Maslany on She-Hulk, the reluctant superhero

By Javier Romualdo

Los Angeles, USA, Aug 17 (EFE).- The latest Marvel offering She-Hulk: Attorney At Law tells the tale of a reluctant superhero, juxtaposing the world of capes with real human experiences, Tatiana Maslany, who plays the title character, tells Efe in an interview.

“To me that’s really the story we’re telling, about a woman who is just like trying to figure out her life and then this huge thing happens to her that she kind of doesn’t want anything to do with,” Maslany says days ahead of the series’ release Friday on Disney+.

The Marvel show came to fruition after years of insistence from fans. It tells the story of Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who defends ‘superhumans’ and who, erroneously, receives a blood transfusion from none other than her cousin, Hulk, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo.

Until now, She-Hulk had been confined to the world of comic books.

“We inherently get this kind of like juxtaposition of this big superhero world that’s begging for her to come into it and her just like trying to live her life as a normal person,” Maslany, Emmy winner for Orphan Black, says of the series created by Jessica Gao.

The protagonist’s reluctance to assume her superhero identity allowed the creators of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law to soften the intensity associated with Marvel productions and turn up the humor.

Part of this comes down to Gao, whose previous work includes the popular Rick and Morty episode Pickle Rick and an episode for Silicon Valley.

Gao stayed true to the original comics, however, which are known for being irreverent, subversive and loaded with a greater degree of social commentary than other Marvel works.

As the creator, Gao also decided to maintain the fourth-wall element to the show.

“That felt really crucial to bring into the show,” Maslany explains.

“She-Hulk since the 80s has been talking to the audience so she’s always been able to look out and see everybody and sort of comment on what’s happening,” she adds.

“It’s a way of Jen (being) friends with the audiences, it’s sort of like ‘like this is crazy what’s happening come along with me on this ride’.”

She-Hulk, the final instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 along with the Black Panther sequel, is the second to star a female lead role after Ms. Marvel.

It is a trend that is not long bucked.

Maslany hopes young women will feel “seen” when they watch how the series portrays a “complex character.”

“It felt like I could finally relate to a superhero, when I read the script,” she tells Efe. EFE

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