Ms. Marvel: Fan Wish Granted

How many of us comic book fans would love to be in one of the MCU movies or television series?  Now imagine getting cast in one.  That is what happened to Iman Vellani.  Not only was she an Avengers fan, but she was also a huge fan of the character she is playing.  I am not sure how many people will understand this next part, but it is something I have dealt with much of my life, and it is important.  I am talking of “representation”.  You see, when you are part of a minority, especially one that is vilified within our culture, you don’t see many heroes that accurately represent who you are.  You can love all the comics in the world, but there is always a little piece missing that allows you to really connect with the character until one comes along that embodies the part of you that society has deemed unworthy.  It is a concept that most people don’t really understand, and it is also why Ms. Marvel is an important show.  Iman Vellani started reading Ms. Marvel comics because she connected with a character that represented her background and her history and now.  She even cosplayed the character, and remembering most people thought she was “The Flash”.  But now, Pakistani born Iman Vellani, is Ms. Marvel.

Kamala Khan is a Jersey City resident who is Muslim, but also a huge fan of the Avengers, and in particular Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers.  She daydreams about her all the time, which worries her parents and her teachers.  They are trying to crush the imagination that causes Kamala to get into so much trouble. The first ever “Avengerscon” is about to take place, and Kamala wants so badly to attend with her best friend, Bruno (Matt Lintz), but her parents are overprotective and will not let her.  Her dream is to win the Captain Marvel Cosplay Competition, so she comes up with a plan to sneak out of the house and take the bus to the convention.  A bangle, sent from her grandmother was the final adornment to her outfit, giving it that personal touch, but it also gave it much more.  The bracelet seemed to have some kind of magical power, and Kamala’s dreams are about to come true.

The first episode of the series does a good job of letting the audience get to know Kamala, and most of the episode is spent on expositional information. We learn that she has overprotective parents, a sympathetic best friend who is also a genius inventor, she is bullied a bit in school, her brother, whom her parents seem to adore, is about to get married, and Kamala is a dreamer and that gets her in trouble with both her parents and her teachers.  Iman brings a fresh energy to the character that also has a ring of truth to it. She does a wonderful job bringing Kamala to life, which is impressive as Marvel took a chance on an unknown actress making her onscreen debut carrying the series!  There is a lot of weight on Iman’s shoulders, being the first Muslim superhero in the MCU. The supporting cast is also quite good adding to the rich tapestry of the main characters background and motivations.

The production value is what you would expect from the MCU television series, which means it looks great without being overwhelming. The onscreen envisioning of Kamala’s daydreams are fun and adds its own type of style to the show allowing the audience to peek into Kamala’s thought in a very kinetic way. The script was interesting, and the story feels a bit more grounded than the other series but with no real hint at who the “Big Bad” will be.  There are a lot of speculation who or what villain Ms. Marvel will fight, but the first episode gives very little clues to this.  Since this is a new character, having not been introduced in any of the other MCU movies or television series, some extra time on the origin was expected.