Summary
It’s hard to think of two shows that are more different thanShe-Hulk: Attorney at LawandDaredevil: Born Again. Sure, they both take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, Matt Murdock even dropped byShe-Hulkto spar and smooch with Jen Walters. But whereShe-Hulkplayed it silly with sitcom gags and self-aware jokes,Daredevil: Born Againis all dark crime drama.
Yet, as different as the two series seem, the two support one another. They both involve the legal systems in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a world in which Norse gods and super soldiers are matters of fact. In other words, it’s a world that can get very weird, very quickly. That isn’t exactly conducive to series about street crime in the New York neighborhood Hell’s Kitchen, whereDaredevil: Born Againtakes place. However, because thetongue-in-cheekShe-Hulkhas already set the rules of the Marvel legal world,Daredevil: Born Againcan maintain its darker tone.
How Did She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Fit into the MCU?
She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis one of the more unique entries in the MCU. Released in 2022 as part of the MCU’s Fourth Phase, the series starsTatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, a mousy lawyer and cousin to Bruce Banner. During a bonding trip with cousin Bruce, Jennifer gets into a car accident and needs an emergency blood transfusion. The only one who can provide that blood is Bruce, which would normally be fine. But Bruce, of course, has gamma-irradiated blood, which means that Jen Hulks out now too.
Sort of. Because she didn’t get the full dose, Jen doesn’t experience bouts of completely uncontrollable rage. After some intensive therapy sessions with Bruce, who has been able to balance his big green and normal human personas since beforeAvengers: Endgame, Jen can change into the She-Hulk at will.
That description might seem to set up a superhero drama, not unlike the last two Hulk movies. But as its title suggests,She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis more interested in irreverent comedy. Most of the series plays like a sitcom, with each episode involving a wacky superhero case that Jen has to litigate. In one episode, she defends the Hulk villain Abomination. In another, she works on an alimony case involving the unkillable Mr. Immortal.
This winking sense of humor makesShe-Hulkone ofthe most divisive Marvel entriesof all time. Some hate the show’s irreverent approach to superheroes, while others appreciate its willingness to play with the form. However, there’s no denying thatShe-Hulk’s silliness makesDaredevil: Born Againpossible.
What is Daredevil: Born Again?
Seven years after theNetflix seriesDaredevilended with its third season,Daredevil: Born Againofficially brings the horn-headed superhero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Charlie Cox stars as Matt Murdock, a lawyer who lost his sight when he was a child. Thanks to exposure to toxic chemicals and training from a ninja master, Matt has enhanced his other senses, essentially giving him superpowers. Matt uses those powers to patrol his neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, as Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.
The original Netflix series featured outstanding fight sequences, visceral scenes in which Daredevil battles the Kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), the assassin Elektra, and troubled FBI agent Dex. But the show wasn’t just about action. Just as often, the series followed Matt and his partners Foggy Nelson and Karen Page as they worked through the legal system, helping the innocent and bringing down those who use the law to oppress others.
Daredevil: Born Againbrings back the principal cast from the Netflix series. Set one year after a tragedy changes his life forever,Born Againfinds Matt trying to put his superhero identity behind him, a goal made more difficult by the fact that Fisk has become the new mayor of New York City.
Like its Netflix predecessor,Daredevil: Born Againadopts a dark and gritty tone, more so than any other Disney+ entry. In addition to the shocking violence,Born Againfeatures adult language and complex situations. The series isn’t just about the superhero Daredevil and the supervillain the Kingpin. Instead, it’s about human beings who struggle with their best and worst impulses.
Daredevil: Born Againgoes deeper thanShe-Huk: Attorney at Law, but the earlier, funnier show established the world of superhero legal standards.
How Does She-Hulk Set Up Daredevil: Born Again?
In the second episode ofDaredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock takes on the case of Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes), a Good Samaritan who stopped two police officers from beating up an informant. When one of the officers accidentally falls into the path of an oncoming subway train, Ayala is arrested and charged with murder. Complicating matters is the fact that Ayala defends the neighborhood as the superhero White Tiger, using powers granted to him by a magic amulet.
As Matt begins working on Ayala’s case, he goes over the facts with the judge and the prosecuting attorney. In addition to basic information about Ayala as a person, Matt points out that his client wasn’t using powers, because he didn’t have “his magic amulet.”
In most cases, a line about a magic amulet would sound silly in a legal setting. At the very least, one would expect Matt to pause for a moment to acknowledge the odd thing that he had just said. But that doesn’t happen. Instead, Matt continues, describing other details. Furthermore, neither the judge nor the opposing attorney stops him. They just accept what he’s saying, allowing the show to deal with more serious issues.
As strange as Matt’s statement is, it makes sense when one considers thatDaredevil: Born Againtakes place in a world filled with superheroes. For Matt and others, super-people like White Tiger are just as normal as the immigrant threatened with eviction that he defended in the Netflix show. Moreover,Born Againisn’t as concerned with hammering out the details of the law in relation to superheroes. It wants to take them as a given and move onto character study and action.
Fortunately,Born Againdoesn’t need to waste time explaining the legal system in the MCU. And that’s because She-Hulk: Attorney at Law already did it, albeit from a comedy perspective. Thanks to thatsilly exploration onShe-Hulk,Daredevil: Born Againhas the room it needs to tell a complicated story, proving that both shows are essential for making the MCU a rich, believable world.
