She-Hulk review: Tatiana Maslany shines in smashing debut as Jennifer

Following te introduction of brand new MCU star Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters opposite fellow cast members Mark Ruffalo and Jameela Jamil, jaw-dropping cameos and a hefty amount of visual effects to conquer, could it meet fans’ expectations, amid naysayers and even some sexist complaints?

Fortunately, after watching the first four episodes of the series, She-Hulk manages to hit the sweet spot with a bullseye shot, injecting fun, self-deprecating humour and relatability into the phenomenon of this beloved superhero cinematic universe.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was announced as one of the Marvel shows slated for a release on Disney Plus, it was clear this project was going to be ambitious to say the least and fan’s can’t wait.

But first and foremost, let’s address the Hulk-shaped elephant in the room. There’s been plenty of talk about the VFX in She-Hulk, with many fans expressing their disappointment over the effects after watching Jennifer’s transformation in early teasers and trailers.

In the first episode, where viewers will see Jennifer as She-Hulk for the very first time, the visual effects are stupendous, as the protagonist sizes up opposite her cousin, Bruce Banner (Mark), while reluctantly following his training.

As the series progresses, there are moments when the visual effects wane… but not enough to distract you from the fantastic entertainment value She-Hulk offers.

Yes, perhaps more time could have been spent to refine some rough edges, but now that Jennifer’s here, we just can’t wait for the rest of the Avengers to welcome her with open arms.

When it was first rumoured that Orphan Black star Tatiana would be taking on the lead role, fans across the globe were elated – and rightfully so.

The actress was clearly made to play this role, relishing in Jennifer’s presence as a no-nonsense lawyer, turning her nose up at the prospect of having to endure yet another god-awful date in her 30s and grappling with the enormity of suddenly becoming a Hulk.

You’d think Tatiana and Mark had been playing cousins for years after watching them share the screen, what with their playful, sometimes-childish bond.

But despite Mark being a part of the MCU for a decade, Tatiana completely holds her own, and will no doubt leave viewers tickled with Jennifer’s hypothesis over whether or not Captain America was a virgin (that is, before his fate was revealed at the end of Avengers: Endgame).

All praise Jennifer Walters, getting to the bottom of Marvel fans’ most burning, unanswered questions.

One widely-discussed point of contention about Marvel projects in the past has been the lack of sex scenes, despite the many relationships in the movies and TV shows.

Not in She-Hulk, which head writer Jessica Gao said is a ‘very horny-forward’ and ‘sex positive’ show… which it clearly is right from the start. (Maybe not reaching the levels of raunchiness in Netflix’s Jessica Jones or Luke Cage, but more so than other previous MCU properties for sure).

She-Hulk strikes a brilliant balance of introducing new characters into the Marvel fold, while also retaining plenty of links to the stories that fans have been familiar with for over a decade.

Fans will be falling over themselves at some of the cameos – some of which have already been revealed (ahem Daredevil and Wong), others that have remained under wraps – but as Jennifer points out to the camera during one of her signature fourth-wall breaks: ‘Just remember whose show this actually is’.

With elements of She-Hulk’s narrative ‘cherry-picked’ from comic book series by Stan Lee, John Byrne, Dan Slott and Charles Soule, this show is very much centred on Jennifer’s legal work, as her world – personal and professional – is turned upside down by her unexpectedly gaining superhuman abilities.

In the first four episodes, the story is very self-contained, so it’ll be intriguing to discover how much bigger it could potentially go in the remaining instalments.

Verdict on She-Hulk

She-Hulk is an absolute blast to watch, and anyone who says differently is simply watching a different show. Case closed.

Jennifer is as lovable as she is relatable, and the cameos in the series don’t detract from Tatiana’s starpower, proving just how spot-on of a choice she was for the lead role.

With nine episodes set to air in the first season, it’ll be fascinating to see how Jennifer’s universe could become intertwined with events due to come to pass in the MCU in future, namely Kang the Conqueror’s arrival and more multiverse shenanigans, leading up to Avengers: Secret Wars.

She-Hulk very much leans into its comedy, and Jennifer’s fourth-wall breaks – a trademark of hers from the comics – is a superb way for the show to poke fun at itself, while also reminding viewers to simply have fun and go along for the ride.

Women watching the show will also feel emboldened by the painfully-accurate dialogue about the realities of being a woman in the modern day and age, including feeling the pressure to repress anger on a daily basis when facing sexist remarks at work or catcalling in the street.

So to all the naysayers making sexist complaints about the series or continuing to incessantly nitpick at the CGI – we’ll just be here, happily enjoying She-Hulk’s smashing debut.

She-Hulk premieres on Thursday August 18 on Disney Plus.