She-Hulk: Attorney At Law: Everything You Need To Know

"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" marks the seventh live-action series for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and eighth overall. Just as with "Ms. Marvel" and "Moon Knight," the new show, which was released on August 18, centers around an entirely new character in the franchise. Additionally, "She-Hulk" follows a popular Phase 4 trend by offering a new spin on an already-established character within the MCU.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) becomes the new Captain America in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) takes on the mantle of Hawkeye in the titular series. Now, we're being introduced to a second Hulk after Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) was the only green monster in the MCU for the last 14 years. Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), aka She-Hulk, is our newest emerald powerhouse of a hero. There's a lot to unpack with "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," from confirmed cameos to controversy, so here's everything you need to know before tuning into Marvel Studios' newest offering.

At the D23 presentation in 2019, "Ms. Marvel," "Moon Knight," and "She-Hulk" were all announced as upcoming series for Disney+ and Marvel Studios. Almost three years later to the day, "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" dropped on the streamer on August 18. The series follows the same format as "WandaVision," running for a total of nine shorter episodes as opposed to the MCU's other shows with six one-hour-ish episodes. The "She-Hulk" episodes will drop at 3 a.m. EST on Disney+ every Thursday.

If "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" follows the once-per-week format, the series will conclude with its finale on October 13. This puts the new show smack dab in the middle of the "Thor: Love and Thunder" (July 8) and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (November 11) release dates. Following "She-Hulk" will be the MCU's untitled Halloween special, which is rumored to be a "Werewolf by Night" project, according to The Wrap.

Joining the MCU in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is "Orphan Black" star Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. In December 2020, Marvel Studios revealed the casting news on social media after Maslany denied her involvement just two months prior. The new series marks the first live-action project for Maslany since her stint on HBO's "Perry Mason" in 2020 where she portrayed Sister Alice McKeegan.

Maslany spoke a little about her upcoming role in "She-Hulk" while chatting with Empire. The Canadian actress said part of her inspiration for playing Jennifer came from the late musician Sophie. "What I love about Sophie's music is this combo of organic and electrical, industrial-type sounds that felt connected to She-Hulk," Maslany noted. When it comes to her character, the actress added, "She really is the antithesis of most superhero narratives," suggesting we're about to get a whole new take on MCU heroes. We'll get a look at Jennifer in both her human and Hulk form throughout the series, with Maslany also doing the mo-cap work for the jade giantess.

The second original Avenger getting some time in an MCU Disney+ series is Mark Ruffalo, returning to the role of Bruce Banner after his appearance in the post-credits of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Ruffalo's last major MCU role was in "Avengers: Endgame," and it looks like "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" might be his final with the studio. Based on comments he made to Access Hollywood at the "Adam Project" premiere, it's being speculated that Ruffalo will retire from the MCU. "Tatiana Maslany is frickin' legendary as the She-Hulk," the actor noted. "I'm passing the banner onto her."

Based on what we see in the trailer for "She-Hulk," it looks like we'll see Bruce in both his human and Hulk form, but primarily the latter. He'll serve as something of a Hulk coach to Jennifer Walters while she acclimates to her newfound powers.

After almost a year of rumors, "The Good Place" actress Jameela Jamil confirmed she was joining the MCU in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" in her debut TikTok post. Jamil will play Titania, aka Mary MacPherran, a longtime rival of She-Hulk and one of her biggest adversaries. The comic book version of Mary gains her powers from Doctor Doom after she is swept away into Battleworld. She wields superhuman strength and is an expert in hand-to-hand combat. She's quite the match for She-Hulk, but normally finds herself the loser in their many battles.

Since "The Good Place" concluded in 2020, Jamil has been more selective about the projects she takes on. "I was saying no to every single audition, and this was the first one that came up — I wanted to make sure that any job I do has a bigger message. I think 'The Good Place' had a really important, bigger message, and I always want what I do to try and align or embolden my social justice work," Jamil told Hollywood Life. "I feel like that is something that we are achieving with this show — we're saying something important. We're doing something important, we're pushing the boundaries."

When a new MCU project is on the horizon, a frenzy begins online as fans try to figure out if there will be any cameos. "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is no different. Only this time around, two cameos have already been confirmed by Marvel Studios and Disney. After appearing in 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" for a brief fight scene, Abomination will return for "She-Hulk." This time, we'll get to see him in his human form, and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) even makes an appearance in the trailer. He's locked in a special cell, so we know he's still not to be trusted 14 years after his MCU introduction.

Also joining "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is Wong (Benedict Wong), fresh off his recent appearance in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." We didn't see Wong in a trailer for the show, but since he was the sorcerer fighting Abomination in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," it makes sense that he would show up. It remains to be seen whether his role is any bigger than the single episode listed on the "She-Hulk" IMDb page, and it's unknown if he will interact with Jennifer Walters or Bruce Banner. Bruce and Wong last appeared together during the first post-credits scene of "Shang-Chi," where they talked to Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) himself about the mysticism surrounding the rings.

There are plenty of other rumors suggesting characters from all across the MCU will cameo, from Liv Tyler's return as Betty Ross to Krysten Ritter reprising her role as Jessica Jones, but these should be taken with a grain of salt. Remember that whole Tom Cruise nonsense with "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"?

Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Roth, and Benedict Wong will be surrounded by a stellar supporting cast in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." Playing Jennifer's best friend is Ginger Gonzaga, who you might recognize from Showtime's "I'm Dying Up Here." Gonzaga's character name hasn't technically been released yet, but according to the trailer's closed captioning, her name is Nikki.

Also on the cast is Griffin Matthews ("The Flight Attendant"), whose role is also undisclosed. Entertainment Tonight revealed Matthews' character is recurring, and we can expect him to interact with Maslany. "The most exciting part of joining the MCU was being told by our director and writers: 'Do not try to fit. Just be you.' And that gave me the freedom to run wild," Matthews said of his new role.

Josh Segarra ("Arrow") is also making his MCU debut in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," playing lawyer Augustus "Pug" Pugliese.

The first official trailer for "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" shocked the MCU fandom by giving them a brief glimpse of Frog-Man. A popular Twitter spoiler account had previously leaked the character's inclusion in the series, but it wasn't taken too seriously at the time. No actor has been connected to Frog-Man, but with Josh Segarra and Griffin Matthews attached to unknown characters, it's reasonably safe to assume one of them is playing the iconic (or do we mean "ironic"?) character.

Not to be confused with his dad, the villainous Leap-Frog, Frog-Man first appeared in 1982's "Marvel Team-Up #121." When Leap-Frog, real name Vincent Patillio, gets arrested and put away, his son Eugene decides to use the mantle as a force for good under the modified identity of Frog-Man. There is no substantial direct connection between Jennifer Walters and Eugene in the comics; however, Leap-Frog's criminal endeavors frequently pit him against Daredevil, and Matt Murdock just so happens to be a lawyer who recently made his post-Netflix MCU debut in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." 

We can say for sure Frog-Man's purpose in "She-Hulk" remains to be seen, but it's not as if placing him in the vicinity of a superhero attorney will be breaking any traditions.

According to the official synopsis from Disney+, "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" will focus on Jennifer Walters, an attorney working at a firm that deals with superhuman clients. Jennifer will also navigate a complicated love life, which is depicted in the first trailer for the series. As she searches for dates, Jennifer will be in her Hulk form, as it looks like the world has already accepted her new look.

As previously mentioned, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk will teach Jennifer how to handle her new 6-foot-7-inch form and superhuman strength. Everything looks fresh for Jennifer in "She-Hulk," as she is taking on a new job, new physique, and new romantic interests all at the same time. Not to mention her first opponent in Titania. There's a brief moment in the clip where the two women battle it out in a courtroom, but the root of their issues in this particular series is still in the air. Much as the Hawkeye mantel was passed on (or maybe expanded?) to Kate Bishop in "Hawkeye," we expect the same sort of thing to happen in "She-Hulk," with Maslany being the MCU's primary green giant moving forward.

We all know by now how Bruce Banner gets his powers, but the origin of She-Hulk's powers is a little more obscure, simply because the character has spent comparatively little time in mainstream media. Unless you are a Marvel Comics reader, you might be totally unaware of how Jennifer bulks up. Based on what we see in the trailer, we expect to see Jennifer get her powers early in the series. It would be a surprise to find out she already has them by the time the show begins, although that's not impossible.

Here's how it goes down on the official Marvel webpage — Jennifer is shot by a man named Nicholas Trask who is seeking revenge against her father. Her wounds are grave, and she needs a blood transfusion, so her cousin Bruce steps up to help her out when there are no other options. With gamma radiation coursing through his veins, there was no way to avoid Jennifer getting the irradiated blood into her system. But it's not just Bruce's blood that turns her; it's her anger that really does the trick. And just like that, she becomes superhuman. Jennifer is not quite as powerful as Bruce in her Hulk form, and her stature is slightly smaller, which makes her look more humanlike and less monster-like.

As with the three most recent Marvel Studios-Disney+ series, "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" will have more than one director. "Hawkeye," "Moon Knight," and "Ms. Marvel" boasted three, three, and four directors each, respectively. "She-Hulk" will be split between Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7). Coiro has directed episodes of popular projects like "Dead to Me" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," while Valia is known for her work on "A.P. Bio" and "And Just Like That..."

Coiro pushed hard to get the job, telling Collider, "I'm a huge fan of the MCU, and I was actually a giant fan of the She-Hulk comics, so when I heard they were making it, I went full court press and really sold myself as the person to bring this story to life. It was a huge and involved process."

In an Instagram post from December 2020, Valia revealed Coiro is taking the lead on "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," writing, "friggin stoked to go on this ride together (@katcoiro is our visionary leader im just doing a few eppys !! but it'll be a fun one)."

The Hollywood Reporter revealed Jessica Gao was hired as head writer for "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" back in November 2019. Gao is an Emmy-winning writer who nabbed the gold statue for her work on the "Rick and Morty" episode "Pickle Rick." She also has writing credits on "Robot Chicken," "Big Time Rush," and "Silicon Valley," to name a few.

Gao was absolutely flabbergasted to get the job on "She-Hulk," and shared her excitement in an Instagram post after the big news was announced by THR. "DREAM COME TRUE. I AM DECEASED. (Don't worry, I will resurrect to do the job.)," she wrote. Subsequent social media posts of Gao's surrounding the new Disney+ series have only mirrored her initial excitement. She's shared news of Tatiana Maslany, Tim Roth, and Mark Ruffalo's casting to her feed, to which she added several green heart emoji to her captions. When the first trailer for "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" was released, Gao also told the world on Instagram that she couldn't wait for everyone to see Maslany in the role.

The MCU timeline is a tricky prospect these days. During "The Infinity Saga," it's mostly obvious where things fall in line in relation to one another, and this is not necessarily the case for Phase 4. The big thing to remember here is that many projects in Phase 4 are happening simultaneously, and it's not always one right after the other. Disney+ recently updated its timeline with the release of "Ms. Marvel," making the Iman Vellani-led series officially the furthest-out currently existing portion of the MCU.

"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" does not have a definitive place on the timeline yet, but we can make some guesses about where it lands based on what we've seen in the trailer. Since Smart Hulk (also called Professor Hulk) is the one training She-Hulk, we know the show definitely comes after the Blip. However, it's not certain at this point if it's post-"Avengers: Endgame" because Hulk's right arm looks totally fine. He almost lost the limb when he snapped the gauntlet in "Endgame," and as far as we know, he's been sporting a sling ever since. So "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" either happens during the Blip — which begs the question of why Jennifer didn't join the Avengers at the Battle for Earth — or it's a year or so after "Endgame" and Hulk has had plenty of time to heal completely.

We know for certain that "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" connects to "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings" in a minor way with a blink-and-you'll miss it confirmation in the trailer. When we see Wong leaving the fight club in the Phase 4 film, he opens a portal, and on the other side is a clean white room with a large cell in the middle of it. The same cell can be seen in the "She-Hulk" trailer, where Jennifer Walters talks to an imprisoned Emil Blonsky. "She-Hulk" will also connect to the events of "Avenger: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" indirectly via Jennifer's relationship with Smart Hulk.

As far as future projects, it's possible we'll see "She-Hulk" connect to the "Thunderbolts" movie recently declared as in-development. In a trailer breakdown by New Rockstars on YouTube, it's suggested that Emil is being held in The Cube — a SHIELD prison that houses various super-powered criminals, occasionally of the gamma-irradiated variety. All we're saying is if Valentina Allegra de Fontaine needs an ersatz Hulk to join a team already consisting of John Walker and Yelena Belova, she could probably swing by The Cube and offer Emil a deal without much trouble. 

It's also possible that She-Hulk herself makes an appearance in the upcoming "Fantastic Four" film, as she has filled in for Ben Grimm on the team in the past.

MCU fans got their first taste of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" during 2021's Disney+ Day. It was quite brief, and we never got to see Jennifer Walters from the front in her She-Hulk form, but the show seemed like it would be good enough. Then, the official trailer dropped on May 17, and Twitter's head nearly popped off. Plenty of people were saying the same thing about the CGI in "She-Hulk" — specifically, that they were the opposite of impressed.

The CGI did look a little terrible, with some online comparing it to a SIMS game. CGI and Phase 4 were all trending on Twitter when the trailer dropped, and obviously for the worst reasons. The powers-that-be at Marvel Studios noticed, and changes were made to "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" fairly quickly. The CGI has been touched up, with more characteristics given to She-Hulk's face specifically. VFX artists of the Corridor Crew explained their take on the bad CGI, blaming it on smoothing. "First off, people were reacting to the YouTube trailer which was compressed... that smoothed out all of those details, so you end up with a very sort of rubbery smooth green look," visual effects artist Wren Weichman noted. Additionally, Weichman said women's faces are normally smoother than men's, and She-Hulk doesn't have much texture to her face which makes her look faker than Hulk, who has wrinkles and stubble. She also is meant to look more like a human, while Bruce looks more like a monster.

Sadly, the controversy surrounding the first "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" trailer wasn't the first surrounding the series. Several sources have come forward to say there were problems behind the scenes and that the show is somewhat of a disaster. Former Variety and Collider writer Jeff Sneider revealed on his "The Hot Mic with Jeff and John" podcast, that there are issues with "She-Hulk." "I've heard not good things behind the scenes ... and I've asked whether it's Moon Knight or Ms. Marvel or Secret Invasion or any of these [projects], they are always like, 'She-Hulk is the one that could be a problem,'" he admitted.

This could have been dusted off as hearsay, but another respected entertainment journalist also came forward with the same type of story. Former The Hollywood Reporter editor Matthew Belloni mentioned in his website's newsletter that the newest Disney+ series are being watched carefully. "The upcoming She-Hulk is supposedly a mess, I've heard (even with Mark Ruffalo in a small role), and Ms. Marvel is another big test for fans. Nobody's saying Marvel's TV output is in trouble, but it's something to keep an eye on," Belloni wrote.

With two strikes against it, time will tell if "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" can win over fans.