For over a decade, audiences have been inundated with MCU projects. A near-constant stream of movies of television shows has been foisted upon the viewing public. There is certainly a lot to love about the franchise. It has introduced us to innumerable beloved characters, allowed audiences a glimpse at the far reaches of the universe, and taught us a lot of important lessons along the way. However, it’s possible that the MCU has become a bit stagnant. It makes sense, given the fact that there have been several dozen projects released over the years, that the storylines would begin to get a little repetitive.
One of the most recent MCU projects,She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, sought to break up the monotony that has come to characterize the contemporary face of the franchise. The series' unique brand of humor, which utilized fourth wall breaks and hilarious one-off cameos, paired perfectly with its consistent (and relevant) messaging around gender issues and radical redemption.
Arguably, the character who best showcases how drasticallyShe-Hulkdiverges from most MCU offerings is Emil Blonsky, who is perhaps better known as the gargantuan green monster Abomination. The gamma-irradiated bad guy gone good is a massive part of the series, and that’s not just a reference to his intimidating stature. Here’s why Tim Roth is a fan-favorite character in season one ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Tim Roth’s Incredible Acting Abilities
First and foremost, Emil Blonsky wouldn’t be anywhere near as compelling if a less talentedactor than Tim Rothwas cast to portray him. He has had a storied acting career that has spanned several decades. He is probably best known for his roles in a handful of Quentin Tarantino films: namely,Reservoir Dogs,Pulp Fiction, andThe Hateful Eight. His characters in these films cover the full spectrum of humanity. He portrays a trigger-happy robber, a smooth-talking undercover detective, and a posh hangman, respectively.
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She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawdoes not represent Roth’s first foray into the MCU. In fact, he portrayed Emil Blonsky in one of the early Marvel films, 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk. In the film, Blonsky was the villain, a mercenary infused with super soldier serum and transformed into a version ofEdward Norton’s Hulk. Roth plays an incredibly convincing villain, to the point where audiences even view the character as a threat before he’s undergone his transformation.
However, it was refreshing to see his character showcase more complexity. InShe-Hulk, Roth proves that he is equally capable of portraying both an intimidating action antagonist and a hilarious, docile guru.
Abomination Is a Supervillain Turned Super Healer
WhenBlonsky is first reintroducedto the series, he is still interned in a futuristic prison due to his actions inThe Incredible Hulk. However, he seems to have completely changed his ways, and Jennifer Walters' first assignment at her new law firm is to advocate for his release. He is ultimately allowed to go free, with the caveat that he will no longer be allowed to transform into Abomination. This legal drama was the perfect launching pad for Roth to showcase his comedic chops, as Blonsky attempting to prove his newly zen nature makes for countless eye-rolling scenarios.
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Later, audiences get to see the softer side of Tim Roth’s characters. However, the humor inherent in seeing the formerly feral Abomination traipsing around a luscious commune is never lost in his performance. In episode seven, “The Retreat,” Jennifer Walters finds herself stranded on Blonsky’s sprawling estate, and she discovers that he has been running a support group for former supervillains.
The episode opens with Walters beingghosted by a romantic partner, and she is forced to grapple with her personal sense of self-worth at a group meeting. Ultimately, audiences gain some valuable insights into the perils of overvaluing romantic relationships, which are powerful enough to make us overlook the strange group of meeting attendees, which include a foliage-suit-clad masked villain by the name of Porcupine and a vampire called Saracen.
Tim Roth is the perfect overseer in this chaotic scene and manages to be both outrageously funny and deeply insightful in his straight-man performance. Blonsky seems fully reformed, and it’s easy to imagine the character lacking depth with a performance as commanding as Roth’s.
The recently releasedShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawfinale, “Whose Show is This?,” saw Blonsky once again placed under arrest, as he illegally assumed his Abomination form in order to attend an Intelligencia event as a guest speaker. However, inthe post-credit scene, the Sorcerer Supreme Wong teleports into Blonsky’s cell and offers him refuge at Kamar-Taj. IfShe-Hulkis renewed for another season, it’s entirely possible that Abomination will be back, and audiences can look forward to Tim Roth once again stealing the show.
