Summary
When it comes to Marvel Studios' Disney+ shows, the studio hasn’t had the best of luck. WhileWandaVisionandLokiwere easily hits for the studio, other offerings likeShe-HulkandSecret Invasionwere not exactly well-received. However, while the first season ofShe-Hulkfailed to capture audiences, a second season could still work. Marvel Studios recently opted to revise the way it approaches its television series, and a second season ofShe-Hulkcould potentially work with the studio’s new strategy.
The first season ofShe-Hulkwas meant to be a classic legal comedy, a tone it never quite achieved throughout the first season. However, Marvel Studios' decision to start treating its Disney+ shows more like television shows, rather than mini-movies, could make a second season ofShe-Hulkwork. More importantly, it could fix the issues the first season had, making fans appreciate it a bit more.
She-Hulk’s Rocky First Season is Understandable
The first season ofShe-Hulkconsisted of nine half-hour episodes. Likeevery Marvel Studios series before it,She-Hulkwas meant to tackle a different genre of television, drawing inspiration from shows likeAlly McBealandFleabag. The series was hailed as a legal comedy early on, but once the show debuted, it became apparent that the series wasn’t exactly sure how to balance the legal aspect with the comedy aspect, resulting in a series that many fans felt failed to live up to its hype. Working against the series was the fact that Marvel Studios hadn’t yet figured out how to properly handle its television shows - at least, not completely. In the beginning, Marvel Studios hired head writers with the intention of treating the shows like mini-movies, rather than television shows.She-Hulk, of course, was one of those shows, withRick & MortywriterJessica Gao serving as the head writeron the project. Due to this, the series didn’t have the usual showrunner role filled, and while the writers sought to try and make it feel like a classic legal comedy, the tone was never achieved. A second season of She-Hulk could fix this problem, though.
Following issues with production onDaredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios halted production and decided to goback to the drawing board. The studio realized it wasn’t working, and took the time to re-evaluate the production, reshooting episodes and bringing in new talent behind the camera. It wasn’t until the recent shows, likeDaredeviland evenAgatha All Along, that Marvel sought to follow the traditional development of television shows, rather than continuing to make shows that felt like small films for Disney+. With this new strategy, Marvel Studios could bring in a proper showrunner for a second season ofShe-Hulkand find a way to develop the legal comedy it sought to create from the beginning.
The Potential of She-Hulk Under Marvel’s New Strategy
She-Hulkmight not have been a critical darling, and it might not have brought in the best numbers for Marvel Studios and Disney+. However, despite this, the series shouldn’t be written off as a failure. Featuring a stellar cast, led by the talented Tatiana Maslany,She-Hulkhas plenty of potential to be excellent, especially if the series receives the proper amount of time to work on its CGI. More importantly, though,Deadpool & Wolverineshowcased that fans are still very much into fourth-wall breaking if done properly. Withno clear future set out for Maslany’s She-Hulk, she deserves the chance to return for another season of the series. The show, however, will need to start over from the beginning. The studio will need to find a proper showrunner and develop a proper writers room. Rather than trying to make the series a mini-film event, Marvel Studios needs to give the series time to tell a cohesive story that works for the small screen.She-Hulk’s first season tried to do far too much in too little time. FromMark Ruffalo’s Hulk appearing, to introducing Daredevil and havingthe two heroes become romantically involved, and watching as Jennifer Walters struggled to adapt to becoming She-Hulk, all while maintaining her legal career. There was a lot to tackle within nine half-hour episodes.Giving the series a second season, with a proper team behind it, would allow for a second season to tackle a singular storyline that both fits within the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also stands on its own.
The likeliness ofShe-Hulkreceiving a second season currently seems unlikely, at least as far as the show’s leading lady seems to think. The show is, undoubtedly, expensive and far more time-consuming than some of Marvel Studios' other titles. It’s alsoone of the worst performing showsfor Marvel Studios on Disney+, making it a hard sell for a second season. However, with Marvel Studios now releasing its television projects under the Marvel Television banner, the studio looks eager to try and correct its previous mistakes on the small screen. A second season ofShe-Hulkwould be a great step in the right direction.
