Ms Marvel: Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan hits the nail on the head giving South Asians their most relatable superhero
Ms Marvel Review: It is no less than a treat when you're a fan of the superhero genre and you get to relate to the characters you see on the screen. Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is otherwise known for its brilliant visual effects and the experience it gives to its audience, goes a step ahead with Ms Marvel. In their latest web series, MCU offers a new superhero that seems to be built upon a South Asian fan base.
Iman Vellani's entry into the MCU as Kamala Khan/ Ms Marvel is a triumphant note for more than one reason. Ms Marvel is essentially a coming of age superhero origin story. But how this Muslim Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey comes face-to-face with her latent Inhuman lineage and transforms into Ms Marvel comes as a revelation.
It is only fair to say that with Ms Marvel, South Asians have got their most relatable superhero. She is a Shah Rukh Khan fan, listens to Coke Studio and faces third world issues just like us. For instance, her overprotective mother doesn't want her to visit AvengerCon because there would be bad boys but her cool dad makes sure she gets the best of both worlds.
It is said that presentation matters and Ms Marvel shows us how. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah smartly balance Kamala’s vivacious vision set in the heart of Jersey City and the Khan home. Ms Marvel is successful when it comes to visually arresting the audience with a mix of animation and live-action.
Iman, in her debut, is exuberating. The nuance and ingeniousness that she brings to the series effortlessly transcend the confines of the screen. Iman genuinely keeps one invested in the story as she journeys from being an enthusiastic Avengers fan to deducing herself as 'the' superhero.
Ms Marvel manages to be in sync with its contemporary superhero keeping Kamala's quirk and wit intact. It may often remind you of Tom Holland's Spider-Man because she's nerdy and oblivious to her powers but she's much more bold and daring than the friendly neighbourhood superhero. There's a hint of mutiny in her given how she wants to break the shackles, in addition to, optimism to mould things in her favour.
Ms Marvel isn't exactly adapted from the comics and there are significant differences. As an exception, this works for the series. As of now, the makers haven't tried to queue it with some prominent Thanos level event like they did with WandaVision, Loki and Hawkeye.
With Phase 4, Marvel is trying hard to bring a multiculturalism twist. They presented the first Black Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, made Shang-Chi and The Legends of the Ten Rings with a majority Asian cast, introduced their first LGBTQ characters with Doctor Strange 2 and now they brought their first Muslim solo lead.
Ms Marvel might not be grand when compared to MCU's other web shows, but it is one of the better outings. The series can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.