She-Hulk’s Sex Life Scenes Worried Marvel Execs, Director Reveals

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director Kat Coiro reveals that Marvel Studios executives were nervous about the show's approach to Jennifer Walters' sex life. The latest MCU show to release on Disney+, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law chronicles the life of one California attorney who struggles to balance her career with her newfound superhero to turn into a Hulk. The show earned strong reviews from critics, with particular praise levied at Tatiana Maslany's performance as She-Hulk, as well as the series' humor and mold-breaking approach to the superhero genre.

Although much of the show is centered around Walters' legal battles and superhero foes, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also delves into the character's love life. Acting as a legal comedy of sorts, the show finds humor in Walters' continued struggle to find a suitable romantic partner outside of work, with her superhero alter ego complicating almost every relationship she finds herself in. In a fun twist, later episodes introduce Charlie Cox's Daredevil and the two characters actually end up sleeping together and developing a romantic bond. While many MCU fans have been on board with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's more relaxed Daredevil and the show's more honest approach to female superheroes, the series has also seen some pushback from viewers who think the series is too much of a departure from typical Marvel fare.

In a recent interview with The Wrap, director Kat Coiro reveals that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's exploration of Jennifer Walters' sex life was the source of some apprehension from Marvel Studios executives. While clarifying that it was never the show's intention to push the envelope too far, Coiro explains that sex is ultimately an important part of crafting an honest portrayal of Walters as a character and the types of issues she faces. Check out Coiro's full comment below:

“It was definitely a part of our conversations, because you can’t make a story about a woman in her 30s navigating modern life and not address sex. And I do think that the media is strangely more prude when it comes to the female point of view in regards to sex. And, you know, we’ve got Iron Man doing a lot of things, but then there were all these conversations and there was a lot more fear around her sex life than there was about making fun of Marvel. But we just kept saying, this is her story, and this is her truth, and we’ll handle it in a way that’s light.

“I never wanted to go too far with the sex, but I also don’t want sex to be taboo, even for young people. And so it was always finding that balance."

How She-Hulk Is A Departure From Past Female MCU Heroes

She-Hulk Attorney at Law Tatiana Maslany(1)

She-Hulk's fourth-wall-breaking results in some hilarious (and accurate) Marvel criticisms, with one jab in the finale aimed at its handling of female heroes. The MCU has featured a number of female heroes, including Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), but these characters are never really explored in the same way as their male counterparts. As Coiro points out, Iron Man's playboy lifestyle is a significant part of his origin story, but this aspect of female characters' lives is typically never really referenced.

That's not to say that the MCU should more fully explore the sex lives of all its female heroes, but just that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has drawn attention to the fact that male and female heroes have not historically been treated equally in this regard. The show, which is still very much family-friendly, features a tone and a premise that allows it to more fully delve into Walters' romantic life, and this same approach might not work for other MCU shows or female heroes. Although not all fans were on board with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's risk-taking, the show will hopefully pave the way for more honest portrayals of female superheroes moving forward.

Next: She-Hulk's Lady Thor Reference Proves The MCU Timeline Is Broken

Source: The Wrap