Kamala KhanMs. The last character to use the Marvel nickname had his first cameo in the ‘Captain Marvel’ comic back in 2013, but he really shook the world when he got his own comic book series a year later. As part of a greater diversity and inclusion project, astonishment gave full focus to a young Muslim superhero and centered the action away from endless Manhattan in a bustling multicultural Jersey City.
The idea arose from conversations between the then-Marvel publisher (now their studio’s manager). Sana Amanat, Muslim and Pakistani parents and colleague Stephen Macker. Just as one could make a comic about white boys struggling to combine puberty and superpowers, a comic could be made about a brown-skinned girl who needs to include a third world in the mix: her Muslim faith.
To shape the character that the author has G. Willow WilsonHe became a Muslim while studying history in Boston and the illustrators adrian alpha Y Jamie McKelviethey were instructed to change the sexuality for intimacy to make prospective readers feel comfortable. Mission accomplished: “Comics mean a lot to a lot of people,” recalls the actress Iman Vellani in a video call. “I still take it with me everywhere.”
If Vellani’s name isn’t ringing a bell, that’s okay: It’s hitting Disney+ this Wednesday. Kemal Han. May not be Marvel’s first Muslim superhero (formerly M and Sand ‘X-Men’), but it was the first with its own series, and now it’s a television series.
From fan to possible idol
Canadian Vellani was born for this role, not just because she is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants; for spending his short life (age 19) between two cultures. If there’s one thing that defines Kamala Khan in addition to her roots, it’s her love of superheroes, something the actress understands perfectly. “I read all the ‘Ms. Marvel’ comics in high school. I dressed up as a character for Halloween in 2017 (everybody thought this was going to happen) flash). Years later, I learned about the series’ cast from my aunt, who read it in a barely opened WhatsApp group. On the last day of high school, they told me that the role was mine. It’s all so surreal!”
In the series, we meet Kamala as she develops her latest sophisticated fan art around Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. Reason for living is the first Avengers convention in Jersey City and plans to enter the ‘cosplay’ contest in a Danvers costume created in alliance with Bruno (matt lintz), a friend who (barely) hides his feelings for her. Her parents, who seem less enthusiastic about the convention, seem determined to make Kamala a worthy young woman (like her very conservative older brother Aamir) and drive her out of her fantasy world.
But Kamala’s path cannot be a straight line: after donning a certain bracelet, her hidden powers are awakened. In other words, the “origin” story differs from that of the comic, in which its transformation is the product of exposure to Earth Mists. Moreover The powers are different: instead of elongating her limbs and changing her body size at will (as a metaphor for puberty changes), Kamala uses the bracelet to manipulate cosmic energy and create forms that take solidity..
In an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige defended the changes stemming from the need for the character to be adjusted to the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe:[Kamala] It arrived at a certain time in the comics continuity. Now it comes at a certain moment in the continuum. ICCIman Vellani takes the side of the boss: “Speaking as a fan, I understand how special people can be with the changes and decisions we make with characters. I hope the fans trust us. This was made by fans for fans!” gets us excited… fan.
brown skin set
At Marvel, they know that participation has to be believable or not. That’s why they hired an Egyptian director, Mohamed Diab, to take over the reins of a series full of Egyptology like ‘Moon Knight’. And therefore ‘Ms. Marvel’ British-Pakistani Bisha K Ali (from the ‘Loki’ writers’ room) or the main directors are Belgian-Moroccan Adil El Arbi and Bilall FallahPresenting ‘Rebel’, a high-content hip-hop drama about a family torn apart by Islamist radicalization at Cannes.
Both Iman Vellani and rish kingPlaying Kamran (Kamala’s main love interest, much to Bruno’s upset), she went to great lengths to make everything feel culturally authentic. A Bollywood theme would be played in a car scene (‘Yeh kaali kaali ankhen’, from the classic ‘Baazigar’, to be precise), but they insisted on changing it to something sweet shop menRap project about the South Asian diaspora, of which Riz Ahmed is a part. “Why doesn’t it sound more modern? It’s great that Sweet Shop Boys has incorporated rap into their Pakistani musical heritage,” Vellani told this newspaper.
Kamala and Kamran may be reminiscent of characters in Ramy Youssef’s (sad) comedy ‘Ramy’ about a Muslim millennial, but sympathetic portrayals of Arabs or Muslims remain a sad rarity on television. Vellani seems ready to read many Islamophobic messages that will be reproduced on the networks as soon as the series airs, but at the same time, ‘Ms. Marvel’ contributes to changing mindsets: “This series is monumental for so many reasons. We will change the perspective on how Muslims are portrayed in the ‘mainstream’ media. Incorporating a character like Kamala into the MCU, such a successful and accessible franchise, will open the doors to our stories. worldwide”.