride the wave of success of the first wave of cinecomics, after the exploit of Batman's Tim Burton. The transition from the world of paper to that of cinema did not happen and Jen had to be content with following the path of many characters of the House of Ideas, who in the 90s came to conquer the animation sector, so much so that even the titanic lawyer obtained an animated life of his own, albeit as a guest star, as happened to other great names in the Marvelian pantheon, from the Fantastic Four to Iron-Man, without bothering Spider-Man: The Animated Series or The Insuperable X-Men.
The arrival of She-Hulk in Phase Four is the perfect time to introduce her to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The possibilities of seriality Space for heroines Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk, two souls of the same womanThe possibilities of seriality
What at the time could have been a fascinating film project did not see the light, but, with the passage of time and with a renewed awareness of the role of women in society, now promises to become are a project of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a particularly current flavor. Above all, the dynamic of presentation of the different Marvel heroes has changed, compared to Phase One started with Iron Man (2008), in which it was almost mandatory that each character be introduced with its own origin story, especially the most beloved faces of Marvel comics. If Tin Head and Cap had had an origin story, characters like Black Widow or Hawkeye had been introduced as shoulders, at least initially, obviating this narrative need.The occasion presented by Disney +, therefore, becomes a perfect time to highlight characters usually overlooked in the most dynamic cinematic needs. As demonstrated by WandaVision in the first place, serialization allows you to carve out more space to highlight the peculiarities of the characters, also going to explore their intimacy, their everyday life. A character like She-Hulk, who, especially in iconic comic runs like John Byrne's or Dan Slott's, had faced a particular scrutiny of his own humanity, also facing consequences of tragic moments such as the events of Avengers: Divided, needed to a long time to be able to grasp the essence of his soul. Hence, relying on a series rather than a movie, and Phase Four has proven to be the ideal moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to introduce She-Hulk
Space for heroines
The protagonists absolute of the previous Stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were male characters, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor in particular. Not that there was no lack of superheroines, from Wasp to Black Widow, without forgetting Wanda, Gamora and all the badass girls seen in the famous Endgame scene, but the feeling was always that the space dedicated to them was not enough to explore their sensitivity, their inner world. We keep in mind that the first solo film of a heroine, Captain Marvel, came rather late in the development of the franchise, moreover involving a character who in the overall dynamics of the superhero community of the MCU has been badly used, always keeping her a bit on the edge of the main action.(L-R): Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk / Bruce Banner and Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer "Jen" Walters / She-Hulk in Marvel Studios' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, exclusively on Disney +. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. .. 2022 MARVEL. While seeing Carol Danvers as the first 'protagonist' heroine from a production perspective, Wanda should be recognized as the first well-written female protagonist. In WandaVision we have the opportunity to witness her evolution, from a heroine to a promising threat, a role that can materialize in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It is precisely to this first series of the MCU on Disney + to have shifted the attention not only to the male protagonists, but to have given the heroines the opportunity to show themselves up to the male heroes, whether they are appearances as supporting actors (like America Chavez) who launches for a possible future as a protagonist, like Echo or Kate Bishop.
With this in mind, the production of a series like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law represents yet another important milestone : a female character written by an artistic team with strong female traction. In the world of comics, She-Hulk, although an interesting role model for an audience of readers, has always been entrusted to male writers, who, although animated by excellent intentions, lacked the sensitivity of those who really live the situations told. An aspect that, in the development of the series, was considered as a fundamental element, so much so that the script was entrusted to a team of six screenwriters and only two male screenwriters led by Jessica Gao, and with a female director, Kat Coiro, who allows to see the first female-driven Marvel Cinematic Universe project in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
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And here, back in I am lucky to have a purely female artistic team to tell the everyday life of a heroine
Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk, two souls of the same woman
Speaking with the engagement press profuse to best portray Jennifer Walters in her two souls, the director Kat Coiro wanted to clarify how the female point of view was the only key to make a series that was truthful:S but this show contribute to the movement, where it is accepted that some shows are purely led by women because that's how the world turns. It is a topic we talked about a lot, taking care of inclusiveness and making sure that the story was seen through a female perspective. Comics are traditionally presented from a male point of view; therefore, there was a lot of discussion about what a female perspective was and how we could create the story from our point of view.
(L-R): Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos and Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk / Jennifer "Jen" Walters in Marvel Studios' She-Hulk: Attorney At Law exclusively on Disney +. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. .. 2022 MARVEL. Thinking back to the figure of Jennifer Walters, a career lawyer who suddenly finds herself having to manage her new powers, accepting a gift initially seen as a sentence, it is easy to understand how the desire to portray the woman's everyday life is central to giving readers the full awareness of her personality.
Above all, as we have seen from the trailers, it is interesting to note how this choice of a female creative team has significantly shifted the balance, creating a different condition than a traditional narrative grammar of the superheroic canon in the cinema. Banner, who we know is the cause of Jennifer's situation, experiences this sense of guilt as a mission, having to train her cousin to control her powers, aware of her own difficulties experienced over the years.
It may seem a narratively irrelevant detail, but seeing already in the trailer how Jennifer adapts better than her cousin to the powers she has obtained is an important message, which at the same time allows us to show a different vision of the woman and to be able to emphasize others more everyday and human problems, leaving the superhero aspect almost in the background. And here, we return to the authorial desire to emphasize a concrete femininity, albeit permeated by the obvious superheroic context, but which, by exploiting the large length of a television series, allows us to explore the intimacy of the character, without forgetting to remind the spectator that we are still within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Indeed, the presence of the Banner of Ruffalo and other well-known male presences, which show an inversion of perspectives showing that they are the damsel in mistess of the situation, allows you to see Jennifer Walters as one of the flagship heroines of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe, placing She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as a focal point of this latest segment of Phase Four of the franchise.
