In the first episode of B次元官网网址淪he-Hulk: Attorney at Law,B次元官网网址� audiences not only learn how Jennifer Walters gains her superpowers B次元官网网址� they also discover that sheB次元官网网址檚 a tad obsessed with Steve RogersB次元官网网址� sex life. ItB次元官网网址檚 something she keeps pestering her cousin Bruce Banner about until he reveals whether Rogers ever lost his virginity.
One of the things about the Disney+ series that struck Mark Ruffalo, quoting head writer Jessica Gao, is B次元官网网址渉ow horny-forward [the story] isB次元官网网址� compared to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he shares with a laugh. Ruffalo, who has been playing Banner and his alter-ego Hulk since 2012B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Avengers,B次元官网网址� also enjoys how B次元官网网址淪he-Hulk,B次元官网网址� which launched Thursday, B次元官网网址渏ust takes the piss out of a lot of the superhero macho stuff and kind of the toxic, male Reddit cultureB次元官网网址� that at times permeates certain fandoms.
It also helps that the show is genuinely funny.
B次元官网网址淢y favorite type of comedy is taking these big, high-concept things such as a Hulk B次元官网网址� who can save the world and is one of the strongest beings on Earth B次元官网网址� but then really grounding that in our reality,B次元官网网址� says Gao, who also serves as an executive producer. B次元官网网址淲hat I love about our show is that weB次元官网网址檙e taking the time to really just turn the camera a little bit to the left and see whatB次元官网网址檚 going on in [their] everyday life.B次元官网网址�
Created for television by Gao, B次元官网网址淪he-Hulk: Attorney at LawB次元官网网址� follows Jennifer Walters, played by Tatiana Maslany, after an accident leads to her exposure to BannerB次元官网网址檚 gamma-irradiated blood. Despite gaining the ability to transform into a powerful, giant, green version of herself, though, Walters insists she will keep living the same life she did before the accident.
B次元官网网址淯nlike her cousin the Hulk, she retains her sense of self and her consciousness,B次元官网网址� says director and executive producer Kat Coiro. B次元官网网址淲hether she is Jen Walters or She-Hulk, sheB次元官网网址檚 the same person. And yet, when you present so differently, when you are suddenly green and gigantic and every eye in the room turns to you when you walk in through a door, you do modulate your personality.B次元官网网址�
The series explores how Jen learns to navigate a world that treats her differently according to her form at the time and the distinct perceptions and expectations through which our culture views women and their bodies. And from the first episode, B次元官网网址淪he-HulkB次元官网网址� does not shy away from addressing how women like Jen live with constant pressure to control their rage and fear in a way that men like Banner do not have to.
One of the other differences between Jen and Banner is that Jen is uninterested in giving up her life B次元官网网址� including her job and her friends B次元官网网址� in order to become a superhero. Below are some of JenB次元官网网址檚 key relationships introduced in B次元官网网址淪he-HulkB次元官网网址� so far.
Who is Nikki Ramos, Jen WalterB次元官网网址檚 BFF?
JenB次元官网网址檚 best friend is Nikki Ramos, played by Ginger Gonzaga, who also happens to be her paralegal. Gao describes the pair as B次元官网网址渢rue ride-or-die friends [who] have this very comfortable ease about them.B次元官网网址�
For Maslany, Jen and NikkiB次元官网网址檚 relationship is B次元官网网址渢he heartbeat of the show.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 love Ginger Gonzaga,B次元官网网址� says Maslany. B次元官网网址淚t was effortless to be friends with her B次元官网网址� We just found this joy in playing together that I think really set the tone for those human moments that you always want to come back to on this show and that, I think, make it really special.B次元官网网址�
Gonzaga herself is grateful that B次元官网网址淪he-HulkB次元官网网址� is B次元官网网址渟howing [this] loving friendshipB次元官网网址� that isnB次元官网网址檛 always represented on screen.
B次元官网网址淚n so many things, even when they have loving friends, someoneB次元官网网址檚 stabbing someone in the back at some point, and itB次元官网网址檚 so unnecessary,B次元官网网址� says Gonzaga. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to see that for women and IB次元官网网址檓 so grateful for our characters to truly love each other as friends and care about each other as friends and have all the dynamic levels of what goes into a mature adult friendship.B次元官网网址�
Unlike other characters in the series B次元官网网址� including JenB次元官网网址檚 other legal colleagues B次元官网网址� Nikki does not have an obvious Marvel comic book counterpart. And Gonzaga sidesteps the answer like a true MCU pro when questioned about whether Nikki has any secrets or powers of her own.
B次元官网网址淎s of now, IB次元官网网址檓 not sure whether or not Nikki has any special powers other than somehow avoiding a lot of credit card debt when it comes to her really cool outfits, based on her salary as a paralegal,B次元官网网址� says Gonzaga.
How fun is Bruce and JenB次元官网网址檚 dynamic?
Because JenB次元官网网址檚 origin story involves Banner, B次元官网网址淪he-HulkB次元官网网址� allows the genius scientist to show new sides of his life through his interactions with his cousin. Ruffalo was excited that the series reveals how Banner does B次元官网网址渆veryday mundane things that people do to liveB次元官网网址� and answers some questions heB次元官网网址檚 had about the character along the way.
B次元官网网址淗ow does he get around? How does he keep his furniture from collapsing underneath him? How does he keep from hitting his head going through doors? B次元官网网址� How does he keep from splitting all of his clothes?B次元官网网址� lists Ruffalo. B次元官网网址淎ll those things that we never really consider when weB次元官网网址檙e watching big superhero moviesB次元官网网址�
Maslany sees their relationship as having what amounts to a brother-sister dynamic.
B次元官网网址淚 think heB次元官网网址檚 always tried to teach her how to live, and sheB次元官网网址檚 been like B次元官网网址榊eah, whatever, Bruce, youB次元官网网址檙e a dork,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� says Maslany. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a real fun antagonism there.B次元官网网址�
And Ruffalo appreciates the fact that Banner is not shown to have all of the answers.
B次元官网网址淗e thinks somehow heB次元官网网址檚 going to mansplain what it is to be the Hulk to her, and she ends up teaching him just as much as heB次元官网网址檚 trying to teach her, if not more,B次元官网网址� says Ruffalo. B次元官网网址淭hose surprising relationship things are really what the show is about, and it was great fun. [Tatiana]B次元官网网址檚 kind of a comedic genius and there was a lot of improvisation happening between usB次元官网网址�
Coiro, who directed six of the nine episodes, enjoyed watching the playfulness between Ruffalo and Maslany.
B次元官网网址淎s actors, they were bonding about all of these technical aspects that they have to deal withB次元官网网址� in the motion capture suit, says Coiro. B次元官网网址淏ut the characters are also dealing with all these things that are put upon them by their superpowers.That relationship between two actors comparing notes on a very unusual way to act translated into two characters dealing with very unusual circumstances.B次元官网网址�
What else can we expect?
Although the showB次元官网网址檚 trailers and other promotional materials have teased the appearance of characters such as Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), Wong (Benedict Wong) and the return of Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox), the B次元官网网址淪he-HulkB次元官网网址� team was careful about revealing any spoilers. But one thing that Gao, Gonzaga and Coiro canB次元官网网址檛 help but mention are MaslanyB次元官网网址檚 skills as a dancer.
B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 also a very good dancer, Tatiana,B次元官网网址� says Coiro. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a little hint.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擳racy Brown, Los Angeles Times
