Iman Vellani looks like the studio’s most viable option to replace Brie Larson’s character and take forward the mantle
Making her debut in 2014 as Marvel’s first Muslim character, Ms Marvel aka Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American teen living in New Jersey. Last year, newbie Iman Vellani was cast to play the titular role in the series that is scheduled for a Disney+ release sometime later this year. This makes her Marvel’s first-ever onscreen Muslim hero.
Vellani has already made efforts to further diversify the industry, despite this being her first big Hollywood venture. She was a member of the Next Wave Committee at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival, which was charged with applying a special tag to films that they thought would align with their peers, but were still programmed into other categories.
MCU’s First Inhuman?
The series will bring the iconic teen Inhuman to the MCU, based on the Kamala Khan (Ms Marvel) character developed in 2013 by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona.
“You will meet her in her Disney+ series and see her in our films,”
Feige said at the 2019 D23 Expo, a dedication to what Ms. Marvel fans have desired for a long time. Khan develops an “embiggening ability” after being exposed to an ancient alien mist, allowing her to alter the size and shape of her body.
According to reports, the series will have several Inhumans in the Ms Marvel series in addition to Kamala, implying that Marvel Studios will want to resurrect the concept after Marvel Television’s Inhumans polluted the well. Also, given Kevin Feige’s pledge that Kamala will star in films after her debut, we’re curious if a Young Avengers-style film will be released by 2025. Meanwhile, Teyonah Parris of Wanda Vision will star alongside Vellani in the Captain Marvel sequel.
A Good Look At Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel
Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will get a first look at Ms. Marvel’s outfit thanks to new images from the set. For the first time, actress Iman Vellani is seen in Ms. Marvel’s, a.k.a. Kamala Khan, official superhero costume, as revealed by Just Jared. The images were taken late on April 30 in Atlanta, where the new Disney+ series is currently in production. The updated uniform is based on the character’s iconic appearance in Marvel comics, with a yellow lightning bolt running down her chest on a blue tunic with maroon arms. Vellani wore a tiny black mask over her eyes and gold bangles on her left wrist, which she referred to as her compartment bracelets.
Vellani is wearing red sneakers on set, while her character in the comics wears boots. Vellani, 16, was spotted on set with co-star Rish Shah, who plays Kamran, an Inhuman with extraordinary powers, according to Just Jared.
Bisha K. Ali was announced as the series showrunner and Iman Vellani was cast in the lead role of Kamala Khan shortly after. Production has already begun, with Feige recently announcing that the show will debut in late 2021. Laurel Marsden is said to have joined the cast in February 2021, which also includes Vellani, Rish Shah, Mohan Kapur, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Saagar Shaikh, and Matt Lintz.
Watch: Ms Marvel First Look
Ms Marvel Production Details
Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, documentary short Oscar nominee Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Meera Menon were announced as the program’s directors in September 2020.
Despite the fact that the Disney Plus series was shot in Georgia, the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission confirmed to NJ Advance Media that some secondary footage was shot in New Jersey.
Ms. Marvel is a character that pays homage to MCU and comic book fans in part because Khan is a huge fan of the Avengers. Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, is her mentor, and her superhero name is a tribute to her. In 1976, before becoming Captain Marvel in 2012, Danvers was known as Ms. Marvel.
Seems like Marvel Studios is going down the same route. With all the prep for the Iman Vellani (Ms Marvel/Kamala Khan) and the show and rumours that Larson wants to quit. Vellani looks like the studio’s most viable option to replace the character and take forward the mantle.
In recent weeks, Marvel and Disney+ have been hard at work building up their production slate, not only by appointing Tatiana Maslany to play She-Hulk, but also by giving Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury character his own show.
