Ms. Marvel Casts Lead Actress for Disney+ Superhero Show
Ms. Marvel finally finds its superhero lead.
This article is more than 2 years old
Ms. Marvel has been on the radar for the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. The character is a fan favorite and has been tapped for her own Disney+ series for a while now. Fans have been waiting for any significant updates on the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they finally have a big one.
Ms. Marvel has cast Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms. Marvel. Vellani is a true unknown actress with no credits currently to her name. In a way, this is probably the best scenario for a character like Ms. Marvel. The majority of audiences will be fairly unfamiliar with her – her most prominent mainstream appearance has been in the recent video game Marvel’s Avengers – and a totally unknown actress has the opportunity to put her stamp on the character without any pre-conceived notions.
In a way, Iman Vellani‘s casting as Ms. Marvel is reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s casting in Superman. By having a relatively new face to show to audiences, there is a good chance that Vellani will become synonymous with the character for an entire generation. that will be doubly important for a character like Kamala Khan since she is a fairly new addition to the Marvel universe.
Kamala Khan first appeared in the Captain Marvel comics back in 2013. Carol Danvers actually held the title of Ms. Marvel but decided to stick with the “Captain” moniker instead. Kamala took over the “Ms.” name and has been wearing it ever since. Kamala’s powers are pretty wacky, but the short version is that she is able to morph and elongate her body. This allows her to change her size and appearance if she wants. Exactly what elements of her powers will make it into the Disney+ series remains to be seen.
It certainly seems like Disney plans to do a lot of expanding with the Marvel Cinematic Universe through their Disney+ shows. Ms. Marvel will introduce the character to audiences and Disney will be able to gauge her popularity. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige has said that Kamala Khan will debut in the Disney+ series but will also show up in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films as well. Exactly what movies she will be showing up in is unknown at this time.
The current list of upcoming Disney+ Marvel shows are primarily centered around established Marvel Cinematic Universe characters: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye. However, there are clear plans to try and introduce new characters to audiences through these shows. In addition to Kamala Khan, audiences will get their first look at characters like Moon Knight and She-Hulk through these Disney+ shows. Will this experiment pay off?
Regardless, it is exciting to see the MCU dig into its deeper roster of characters and give them a chance in the spotlight. Kamala Khan has quickly developed a fan following that more than earns her a shot at headlining her own MCU project. Hopefully, we can hear some more definitive updates about this show and when we can expect to see it on Disney+. As of now, all these new heroes and their shows are scheduled to premiere in 2022.
