Marvel Reveals She-Hulk Disney+ Series Will Be a Half-Hour Legal Comedy

By Pierre Chanliau Posted:
Tatiana Maslany on left and She-Hulk in background with logo in foreground

The writing for She-Hulk has been finished since at least May , with production starting in March of next year. When Marvel CCO Kevin Feige announced the series at Disney's D23 Expo last year alongside Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel , fans knew it would revolve around Jennifer Walters' profession as a lawyer, but it was unclear what the exact tone for the series would be. Upon She-Hulk's debut in the 80s, she was nothing more than a rip-off of Bruce Banner.

Over time, Jennifer Walters became a lot more comedic in nature, either through dry humor or to the point of ridiculing the reader themselves. So, fans have wondered how far Marvel Studios would go with She-Hulk's comedy, but the hiring of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia director Kat Coiro should have been a tip-off to fans. In a recent expose on all the Marvel Disney+ shows, Kevin Feige seems to point to the series' biggest influence.

CONFIRMATION

In the latest issue of Emmy , She-Hulk is described by Kevin Feige as a “half-hour legal comedy,” a genre that the studio has “never done that before.” Feige goes on to confirm that John Byrne's comics will be a large influence for the series.

WHAT THIS MEANS

Contrary to what many fans had believed, Dan Slott's She-Hulk won't be the primary influence for the show. Instead, the even more comedic run for the character from writer and artist John Byrne will act as the main guide for the Tatiany Maslany series. Byrne's Sensational She-Hulk dramatically changed the character's portrayal compared to when she had first debuted as nothing more than a carbon copy of Bruce Banner's Hulk.

In the early 1980s, Marvel Comics changed Jennifer Walters' transformation into her She-Hulk state, no longer being triggered by her anger. At the same time, John Byrne had decided a far more comedic tone for the character, which completely redefined She-Hulk moving forward. Byrne even had She-Hulk break the fourth wall regularly, years before Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness even touched Deadpool.

There's no doubt that other writers like Dan Slott and Charles Soule will have influence on Marvel Studios' She-Hulk , but the fact that Feige mentions John Byrne first and foremost is telling.

It will be curious whether Marvel Studios will actually have Tatiana Maslany addressing viewers or making cheeky references to Marvel Studios as She-Hulk made to the writers and artists of her comic.

Sensational She-Hulk #1 Fourth Wall Break
Sensational She-Hulk — Issue #1

As for the show being a half-hour comedy, it is interesting that every other live-action series from Marvel Studios thus far has been billed, or at least reported, as having hour-long episodes. It is doubtful, then, that this series would only have six or eight episodes like other Marvel Studios shows currently in production will have, so it is likely that She-Hulk could have more episodes due to the shorter runtime of each.

- About The Author: Pierre Chanliau
Pierre Chanliau began as a news & feature writer for The Direct at the site's launch in 2020. As a longtime reader of superhero comic books, Pierre's knowledge of Marvel and DC is extensive, informing his reporting and editorial pieces regarding the MCU and DCU.