Kamala Khan Is Marvel's First Muslim Hero in Disney+'s “Ms. Marvel” Trailer

3 years ago

Disney+ and Marvel’s newest series, “Ms. Marvel,” just dropped its first trailer. The show – which will be the seventh Marvel show created for the streamer – stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old girl from a Muslim, Pakistani-American family who lives in Jersey City, NJ. Kamala – who idolises the Avengers, especially Captain Marvel – is struggling to find her place in the world when she ends up with superpowers of her own, making her just like the heroes she’s spent hours fangirling over.

Like the “Moon Knight” series, “Ms. Marvel” introduces not just a brand-new hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also a totally new cast of characters. Here’s everything you need to know about Kamala Khan, her upcoming Marvel show, and her place in the greater MCU.

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Kamala Khan Is Marvel's Newest Hero

Kamala Khan made her first appearance in the comics in a 2013 issue of “Captain Marvel.” In 2014, the “Ms. Marvel” comic series had its very first issue. The character, who’s the first Muslim Marvel character to ever headline their own book, was created by Marvel editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie.

In the comics, Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson in the MCU), used to go by the name Ms. Marvel. In 2012, Marvel Comics had Carol take on the mantle of Captain Marvel as it launched the character into a new era. So when Kamala, a Captain Marvel superfan, ends up with powers of her own, she uses her idol’s old alias.

From the first trailer, it seems the MCU version of Kamala gets her powers in a different way than her comics’ counterpart (whose powers are activated by a cosmic fog) and might even have different abilities.

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"Ms. Marvel" Cast

Iman Vellani was cast as Kamala Khan in 2020. Joining her in the cast are Matt Lintz as her best friend, Bruno Carrelli; Saagar Shaikh as her brother, Amir; Aramis Knight as Kareem, aka Red Dagger; and Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur as Kamala’s parents. The ensemble also includes Rish Shah, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Nakli, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer, Nimra Bucha, Alyy Khan, Alysia Reiner, Fawad Khan, Mehwish Hayat, Anjali Bhimani, and Laurel Marsden.

Youtube user Marvel Entertainment

"Ms. Marvel" Release Date

Disney+ will release the “Ms. Marvel” series on June 8. The series will have six episodes total. As of now, a second season has not been announced.

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"Ms. Marvel" Is Connected to the "Captain Marvel" Sequel, "The Marvels"

Vellani will reprise her role as Kamala Khan in the upcoming “Captain Marvel” sequel “The Marvels.” She will costar with Larson as Carol Danvers and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. Parris first played Monica in 2020’s “WandaVision” series on Disney+. Monica also appeared as a child in the first “Captain Marvel” movie as the daughter of Carol’s friend Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). In the comics, Monica is the first woman to use the Captain Marvel name.

There are few details about the movie, which will be released Feb. 17, 2023. It’s directed by Nia DaCosta. The cast also includes Park Seo-joon and Zawe Ashton.