She-Hulk Premiere Review- A Masterclass on How to Blow the Hulk Out of the Water

Warning: This review contains spoilers for She-Hulk Episode 1.

It doesn’t take long for Jennifer Walters to crack out her fourth-wall-breaking skills in the premiere episode of the She-Hulk Disney+ series, which begins today.

After practicing a speech she plans on giving to a jury in court, Walters turns her attention towards us to explain that she will be giving a deep-dive on how she became She-Hulk. And the show doesn’t waste any time again, as the episode shifts its focus towards the ill-fated car accident that causes the attorney to gain powers from her cousin Bruce Banner, who you might know as The Hulk.

The first few scenes of the episode sets the stage for actress Tatiana Maslany to showcase comedic chops as Jennifer Walters. After playing a stellar role in the hit sci-fi series Orphan Black, the actress makes her MCU debut as a much more controlled version of the angry green rage monster, and from the get-go Walters is making the case to be the funniest character in the MCU.

Going into the show, everyone knew that it will be a MCU comedy feast, and the premiere doesn’t disappoint in that aspect. The series so far features all kinds of self-referential elements, with one of my favourites being the argument Walters and Banner had about Captain America’s virginity. If you aren’t a big fan of MCU films and TV shows talking about other characters and events for a long time, then the series might be a cause of concern, as various signs suggest that this will continue in future episodes of the series.

When it comes to characterisation, Maslany’s Walters feels right like her comic book counterpart. However, Hulk fans might be a bit dissuaded with the character’s changes following the Infinity Saga. While The Incredible Hulk didn’t push out a solid origin film for Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo eventually turned the page for the angry green rage monster in the first two Avengers films. However, things haven’t looked great for the Hulk with his appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, which featured a lackluster adaptation of Planet Hulk. Furthermore, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame drastically changed the symbiotic relationship between Banner and Hulk, as the two merged to form Professor Hulk.

Fans of the rage-filled character will see flashes of the old Hulk who smashed first and talked later during a small battle with his cousin. However, for the most part, the series is mostly focusing on Professor Hulk, as he’s much more vital for Jennifer Walters, as she learns how to control her powers and anger. In the end, it almost feels like the first episode of She-Hulk has allowed Walters to be a better written character than Hulk ever was in the MCU.

Walters sounds and feels like a perfect She-Hulk from the comics, but the show still has nagging issues when it comes to her looks. The troubles surrounding the character’s VFX came with the release of the first trailer itself. While subsequent teasers and clips showcased improvements with the character’s looks, the first episode confirmed that the series still has problems with jarring expressions showcased by She-Hulk, which hinders Maslany from showing out her talents as a gifted actress.

If the premiere itself had problems with the VFX of She-Hulk, it’s pretty safe to assume that the issue will persist in future episodes of the series. And while Walters’ hilarious and entertaining origin story overshadowed those problems in the first episode, the Disney+ series currently runs a risk of being visually lackluster if the show’s writing doesn’t remain consistent.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how the series will shift from the action-packed battle scenes between Hulk and She-Hulk to the legal comedy that Marvel has promised the show to be. And while the Hulk didn’t take the series’ focus away from She-Hulk in the premiere, it would be interesting to see if that problem will arise when characters like Daredevil and Wong will arrive in future episodes.