THE newest Marvel superhero is making her debut in a big way. Ms. Marvel has now landed on Disney+, and the much-anticipated new series has already racked up much deserved glowing reviews for being a breath of fresh air to the superhero genre.
Centering on a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager named Kamala Khan (played so naturally by newcomer Iman Vellani), the show is based on a comic book created by Sana Amanat and Stephen Whacker, which raised eyebrows when it was first published in 2014.
The comic book series was part of Marvel Comics push to feature more diverse characters, and while there were some complaints and accusations of “wokeness”, ultimately, many comic book fans fell in love with Kamala, and her bright attitude to life and unique sense of justice.
What makes it all the more amazing is that most of the people involved didn’t really think that a show about this new generation superhero icon would ever get made.
In a recent global press conference held to mark the premiere of the new Marvel series, Amanat (who also serves as executive producer on Ms. Marvel) wondered out loud about how the production got greenlit.
“This is all very, very trippy,” she said. “I mean when (writer G.) Willow (Wilson) and I were crafting this comic about eight years ago, we joked about how we’re like, ‘Mm, this is not gonna get past issue nine’.”
She thought that no one would care. “And, lo and behold Kevin Feige cared, which is amazing and, of course, the rest of the world.”
Asked about why he chose to produce a series about Kamala Khan as part of his Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Feige shot back: “Why not, I say. I mean honestly Marvel it's such a privilege because not only are the re-interpretations every few years of existing wonderful characters, but every once in a while, and it does seem like every decade or so, there's a new character that comes around that catches the audiences imagination.
“And this character clearly did that.”
He added that fans had been asking for him to adapt her story, almost from the start.
Of course, the series would not work without an actress who could perfectly embody the superpowered teenager, and the producers certainly found their Kamala in 19-year-old Vellani, who is a self-described superhero fan, just like her character.
Vellani heard about the casting call through a Whatsapp message from her aunt – “the brownest way this could happen,” she said – and sent in her headshot and audition tape. She found out that she got casted on the day that she finished high school.
Speaking about her character, Vellani said: “She's a 16-year-old kid with super powers, fine, we've seen that before. But she's also a fan of every other hero within the MCU canon.
“And you know, that fascination and excitement is so shared with real-life Marvel fans, so that's why we relate to her. You know? She reacts how we would when she gets powers. And so yeah, I love that part of her, and that's why I fell in love with her.”
While much has been made about the fact that Ms. Marvel is a show about many firsts – the first Pakistani-American superhero, the first Muslim superhero – those behind the production didn’t want Kamala to be looked upon as a mere symbol.
Mohan Kapur, who plays Kamala’s father Yusuf Khan, expressed his joy over the ordinariness in how Kamala’s Pakistani-American family life was portrayed.
“I don’t think this series is shouting from the rooftops: ‘Watch me’. We’re talking about representation,” he said. “It's a wonderful story of a community that's so ethnically diverse and culturally rich.
“And for me coming from that region, I think it's a fabulous opportunity, because we certainly say this is the Marvel Universe telling a story about our milieu.
“I know this for a fact from whatever little social media that I'm into, that side of the world, they just can't wait to see this happen. This is us. This is us.”
While acknowledging the significance of Kamala’s cultural and religious identity, Vellani said: “Culture and religion were never the main thing of her personality, it was just some part of her life. You know, [like] how it was for me.
“It's like, this is the time I wake up. This is the time I go to school. This is the time I pray. This is the time I eat. Like, it's just a ... normal thing.
“And we didn't wanna make the show about a ‘Pakistani Muslim’, it was about, you know, this Avengers loving, fanfic writing dork, which just so happens to be a Pakistani Muslim. And yeah, I think we balanced it quite well.”
Ms Marvel is currently streaming on Disney+.
Watch the series trailer here:
