The Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding! And it’s set to include the beloved character Kamala Khan. Peter Parker isn’t the only Marvel character struggling to find the balance between high school and saving the world. The upcoming Disney+ series Ms. Marvel introduces the newest teenage superhero to the MCU. Here’s everything we know about Ms. Marvel.
Ms. Marvel‘s Plot
Ms. Marvel is the first superhero project that will feature a Muslim hero as the lead, as the series will focus on the Kamala Khan version of the character. The name Ms. Marvel was the heroic name originally given to Carol Danvers when she first debuted in 1976. She held on to that identity for many years, only becoming Captain Marvel in 2012. When she finally earned her Captaincy, a new teenage character earned the Ms. Marvel moniker. Kamala Khan was a Pakistani American from Jersey City, New Jersey, with shapeshifting powers that she inherited from her latent Inhuman DNA.
We’ve been anxiously awaiting a real look at Ms. Marvel since we first caught glimpses at in a Disney+ sizzle reel in 2020, but now we’re so excited to have a full trailer.
Here’s the full synopsis:
Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero mega fan with an oversized imagination—particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Yet Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with super powers, right?
In addition to the full trailer, Marvel Studios also released a series of images, giving us a glimpse of Kamala on her journey from hero superfan to superhero.
Kevin Feige also recently shared with Empire a little more about Ms. Marvel’s powers and how they differ from her comic book abilities. He notes:
We adapt the comics; it’s not an exact translation. [Kamala] came about in a very specific time within the comic-book continuity. She is now coming into a very specific time within the MCU continuity. And those two things didn’t match… What we will learn about where those powers come from, and how they come about, is specific to the MCU. You will see great comic splash panels in some of our action sequences. If you want big, giant hands and arms, well they’re here in spirit, if not in stretchy, plastic-type ways.
We can see some of those powers come to life in Ms. Marvel‘s latest promo. Additionally, the teaser entitled “Connected” also teases some of Ms. Marvel‘s MCU connections, including the return of a character we last saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In this latest teaser, we see that Arian Moayed is back as Agent Cleary. Agent Cleary, of course, worked at the Department of Damage Control in No Way Home. The department currently handles alien artifacts in the MCU and it seems like the bands that give Kamala Khan her powers may fall under their purview.
Behind the Scenes
Bisha K. Ali, a writer on the Hulu adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral, serves as series showrunner. Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct the episodes. Ali also executive produces the show, along with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Victoria Alonso.
Ms. Marvel‘s Cast
Iman Vellani will play Kamala Khan. Just as in the comics, Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey who discovers her Inhuman powers, and decides to become a superhero. Fans will also get to see Vellani in Captain Marvel 2, which she’ll star in alongside Brie Larson.
The cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, Travina Springer, and Nimra Bucha. Laurel Mardsen will reportedly play Zoe Zimmer, one of Kamala’s classmates at Coles Academic High School. Anjali Bhimani will appear in a recurring role. Deadline also reports that Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar will make an appearance in the series. He joins as a guest star, but his role is not yet known.
Ms. Marvel‘s Release Date
Ms. Marvel premieres on June 8 on Disney+.
Originally published on August 23, 2019.
