‘She-Hulk’ Director Kat Coiro Talks About the Moment She Knew the Series Would Work

Director Kat Coiro has enjoyed plenty of bottled water at the Marvel Studios offices over the years, but when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law first came on the radar in August 2019, Coiro quickly threw her hat into the ring. After all, she grew up near a comic-book shop where she first established a connection to the She-Hulk comics, and that bond would later be reignited by her husband (and She-Hulk actor) Rhys Coiro’s boyhood comic-book collection.

Coiro, who directs six of the series’ nine episodes and also serves as executive producer, knew the series was going to work during an early scene between Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk/Jen Walters and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk/Dr. Bruce Banner.

“You can’t direct chemistry, and … I knew that the whole opening episode was going to work because they brought out a playfulness in each other. It was that magical moment that made me go, ‘This series is going to work,’” Coiro tells The Hollywood Reporter.

In a recent conversation with THR, Coiro also discusses the challenges of shooting a Hulk character, as well as her favorite episode. 

So what can you tell me about your earliest conversations with Marvel?

I had met generally with Marvel over the years. I have always been a fan of the MCU, so we had discussions about what would be a great fit for me in this world. And when they announced that they were doing She-Hulk, I knew that was the one because I had a personal connection to She-Hulk. We are of the same vintage, and I always choose things based on character rather than genre. So this is a character that speaks to me, and I think she is going to be relatable to so many people. 

Did you get a peek behind the curtain at Marvel Studios? Did you get the Wonka tour? 

Making the whole show was like a Wonka tour because it’s got a rather meta nature to it. So we got to really explore the backlot of Marvel, if you will. 

Are you thrilled that She-Hulk beat Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool to the punch as far as the MCU’s fourth wall is concerned? 

(Laughs.) Look, here’s what I always say: She-Hulk was breaking the fourth wall way before Deadpool and way before Fleabag. So any comparisons can end there. 

Did you get access to the Shang-Chi vault for episode two’s footage? 

During the Wonka tour, there was a room just full of Shang-Chi footage, and we were able to choose what we wanted.

Since Ally McBeal is playing on a bar TV in episode two, how much did you actually reference legal shows like that for your own visual vocabulary? Or was it just a fun Easter egg? 

It’s an Easter egg, but I think Ally McBeal and Legally Blonde both injected something very new into legal dramas with their comedy, their femininity and their color palette. There’s a bit of a subversion of the genre. And while we do it in a different way, something that definitely inspired me was this idea of taking a very familiar genre and turning it on its head.

So what did you learn about shooting two Hulks together? 

When you shoot She-Hulk and He-Hulk together, you have to build a lot of platforms. He-Hulk is 7’6’’. She–Hulk is 6’7’’. So it requires a lot of planning and rehearsals to get the blocking down, because unlike a regular scene where the actors have some freedom, once you set those platforms, they have to walk on those platforms. So it was very much about incorporating the actors into the rehearsals so that we could do the technical specifications.

And when She-Hulk is acting with human characters, it’s usually just Tatiana on a platform? 

Yes, it’s just Tatiana raised up on a platform, but there are instances, like walk-and-talks, where you can’t use platforms for eyelines. So in that case, she wears a stick with a cardboard cutout way up at the top of the stick. And that’s really challenging because then you have to keep reminding the actors to look at this blank cardboard cutout, rather than the actor’s eyes. 

The series begins by asking this question, but in the real world, if someone acquired powers like Jen, do you think they have a responsibility to help others? 

In an altruistic world, my answer would be yes, but in the real world, it really does come down to a personal decision. And what’s so interesting about Jen is that she’s crafted a life that she is very proud of and she doesn’t want it to change. So part of the journey of the series is her answering that very question: “Do I have an obligation to help people because I have these powers?” But I like the fact that it’s not an instant assumption and that she has some ownership over her choices.

Decades from now, when you’re reminiscing about the making of this series, what day will likely come to mind first? 

You can’t direct chemistry, and on the day that Mark [Ruffalo] and Tatiana first interacted on set together, I knew that the whole opening episode was going to work because they brought out a playfulness in each other. That [playfulness] actually ended up altering the script. So it was that magical moment that made me go, “This series is going to work.”

What episode number are you most excited for people to see?

I have to say, I am very partial to episode four at the Mystic Castle. Patty Guggenheim, who plays Madisynn, is a comedic genius, and her and Wong [Benedict Wong] playing off each other is one of my favorite elements of the show. I also love Donnie Blaze (played by Coiro’s partner, Rhys Coiro) and that whole setting. [Episode four’s] courtroom scene is just one of my favorites in the whole series, and it was written by a writer named Melissa Hunter. 

Episode four also features some spoilers for The Sopranos. Does part of you feel guilty for spoiling that show for Gen Z/Alpha Marvel fans?

(Laughs.) If anything, I hope it sends them to watch the show. They should do their homework and watch The Sopranos.

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She-Hulk is now airing on Disney+. This interview was edited for length and clarity.