Iman Vellani Slams Marvel For Not Caring About Its Characters
Despite appearing in one of Marvel’s smallest box office earners to date, Iman Vellani has high hopes for the future of the superhero studio – that is if they put in the work on their end. During an interview with Russ Milheim of The Direct, Vellani says that the key to getting the same level of performance that Avengers: Endgame achieved is simple – “it’s just about making the audience care about their characters.”
Needing More Pair-Ups
While Iman Vellani hands it to Kevin Feige and the rest of the high brass at Marvel Studios for introducing a slew of new personalities over the last batch of films and Disney+ shows, she says that to be successful, they really need to build on that.
“It would be nice to see them all again and see them team up,” Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel says. Adding that she thinks the fans will be happier when they can begin “shipping people together,” Vellani thinks that once the MCU tosses in “pair-ups,” it will be easier for the franchise to build a new team of Avengers.
A New Generation Of Heroes
For years, audiences flocked to theaters to see actors like Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey Jr. play the roles of Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, and Iron Man, respectively. Now, two of those four characters are dead with Evans’ Captain America passing his shield to Sam Wilson, and Hemsworth’s Thor off doing his own thing. More recent projects including Iman Vellani’s series Ms. Marvel have introduced a younger generation of heroes that also include Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova.
But, audiences are still having a hard time accepting that their old favorites are gone with new faces taking their places. Because of this, plus an over-saturation of new Disney+ shows that are going unwatched, characters like Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel aren’t seeing the round-of-applause welcome that they should be.
More New Faces On The Way
Over the next few years, Marvel will be releasing films like Blade and Fantastic Four, throwing in even newer faces to the fold. With the arrival of these new characters, hopefully, the studio will take the advice of Iman Vellani and weave some of their storylines together to build more of a familial bond like we were used to with the old Avengers.
After all, while the plots and powers may have been a driving point for theatergoers to check out the films, it was the banter between the characters and their intertwined pasts that really pulled us in.
Bringing In The X-Men
As for the future of Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, it’s unclear where the character is headed following the flop of The Marvels. While some loved the film, which included appearances from Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, many others were unimpressed with the MCU’s latest feature. However, the post-credit scene teased that this would be far from the final outing of the marvelous trio, even teasing a future connection to the X-Men which has been long awaited by fans.
Iman Vellani Remains Hopeful
Just as Kamala Khan is the number one fan of Captain Marvel’s, Iman Vellani is a dedicated follower of the MCU, showing up to Thursday night openings of the films, calling them “a source of happiness.” Not only is Vellani coming from a place of wanting to keep her job and see how her character continues to grow, but she’s also part of the dedicated fandom meaning she hopes to see the higher-ups take her advice and ensure the franchise flourishes.
