As Phase 4 begins its wind-down toward the Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special in December, She-Hulk presents a welcoming and unique entry into the MCU. In a market inundated with splashy action sequences and ever-rising stakes, Disney+ offers viewers something different in its latest Marvel streaming series. Currently releasing new episodes on Thursdays, She-Hulk gives Marvel fans a chance to kick up their feet, lower their star-spangled shields, and relax with a story focused on delivering a different kind of action altogether.

She-Hulk isn’t your typical superhero story because Jennifer Walters isn’t your typical leading lady. Walters, or She-Hulk, would rather toil under the weight of the legal system as an unappreciated lawyer than do battle alongside earth’s mightiest heroes. The series provides the perfect palate cleanser with battles that rage in the courtroom rather than on exotic alien planets.

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If it pleases the court, here’s a brief look at some compelling reasons fans should side in favor of She-Hulk.

Exhibit A: Witty Banter

     Disney Platform Distribution

Comedy isn’t new within the MCU. Over time, Marvel has upped its standard for comedic banter with releases like The Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarök. Still, there is a time and place for a light-hearted jab or two. Comedic beats can be difficult to fit into an action-based Marvel property. The delivery can often feel cheesy, out of character, or simply out of touch with the broader circumstances of the moment.

Not so with She-Hulk. Each episode plays out like a well-scripted comedy, delivering a plethora of funny set-ups and executions that never feel strange or out of place. Similar to Cartoon Network’s Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, She-Hulk plays up the contrast between the banal, dryness of the legal system with the extraordinary spectacle of superhuman litigants.

In fact, one of She-Hulk’s first cases is to represent a well-known villain from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Emil Blonsky, better known as Abomination, appears before a parole board after having served 14 years in prison. As his defense attorney, She-Hulk is assigned the arduous and comedic task of proving that Blonsky has abandoned his destructive ways in pursuit of a more New-Age, mystical approach to life.

She-Hulk gives its characters room to be human without dismissing the scene as frivolous or a time-filler. Even Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, finds a moment to discuss which kinds of alcohol he’s tried. It’s these ‘moments between the moments’ that give the show a warmth and energy not found elsewhere in the expanding multiverse.

Exhibit B: Normalizing Super Powers

     Marvel Studios

Everyone loves watching Thor mow down his enemies, Iron Man rocket through the sky, and Captain America wield his mighty shield. After all, it’s that raw, physical display of power that often draws people to superhero properties in the first place. Yet, there is a subtle magic in She-Hulk’s counterintuitive approach to portraying superhuman strength.

While She-Hulk might knock a few heads now and again, the show focuses on all the awkward, little ways life changes when suddenly bestowed with incredible strength. Inadvertently breaking household items and a wardrobe perpetually too big to too small become the daily norm for Walters as she struggles to live a normal life in a superhuman body. She-Hulk is a top-notch example of how superpowers provide an entertaining watch, even if the focus isn’t on leveling cities or fighting the universe’s most infamous bad guys.

Exhibit C: Lowering the Stakes, Highlighting the Character

The fact that She-Hulk effectively plays out like a light-hearted courtroom comedy means a lot less is at stake within the various conflicts of the show. There is currently no central villain present within the story, much less a Thanos or Killmonger. No impassioned evil is looking to destroy the galaxy, planet, city, or even vandalize the neighborhood. All is relatively calm in She-Hulk’s corner of the world, at least by superhero standards.

This mode of storytelling works very well in She-Hulk. Jennifer Walters feels like a real, tangible individual with relatable struggles and insecurities. She works a normal job, is friends with normal people, and lives a relatively normal life in spite of her ability to go all “big and green.”

Given that She-Hulk is a Marvel superhero, it’s only a matter of time before Walters is forced to step out of the confines of her comfortable, well-guarded life. After all, with great power comes great responsibility. When that moment finally comes, She-Hulk will enter into the fray as a wholly developed and understood character. That’s a benefit many Marvel heroes aren’t always afforded.

Closing Arguments

     Marvel / Disney

She-Hulk may not be everyone’s preferred style for a show devoted to a character with superhuman abilities. The action and violence are certainly downplayed to a point where an entire episode may pass without so much as a punch being thrown. Her plot may seem boring or lackluster at first glance, but give She-Hulk a more careful and studied look, and you’ll find a show subtly highlighting the superhuman in a mighty way.

She-Hulk isn’t poised to redefine the genre, nor does this seem to be the show’s aim. Similar to WandaVision, the series expands on moments that might lack the spectacle other MCU properties typically deal in, but are nonetheless powerful and evocative. Primarily, She-Hulk offers an eye-opening glimpse into just how eclectic and vast the potential for Marvel properties truly is.