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Ms. Marvel Review: Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is the vibrant new-age MCU superhero we need
Iman Vellani impressively stars as MCU's first Muslim superhero in the new show Ms. Marvel. Read Pinkvilla's review below.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel Cast: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Rish Shah
Ms. Marvel Creator: Bisha K. Ali
Streaming Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Ms. Marvel Stars: 3.5/5
Ever since the making of Ms. Marvel was first announced, it sparked a ton of attention and excitement as Marvel decided to introduce its first female South Asian and its first Muslim superhero. Based on the relatively new comic books that arrived in 2013, Ms. Marvel is the kind of the step forward Marvel Studios needed to take not only because representation matters but also because it's a story that's worth exploring because of several reasons that go beyond discussions of diversity and luckily, the makers of the show seem to understand the same and hence as the latest MCU show makes its way to the screen, it's not only a celebration of all the firsts that it achieves but also of a character that represents what MCU fandom stands for in the most endearing way.
For those who have been fans of the comic books on Ms. Marvel, there are few changes that you will notice in the new MCU show including a major one about the lead character, Kamala Khan's superpowers. In the studio adaptation of the books, Iman Vellani's Kamala gets light construct powers that allow her to shift and change the shape of her body at will. In the comics though, Khan is known to have elastic powers that are similar to that of Mr. Fantastic. While it may seem like an odd thing to change, I can assure you that when you watch the episodes, it does feel like the right choice.
Ms. Marvel takes off with an introduction to Kamala Khan's (Iman Vellani) Avengers-obsessed persona as we meet her carefully curating fan videos. In the meantime, Kamala is also perfecting her Captain Marvel cosplay outfit for an Avengerscon event for which, she is yet to get permission from her parents. While idolizing Captain Marvel comes easy for Khan, it's managing her day-to-day life in her Jersey household as an American Muslin teen that isn't quite going her way. In the first two episodes that were provided for review to critics, we get to witness a good balance of Kamala's everyday life as well as the major changes it's about to undergo after finding out about her superpowers. While she finds herself to be a misfit in the family consisting of a disciplinarian mom Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), a friendly and doting father (Mohan Kapur) and her brother Aamir (Sagar Shaikh), it's with her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) that she's at her comfortable best. Bruno is also the tech genius who goes the extra mile to make Kamala's life feel more superhero-ey than it is before she finds the source to her powers. Kamala is equally closer to her other friend, Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) with whom she swoons over the cute new classmate, Kamran (Rish Shah).
Ms. Marvel has all the right elements when it comes to being a teen show and much of the beginning focuses on Kamala's life as just that before she finds out how her heritage and family secrets are about to change her life forever. Among the many impressive bits that the Marvel show starts off with, one is the absolute celebration of the world that the studios have created in the past 15 years with an event like Avengers Con. The event aside, there's much to marvel at in this show when it comes to the construction of Khan's conflicts when it comes to her own identity. The show remains it is effervescent best when it captures Kamala's high-spirited nature and her ability to embrace drama with it. There is a clear emphasis made on not making Kamala's South Asian roots a mere added flavour but in fact it's so naturally imbibed in the plot that it doesn't come across as something forced. The proof of which lies in deftly crafted scenes such as the one where Kamala (Iman) and Nakia (Fletcher) discuss the state of the female section of the mosque while the girls behind them are busy taking selfies. While there's no direct address of elements such as the impact of western beauty standards on South Asian teens, it's subtly dealt with in a few scenes.
The portrayal of cultural heritage is a key aspect for Ms. Marvel to reach global audiences and the show doesn't go wrong with it. From discussions about Shah Rukh Khan and Bollywood movies to Eid celebrations, the show packs on everything that the life of a Pakistani American teen could revolve around at home and school. Among the first two episodes though, if there's one conversation that sets the tone for the show and what lies ahead for Kamala's journey, it's the one where her mother, Muneeba urges her to focus on herself and withdraw herself from the fantasy world that she's created as a fan. It's an indication of how in the coming episodes, Khan will not only understand how to use her powers but also understand her place as a hero and the battles that she wants to pick with her abilities. It's a journey that will convince Kamala herself that a brown girl can and will save Jersey City when needed.
Created by Bisha K. Ali and directed by Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah and Meera Menon, Ms.Marvel has the quality to instantly grow on you with its spirited and lively visuals. Visually, the show seems like the equivalent of being inside an Avengers-crazed, teenager's head. From the stunning opening sequence where Vellani's voiceover plays while paper dolls and dioramas of superheroes are illustrated as a part of her fan video to the entire Avengers Con sequence, big credits to the makers for packing the first two episodes with banging visuals and an equally impressive musical score to go with it. Smart creative choices like ditching text bubbles for neon signs appearing in the background when Kamala (Vellani) is chatting on her phone works like magic to make the show look brighter.
In terms of performances, Iman Vellani who makes her screen debut with the series seems like the perfect choice to embody an exciting spirit like Kamala Khan. Vellani shows a great potential when it comes to capturing a similar vibe to that of Peter Parker and Kate Bishop's characters of new-age superheroes who have grown up in the Avengers era. Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur are equally impressively cast as Kamala's parents. In the case of Kamala's friends, Matt Lintz does a fine job as Bruno and the rapport shared by him and Vellani seems natural. Yasmeen Fletcher as Nakia is a character and performance that I'm looking forward to watching more in the show. Rish Shah as Kamran gets quite a memorable entry and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for him.
Ms. Marvel consists of six episodes that will be released weekly and following the second episode's cliffhanger climax, it will be interesting to see where the story heads on from there. If we have learnt anything from MCU's past shows such as WandaVision and Moon Knight, it's that the show could be headed in the most unexpected ways from there on and hence while I relished the first two episodes, it's going to be an interesting ride ahead.
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