Say hello to the newest cosmic Super Hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who’s just trying to balance high-school life, family dynamics, and her newfound emerging superpowers.
The new series created exclusively for the streamer, introduces a new, teenage superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One that I find will most certainly be one of Marvel’s most relatable characters. Kamala Khan is a normal, fun kid who’s thrust into a rich new world that throughout the season will take her to exciting places where she’ll ultimately discover truths about her past and family.
Thanks to Disney + Coastal House Media got to watch the first two episodes in advance and each showcase an epic, vibrant story that is stylistically unique and takes us on another cosmic journey through her culture and imagination. Kamala’s adventure begins exclusively June 8th on Disney+
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 invisible both at home and at school—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with superpowers, right?
Photo: Courtesy of Disney+
Review
A COMIC BOOK SUPERHERO COME TO LIFE
As Marvel Comics goes, Kamala is still relatively a new character, as she was first introduced with a cameo appearance in Captain Marvel issue No. 14 in 2013 before getting her own solo series the following year. The origin and multicultural appeal of the character were inspired by real-life experiences of executive producer Sana Amanat who also co-created the first Muslim superhero character with writer G. Willow Wilson, artist Adrian Alphona, Editor Stephen Wacker and Jamie McKelvie.
Ms. Marvel feels new and fresh but still aligned with the core principles of what Marvel characters have always stood for. Every Avenger, X-Men, and Inhuman were mighty and fantastic but they’re also people that are flawed with vulnerabilities that come across as very relatable to readers and viewers. However Ms. Marvel is so different and unique from all the other heroes, she doesn’t have fancy technology or a suit of armour, she’s just a teenager with a rich culture who proudly hails from Jersey City. Kamala is trying to figure the world out when she’s suddenly imbued with powers.
In fact, this authenticity stuck a cord globally with fans across the globe as the first issue run sold out and is currently in its seventh run quickly becoming one of Marvel’s top-selling collections. And while her identity puts a different lens on this Marvel story, she is still so relatable. Marvel which has been around for over eighty years also has characters that are full of comic book history, one of the most important characteristics of Kamala Khan is that she’s the ultimate super-fan of all these Marvel Superheroes, specifically Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. Danvers is the hero Kamala wants to embody before fully becoming her own.
Phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe showcases the aftermath of the Infinity Saga and how the Heroes have moved forward after Thanos wiped half of the world’s population for five years only for Tony Stark and the Avengers to bring them back.
With Disney + Marvel Studios gave familiar characters such as Wanda Maximoff and Loki expanded roles with their own story arcs that integrate with the theatricals. But it’s also been about introducing the next generation of superheroes.
Photo: Courtesy of Disney+
Adapting the comics for streaming was the perfect job for Bisha K. Ali, who Marvel went in-house for since she was already working in the writers’ room for Loki and was also a really big fan of the Ms. Marvel comics and was inspired to make a play to get on the project. The series is its own experience but still has the essence and spirit of what the comic portrayed. Many will see themselves represented as the creatives present the South Asian/ Pakistani culture respectfully and showcase the food, music and the relationship between parent and child. And for Ms. Marvel directors Adil and Bilall, Meera Menon and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy share all these unique multicultural aspects of Kamala’s story where something that they all connected to, whilst mixing it with new elements, familiar faces and storylines that go to some unexpected places.
The great advantage of bringing any Marvel property to life on Disney+ is that it allows the filmmakers the opportunity to tell the story for six hours. This gives us time to visit the many places Kamala Khan’s journey takes her, for example, AvengerCon, but throughout we also get to spend time in the world of her family and friends who are very important to her and to the story.
Identity also plays a part in telling Kamala Khan’s story as on a cultural level she’s in between two worlds, and cultures and at the same time dealing with her powers whilst also being a teenager. Ms. Marvel is about a young girl’s experience shown through the lens of someone who happens to be South Asian and happens to be Muslim. Kamala is a young woman coming of age and throughout the first two episodes, I’ve seen, showcase her determination and empowerment.
Each of the directors has brought their own unique vision from diverse backgrounds and a passion of telling authentic stories with real connectable characters.
INTERNATIONAL CAST
Iman Vellani makes her acting debut as Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel. She truly is the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and she was born to play the titular character. This is her coming-of-age story that is fun, colourful, and intimate as she struggles with identity and the understanding of her newfound powers. The filmmakers spent many months finding the right teenage actress to play a character who breaks down cultural walls. Iman embodies the character through and through as she’s also a huge super fan of Marvel, she knows the finite details of every character which is exactly like Kamala Khan, it feels very meta and she shows that a little nerdy can have tons of heart.
In “Ms. Marvel” Kamala Khan is a 16-year-old Pakistani-American girl growing up in Jersey City. She’s a nerd, a gamer who writes fan fiction and most of all a huge fan of the Avengers, particularly Captain Marvel, who is her hero. Kamala spends her time hanging out with her best friends Bruno and Nakia and is close with her family. As Kamala begins to discover her new destiny, it puts a strain on her relationships as she struggles to understand her new reality.
Photo: Courtesy of Disney+
In the series, Kamala’s two best friends are Bruno and Nakia played by Matt Lintz and Yasmeen Fletcher. The actors describe their characters’ dynamics.
Bruno and Kamala have grown up together and been best friends since second grade,” says Matt Lintz. “You see that in the first episode in the way he interacts with her family and when they hang out at the Circle Q where he works. Bruno is very loyal to Kamala, especially when she gets her powers, which created a new dynamic between them from just two amazing friends going to school, having fun and being big fans of the Avengers and Captain Marvel. Nakia is such a strong character and breaks a lot of the stereotypes for hijab girls, She’s opinionated and is willing to fight for anything that she believes in.
Throughout Ms. Marvel, Kamala’s family is the anchor in her life and throughout the family household, it’s her father Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) who’s more open to his daughter’s creative aspirations and fascination with Superheroes. Her mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) however definitely has the upper hand in the household as she’s much more conservative and wants her daughter to follow a more traditional path.
While Kamala stretches the boundaries of her family dynamic, her brother Aamir ( Saager Shaikh)is her ally in softening her parents’ traditional values and expectations.
Photo: Courtesy of Disney+
Verdict
Ms Marvel combines action, drama, humour, and a spectacular soundtrack of music and throughout the episodes, Ms. Marvel becomes a visual treat with its action sequences and the mixture of animation and live-action. This coming of age story included familiar elements of a teenager struggling to figure out a path ahead, her faith and managing her parent’s expectations. This series is shaping up to be another exciting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I can’t wait to see what Kamala Khan does next.
Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney +
The second season of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name, sees Loki working with Mobius M. Mobius, Hunter B-15, and other members of the Time Variance Authority to navigate the multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes.
Tom Hiddleston, Jonathan Majors, Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson
Plot Summary:
The second season of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name, sees Loki working with Mobius M. Mobius, Hunter B-15, and other members of the Time Variance Authority to navigate the multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes.
Just released at Star Wars Celebration: Watch the new trailer for Star Wars Visions: Volume 2, featuring nine new shorts from nine celebrated animation studios from across the globe. Streaming May 4 on Disney+.
Just released at Star Wars Celebration: Watch the new trailer for Star Wars Visions: Volume 2, featuring nine new shorts from nine celebrated animation studios from across the globe. Streaming May 4 on Disney+.
Disney +
Title: “Sith”
Studio: El Guiri
Writer-director: Rodrigo Blaas
Rodrigo Blaas is an Emmy Award®-winning director who has spent more than 20 years in animation. After co-founding Stromboli Animation in 1997, Blaas joined Blue Sky Studios in 2000, working on the feature film Ice Age, before transitioning to Pixar Animation Studios. There, he worked on such projects as Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Wall-E (2008) and on the Oscar®-nominated short film La Luna (2011). More recently, Blaas partnered with Guillermo del Toro to develop the award-winning series Trollhunters, served as creative director for Mikros Animation Paris and, in 2021, created El Guiri Studios in Madrid with his partner, Cecile Hokes. He also wrote and directed 2009’s award-winning short film Alma.
Title: “Screecher’s Reach”
Studio: Cartoon Saloon
Director: Paul Young
Paul Young is a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an IFTA winner and Oscar®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee. He produced the animated features My Father’s Dragon, WolfWalkers, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner as well as award-winning TV series including Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango, and Viking Skool.
Title: “In the Stars”
Studio: Punkrobot
Writer-director: Gabriel Osorio
Gabriel Osorio majored in Fine Arts at Universidad de Chile, later specializing in 3D animation. After working in commercials, movies and television series, he founded Punkrobot Studio. Since 2008, he has directed projects for children’s television including Flipos, Muelin y Perlita, Soccer Girls, and television spots. In 2016, his short film Bear Story became the first Latin American project to win an Oscar® in the animated short category.
Title: “I Am Your Mother”
Studio: Aardman
Director: Magdalena Osinska
Magdalena Osinska is an award-winning director who has been with Aardman for eight years. She has directed stop-motion, CGI, 2D and live-action commercials including Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper” and “Share the Orange.” Osinska directed development of the children’s series Joyets and has also directed films including Spirits of the Piano and Zbigniev’s Cupboard. A graduate of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, UK, as well as the Polish Film School in Lodz and Art College in Warsaw, Osinska is currently developing the feature film Jasia, based on her grandmother’s memories of WWII Poland.
Title: “Journey to the Dark Head”
Studio: Studio Mir
Director: Hyeong Geun Park
Rising star Hyeong Geun Park had already made a name for himself when he entered the Korean animation industry in 2017, thanks to his strong drawing and animation sensibilities. He has directed animation for dozens of cinematic game trailers and has since expanded into animated series, working on projects including Dota: Dragon’s Blood: Book 3 (2022) and Lookism (2022). Journey to the Dark Head is the first title he has executive produced from start to finish.
Title: “The Spy Dancer”
Studio: Studio La Cachette
Writer-director: Julien Chheng
Julien Chheng is CEO of Studio La Cachette, an Emmy Award®-winning French animation studio he co-founded in 2014 with fellow Gobelins school’s alumni Oussama Bouacheria and Ulysse Malassagne. Chheng was trained in visual development at Disney and has worked as a character animator on acclaimed 2D animated features The Rabbi’s Cat, Mune, and the Academy Award®-nominated Ernest and Celestine. In 2021, he won an Emmy Award® as animation executive producer of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, for which he also served as animation supervisor. In 2022, Chheng directed with Jean-Christophe Roger the Cesar-nominated feature Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia.
Title: “The Bandits of Golak”
Studio: 88 Pictures
Director: Ishan Shukla
Ishan Shukla started his career as a CG artist in Singapore. For more than a decade, he spearheaded projects ranging from TV commercials to series and music videos. His 2016 animated short, “Schirkoa,” was long listed for the Academy Awards® after receiving dozens of awards and playing at 120 international festivals, including SIGGRAPH Asia where it was named Best in Show. He then set up his own animation studio to work on adult-oriented animated feature films including a feature-length version of Schirkoa, set to hit festivals in summer 2023.
Title: “The Pit”
Studios: D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd.
Writer-director-executive producer: LeAndre Thomas
Co-director: Justin Ridge
LeAndre Thomas is an award-winning writer and director from Oakland, Calif., whose most recent film won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival. In addition to his independent films, Thomas is a part of the franchise studio team at Lucasfilm Ltd. where he has worked for more than 11 years being credited on recent titles such as Light & Magic, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and many more.
Justin Ridge executive produced the Emmy®-nominated series Star Wars Resistance. His credits also include Star Wars Rebels, Storks, The Cleveland Show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Title: “Aau’s Song”
Studio: Triggerfish
Writer-directors: Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke
Nadia Darries is a director, animator and co-founder of Goon Valley Animation, with an avocation for songwriting. Born in the Cape Flats in South Africa, Darries has worked on high-end animated film and motion design as an animator, project manager, creative director and director since 2015. Her experience includes animating at Triggerfish Animation Studios on the award-winning BBC films Stick Man, Revolting Rhymes, and Highway Rat.
Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based director and artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, where he has served as production designer, art director and director on projects such as the feature film Khumba, BBC’s Stick Man, and The Snail and the Whale. In 2018, along with James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon, he completed the graphic novel Kariba.