“Ms. Marvel,” the next Marvel character to get their own Disney+ series, is set to hit the streamer with weekly episodes starting June 8, 2022.
But since she hasn’t appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) yet, she may be unknown to many Marvel fans who don’t read the comics.
So here’s a little primer of the character and the show to prepare you for the new series.
Who Is Ms. Marvel?
Ms. Marvel is the superhero alter-ego for 16-year old Kamala Khan, played in the series by Iman Vellani.
She lives with her Pakistani American family in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is the Marvel’s first-ever Muslim superhero to headline their own comic book.
She is a huge fan of the Avengers, especially Captain Marvel, so when she discovers her new powers, she decides to take the name “Ms. Marvel” to honor her idol…her costume resembles Captain Marvel’s, too.
Kamala is a self-aware superhero who has grown up with the legends of the Avengers, and she’s looking to forge her own path as she balances family life with superhero life.
Her Powers
The character’s first appearance was 2014’s “Ms. Marvel” #1 by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Jamie McKelvie,and Sana Amanat.
In the comics, Kamala received her powers after the Inhuman king Black Bolt (last seen briefly in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness“) set off a Terrigen bomb (Terrigen was an early plot point of “Marvel’s Agent of Shield” series and “Marvel’s Inhumans” series where Black Bolt first appeared in the MCU).
However it appears that in the series, instead of having Inhuman DNA, she has a pair of magical/cosmic bracelets, much like the Ten Rings of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
She does seem to have similar powers to the comics, though, including the power to create a big fist to punch people, and the ability to stretch her body.
Get a glimpse of her powers and bracelets in this trailer:
Her Future
In addition to the series, the character of Ms. Marvel will also be seen in the upcoming “The Marvels” movie, which will also feature Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who gained powers in “WandaVision.”
“The Marvels,” directed by Nia DaCosta, had a date change, and will now be released on July 28, 2023.
Behind the Scenes
The series also stars Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Fawad Khan, Laurel Marsden, Arian Moayed, Adaku Ononogbo, Alysia Reiner, Azhar Usman, Laith Nakli, Nimra Bucha,Travina Springer, and Aramis Knight.
Directors for the series are Adil & Bilall (Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah) [Episodes 101 and 106], Meera Menon [Episodes 102 and 103] and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy [Episodes 104 and 105]. Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Adil & Bilall, .Bisha K. Ali and Sana Amanat are the executive producers. Bisha K. Ali is also the head writer.
What to Watch
This is the first time Ms. Marvel has been seen on screen in live-action form, so Marvel has thoughtfully put together “A Fan’s Guide To Ms. Marvel.”
This five-minute documentary introduces the character and includes interviews with Marvel’s Kevin Feige and the show’s star Iman Vellani, along with showing some behind-the-scenes photos.
It’s currently available to watch on Disney+, so I recommend viewing it before hitting play on the first episode of “Ms. Marvel.”
There is also 2018’s “Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors” animated movie, which sees Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake (Marvel’s “Agents of Shield”), Patriot, America Chavez (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), and Inferno band together to fight an unexpected threat that bears down on the Marvel Universe.
It inspired the “Marvel Rising” animated shorts featuring Kamala and her dedicated crew of teenage Super Heroes.
All of the “Marvel Rising” titles are also available to stream on Disney+.
Ratings
While the series doesn’t debut to the public until tomorrow, June 8, early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have it as 95% Fresh with 45 reviews in.
So if you enjoy what you’ve seen in the MCU to date, definitely give “Ms. Marvel” a shot.
