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She-Hulk reviews: Critics brand new Marvel series ‘dated’ but ‘pure fun’

Marvel Studios’ latest series, the superhero legal comedy She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, is final here.

Starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, a talented lawyer who becomes imbued with the powers of the Hulk, She-Hulk debuted its first episode on Disney+ on Thursday (18 August).

Reactions to the series have been broadly positive, with reviewers praising the show’s comedic tone and central performance.

Here’s what the critics have been saying...

Caroline Framke writes in Variety: “She-Hulk is charming enough as it bounces from one hijink to the next, especially in Maslany’s capable hands.

“But between its obligations to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, a far more limited budget than its film peers, and attempts to infuse Jen’s story with dated #girlboss energy, She-Hulk also represents an unsteady balancing act that needs more time than it likely has to settle into its own groove.”

The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan writes: “It doesn’t have the emotional depth, the subtlety or the technical sophistication of WandaVision.

“It doesn’t have the youthful bounce or a spin as refreshing as the Islamic slant of Ms Marvel. But, oh, you will enjoy yourself thoroughly, for at least 28 minutes straight. And, honestly, who at the moment dare ask for more than that?”

In a four-star write-up for Radio Times, David Craig writes: “Undoubtedly, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is very different to any of Marvel’s other Disney Plus forays, so it could take time for some viewers to acclimatise to the format.

Mark Ruffalo and Tatiana Maslany in ‘She Hulk' (Marvel Studios)
Mark Ruffalo and Tatiana Maslany in ‘She Hulk' (Marvel Studios)

“However, the show’s magnetic lead performance and rapid fire gags make it a joyful experience to get swept up in, with the minimal stakes being a refreshing change of pace from the apocalyptic scenarios of the big-screen outings (and indeed, our day-to-day lives). She-Hulk is just pure fun.”

Proma Khosla writes for IndieWire: “The She-Hulk team doesn’t lack for comedy writing talent (with alums from Robot Chicken, On My Block, Santa Clarita Diet, and actual She-Hulk comics), but the show still searches for its voice, bogged down by larger tasks of fitting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, developing Phase 4, and establishing this character in a world teeming with superheroes.

“In the four episodes screened for critics, there’s no hint of where She-Hulk is heading.”

The series is available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes arriving every Thursday.