Entertainment / ‘Ms. Marvel’ Is Breaking Down Stereotypes & Here’s What You Need To Know

‘Ms. Marvel’ Is Breaking Down Stereotypes & Here’s What You Need To Know

Entertainment Jun 13, 2022

by Matthew Currie

History was made once again with the latest avatar coming through from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ms. Marvel (played by Canadian Iman Vellani) is really Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teen in New Jersey who mysteriously develops otherworldly superpowers. Created by Bisha K. Ali, young Ms. Khan actually idolizes all the heroes of the Marvel Universe, most of all Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Little did she know that she would be part of that crime-fighting crew — provided she can ever get a handle on her new shape-shifting, energy-blasting abilities. With the series now streaming weekly on Disney+, we tell you why this superhero is a breath of fresh air for the MCU, in more ways than one.

Debuting in the pulpy pages of Marvel way back in 1977, Kamala Khan (alias: Ms. Marvel) became the first Muslim superhero to anchor her own comic book. Just recently, on June 8, 2022, she also became the first Muslim superhero to hit screens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — with the premiere episode of a six-part series on Disney+, set to unroll weekly for the next few Wednesdays.

It was a groundbreaking moment, as the quirky Pakistani-American teen (Iman Vellani) who unexpectedly goes from comic book geek to comic book hero joined a slowly expanding list of MCU headliners — Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain Marvel — not played by a muscly white guy.

Ms. Marvel 1 — We Tell You Why Ms. Marvel Is The Superhero We All Need Now: New Jersey comic book geek Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) receives an unexpected delivery from her grandmother, which unlocks some spectacular, unwieldy abilities. Photo credit: Marvel Studios

But more than simply striking a blow for diversity and representation, Ms. Marvel, in the early going at least, stands out for its refreshingly un-Marvel approach to telling a story set within the MCU. Much has been written about the “Marvel house style,” which allows for the smooth functioning of a cinematic universe but, some have argued, handcuffs filmmakers — straining their creativity through a pre-established and meticulously quality-controlled mould. I say that as a both a fan of the Marvel mould, and someone who understands its drawbacks.

Yet in the Disney+ TV corner of its “universe,” Marvel has shown a willingness to, if not break the mould, at least bend it. The most successful experiment thus far was the first: WandaVision, which continued the post-Avengers: Endgame love story between telekinetic dynamo Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and all-powerful android Vision (Paul Bettany) through a clever little conceit that saw the two heroes recreating iconic sitcom couples.

Ms. Marvel isn’t quite so high-concept, but it does possess the same spark, the thrill of something intriguingly outside the norm . . . something brimming with possibility.

Origin stories in particular are prone to retreading the same old familiar beats, yet creator Bisha K. Ali (HBO’s The Baby) and pilot directors Adil & Bilall (Bad Boys for Life) turn Kamala Khan into the sort of endearingly awkward, endlessly creative kid we’d be happy to watch even if that package from her grandma — with its magical, superpower-granting bangle — had gotten lost in the mail.

Ms. Marvel 2 — We Tell You Why Ms. Marvel Is The Superhero We All Need Now: Just as compelling as her superheroics? Kamala’s John Hughes-esque high school misadventures with pals Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher). Photo Credit: Daniel McFadden/Marvel Studios

Superhero shows tend to live or die by their superheroics, but the most dazzling scenes in the first two episodes involve trips inside Kamala’s irresistible imagination as she, for instance, plots to hoodwink her parents and sneak off to attend AvengersCon, cosplaying as her fave hero Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Star Vellani has described the show in interviews as a mix of classic John Hughes, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Lady Bird. She’s not wrong.

It’s kinetic, it’s playful, it’s warm, and at the heart of all that is Vellani herself. The Toronto teen’s unlikely rise to the fore of this billion-dollar enterprise mirrors that of her character — it’s her first real acting gig, she herself is an avid comics fan and instead of a package from grandma, she got the gig when her aunt forwarded a casting call that Marvel had sent out over WhatsApp. As Kamala daydreams, swoons over crushes, deals with well-meaning yet overbearing parents and braves the horrors of high school, Vellani never hits a false note, exuding charisma but also authenticity; indeed, one imagines that her mix of excitement and terror over scoring this job is about on par with Kamala’s at suddenly being able to blast energy bolts out of her hands.

Ms. Marvel 3 — **We Tell You Why Ms. Marvel Is The Superhero We All Need Now: Kamala (Iman Vellani) struts her Marvelous stuff in front of new crush Kamran (Rish Shah).** Photo Credit: Marvel Studios

All told, she’s a protagonist I’m keen to keep following. That also applies to the supporting players. The Big Sick’s Zenobia Shroff and Hostages’ Mohan Kapur deftly embody two conservative parents who are nonetheless eager to try and meet their black-sheep daughter halfway with her frivolous superhero obsession, which adds some necessary nuance to Kamala’s family drama.

Having firmly, compellingly established its world and its characters, a development near the end of episode two promises a start to the real superhero action, a fleeting glimpse at a larger conspiracy. Hopefully, as the save-the-world plot inevitably kicks into gear, Ali and her writers won’t stray far from the character-driven quirkiness and pathos that’s made the opening chapters such a delight.

Look for new episodes of Ms. Marvel every Wednesday on streaming service Disney+.

Main Image Photo Credit: Disney+

Matthew Currie

Author

A long-standing entertainment journalist, Currie is a graduate of the Professional Writing program at Toronto’s York University. He has spent the past number of years working as a freelancer for ANOKHI and for diverse publications such as Sharp, TV Week, CAA’s Westworld and BC Business. Currie ...

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‘Ms. Marvel’ Is Breaking Down Stereotypes & Here’s What You Need To Know

by Matthew Currie

Matthew Currie

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