The Marvel Cinematic Universe has recently expanded with the inclusion of the Disney Plus series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The series introduces plenty of firsts for the massive superhero franchise – and, as She-Hulk writer Jessica Gao explains, that includes being both “sex positive” and “horny-forward.”
Jessica Gao used these terms when talking about the serie. In particular, as those who’ve been watching the series know, the phrases apply to Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk.
This character deals with her sexuality among many other issues while coming to terms with her transformation.
As Jessica Gao explained to Collider:
“The show is not only sex-positive, but horny-forward. That story really started from a place of character and emotion. We talked about, what would it be like for Jen to date, post-She-Hulk? Because they look so different, they’re probably gonna attract different types of men, but also there are just changes in how people treat her and how they see her, and how devastating it would be to so starkly see and understand that somebody prefers one over the other, and clearly who she is on the inside is not enough for this person. And to also find that out, after sharing such intimacy with the person, and feeling happy and safe in the moment, and then having the rug pulled out from under her, would just be so devastating. That’s really where all of that started.”
She further used a moment from the episode to describe the situation. As those who’ve watched the episode knows, Jennifer’s date winds up going horribly wrong when she has a certain realization. It’s that she realizes that there are men who only want a certain part of her.
“You spend half the episode, falling in love with him the way she does. He comes off as such a perfect date. He wants to hear all about her. He wants to split fries. He’s reading feminist literature. And then, the cold hard truth of reality hits and it’s so terrible for her that your heart really breaks for her. Tatiana’s performance, in that moment, was so wonderful because she didn’t go too big with it. She gives such nuanced performances, and in that moment, you see how devastating it is for her, but you also see that she’s trying to cover for it and not show how much it hurts. It just makes it so much more heartbreaking to see her trying to be brave.”
Indeed, for a superhero series, they do a great job at making Jennifer Walters feel human. This is only one example of her character’s struggles throughout the series so far. And, as the show continues, it’s likely we’ll see many more issues that she’ll have to come to terms with. As for now, however, it’s interesting to note just how “sex positive” and “horny-forward” She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is.
Tatiana Maslany leads the cast of She-Hulk as Jennifer Walters aka the titular character. She’ll be joined by Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka Hulk. Tim Roth also reprises his role as Emil Blonsky aka the Abomination from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Ginger Gonzaga, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and the aforementioned Jameela Jamil also star.
The new Marvel Cinematic Universe series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is currently available to stream on Disney Plus. Fans can stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates regarding She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as we have them.