She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is just a few days from its Disney+ debut, slated to arrive on the streaming service on Thursday, August 18. The series will follow Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) as she navigates her complicated life as a single, 30-something attorney who also happens to be a green 6-foot 7-inch super-powered Hulk.
Her connections to the giant green beast from the Marvel Cinematic Universe may differentiate her character from other shows focused on the court of law; however, fans can’t help but notice the striking similarities to Ally McBeal. The series, which began in 1997 and ran for five seasons, followed McBeal as she dealt with her personal and professional life of being a lawyer. The show broke the fourth wall, just as She-Hulk will do, yet head writer Jessica Gao says the upcoming Disney+ series had a different source of inspiration.
During an interview with Variety, Gao admits ‘most of our writers’ room was a little bit on the young side to have really known that show during its heyday,’ regarding Ally McBeal.
Despite very little inspiration from the series, She-Hulk ensures they honor past courtroom shows by placing an episode of Ally McBeal within the series.
“For the writers, it actually was not. We never really talked about Ally McBeal or referenced her. Because I would say most of our writers’ room was a little bit on the young side to have really known that show during its heyday. But yes, people can’t help but make the comparison to Ally McBeal. So Ally McBeal playing in the bar was a choice made during post-production.”
Gao Says Better Call Saul and Fleabag Were Big Influences on She-Hulk
Marvel Studios
Two entirely different shows, Better Call Saul and Fleabag, turned out to be the biggest inspiration behind She-Hulk. Better Call Saul is the spinoff to Breaking Bad focusing on criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, which just saw its sixth and final season wrap yesterday, August 15. Fleabag is a comedy that began in 2016, following a young woman trying to cope with life in London while coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
Better Call Saul offered a recent chance to look at what a great drama, often set in the courtroom, could be, while Fleabag gives an excellent example of how to properly break the fourth wall between the show and the audience. Gao told Variety, ‘I love fourth-wall breaking, and if I had my druthers, it would just be nonstop,’ however, Marvel was forced to tone down the rate at which the style was used.
Another Marvel property, Deadpool, has succeeded in breaking the fourth wall through two feature films. Time will tell whether Jessica Gao and She-Hulk achieve the same success, but fans don’t have to wait much longer. She-Hulk Attorney at Law arrives on Disney+ later this week, Thursday, August 18.
“There were two shows that I referenced in my pitch and it was Fleabag and Better Call Saul, hopefully both for obvious reasons. I love fourth-wall breaking, and if I had my druthers, it would just be nonstop — and it really was kind of nonstop in the early phases. It was so much that Marvel was like, ‘OK, calm down, this is too much. She can’t just be talking to the audience the entire time.’”
