“I don’t want to be a Hulk. I just got my own office!”: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and representations of gendered corporate cultures

This article analyses, through a feminist media studies lens, the representations of corporate cultures portrayed within the Marvel series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) produced for Disney+. The protagonist, Jennifer Walters, in both “normal Jen” and “She-Hulk” forms, is forced to navigate numerous gendered environments and expectations as part of working within the legal profession as a defence lawyer. The show, in line with popular forms of western fourth wave feminism engages with numerous contemporary gender issues, including women’s safety, expectations of normative femininity, workplace identity, and diversity work. This article explores how the character of Jen/She-Hulk, within the parameters of the superhero comedy form, provides a site for pop culture critique of the gendered aesthetic and emotional labour women undertake within corporate workplaces, as well as the diversity work expected of women and racially minoritised people. In a post #MeToo context the series makes sophisticated use of its comedic elements to humorously examine the pressures women experience when working in male-dominated corporate environments.