MS. MARVEL -- A New Marvel Superhero for a Different Generation

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Marvel and Kevin Feige want to expand the MCU in new and different ways. One of those ways is by doing shows for Disney+. They can get new creators and or showrunners with their own vision. Ms. Marvel is a relatively new character in the comics, having been introduced in 2013. Her origin in the comics is that she's an Inhuman created from the tarragon mists. Marvel has had issues with the Inhumans, so her origin and powers in the show are slightly different. Still, Khan is a wholly original character who deserved the spotlight of her own show.

Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is the first Pakistani/Muslim-American superhero in Marvel Comics. She is from Jersey City, New Jersey. Her parents want her to know her place in their culture, but at the same time, she has to fit in in school, which isn't easy either. Being Pakistani-American and Muslim isn't the easiest life for a teenager. This is what makes this character so different and intriguing as far as superheroes go. There are none like her in the MCU.

Vellani is a new actress, and her freshness plays into how new she is as a superhero. She had training wheels as this young girl trying to discover herself, both as a young woman and superhero. The show captures the essence of the comics and what a young girl with newfound superpowers would be like. Add in her Muslim background, and this show has a lot to say. Young people will surely embrace this character. And Feige and the showrunners should be proud of what they have created.

Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

The show has some interesting effects in it. The credit roll is pretty cool and interesting as far as a story beat goes. Villani's Khan tells about Captain Marvel and why she loves and admires her so much. They create dialogue on-screen using some cool visuals. The visuals involved with Ms. Marvel's superpowers are pretty interesting. Fans of the comics know these are different in the show. It's not a big deal. The show also has some cool music that lends itself to this cultural world but also gets in a few more mainstream songs, such as "Blinding Lights" from The Weeknd. 

Ms. Marvel brings together new creatives with a lot to say about this world of Pakistani-Americans and the Muslim religion in New Jersey. This world and character are completely different from anything they've done before. Vellani is perfectly cast as this young girl going through life struggles as a teenage Muslim but also her newfound superpowers. Trying to navigate this lifestyle isn't easy for her. This show does a great job of showing how all this transpires. It's a very fun show so far after two episodes.

Ms. Marvel streams on Disney+ beginning June 8.

Rating: 4/5