Kat Coiro Directs She-Hulk

Growing up in the '80s, Kat Coiro was enthralled by the green-hued She-Hulk. "She's always been a part of my world," Coiro says. "The thing that grabbed me about the She-Hulk comics was seeing a character — a woman — take charge of her own comic frames."

In the comic books, She-Hulk frequently breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the editor and the readers. "This was inspiring to me as a girl. I loved the idea that you could tell your own stories and that She-Hulk was so large and in charge."

Starting August 18, Coiro's vision of She-Hulk's story — with a twenty-first-century sensibility — will unfold on Disney+ in a ten-episode comedy, She Hulk: Attorney at Law. It introduces the origin story of how Jennifer Walters, a mild-mannered lawyer and cousin of Bruce Banner (the Hulk), was transformed into a towering six-foot-seven superhero endowed with Hulk-like strength.

"You'll also get a peek behind the life of a superhero and see the day-to-day of a woman who's balancing family, career, romance and a sense of identity," says Coiro, an executive producer who also directed six episodes, including the pilot and finale.

Fittingly, Orphan Black's versatile Tatiana Maslany stars as Walters and She-Hulk. "Having Tatiana as our anchor was one of the best parts of working on this show," Coiro says. "She delivers an emotional, heartfelt, funny performance while hitting all the technical aspects."

Walters specializes in superhuman-oriented cases, but the series also features action-packed adventures. "We're not starting a new genre, despite my background in the half-hour comedy world," explains Coiro, whose credits include Girls5eva, Dead to Me, Shameless and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. "We're still very much within the MCU, but we do lean into the humor."

Within the comedy, She-Hulk's power — like the Hulk's — is fueled by anger, providing Coiro the opportunity to examine gender differences. "What are acceptable anger levels in a man versus in a woman?" she asks. "And how does that channel into having superpowers?"

Coiro hopes the series will introduce a new generation to She-Hulk. "It's very much about a woman navigating modern life," she says, "and having a sense of imposter syndrome, which I think every powerful woman struggles with at one time or another." 

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine issue #7, 2022, under the title, "Pow! to the Patriarchy."