Ms. Marvel
Year: 2022
Created by: Bisha K. Ali
Starring: Yasmeen Fletcher, Matt Lintz, Wish Shah, Zenobia Shroff & Iman Vellani
Episodes: 6
BBFC: 12
Published: 19/07/22
Created by: Bisha K. Ali
Starring: Yasmeen Fletcher, Matt Lintz, Wish Shah, Zenobia Shroff & Iman Vellani
Episodes: 6
BBFC: 12
Published: 19/07/22
The Marvel Cinematic Universe glossed over the traditional origin story of Spider-Man in favour of a fresher approach that hadn’t been seen on the big screen twice before already. Whilst for some the absence of seeing the spider bite, Uncle Ben’s death, and Peter Parker trying to learn how to use the most basic of his web slinging powers was a shame; for many it was a blessing as it allowed director Jon Watts to explore new areas of the character never before seen on the big screen. But there were still a number of MCU fans crying out for that coming-of-age school-based origin story that Spider-Man usually provides so well; thankfully Marvel’s newest Disney+ series takes us back to school for an origin story of epic proportions with a hero yet to grace live-action entertainment.
Sixteen-year-old Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is a huge fan of the Avengers, and in particular Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Kamala and her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) discover that she has superpowers whilst sneaking out to Avengercon, and she gains a reputation as the newest superhero ‘Nightlight’. This attracts the attention of Najma (Nimra Bucha) and her son Kamran (Rish Shah) who believe that Kamala’s powers will help them return to their home in another dimension; as well as the attention of the Department of Damage Control who are trying to track down as capture new super-powered people in the hopes of limiting the amount of danger they can place the public in. Meanwhile Kamala is just trying to learn how to manage her powers whilst balancing the hectic social, familial, and school life of a teenager.
Sixteen-year-old Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is a huge fan of the Avengers, and in particular Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Kamala and her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) discover that she has superpowers whilst sneaking out to Avengercon, and she gains a reputation as the newest superhero ‘Nightlight’. This attracts the attention of Najma (Nimra Bucha) and her son Kamran (Rish Shah) who believe that Kamala’s powers will help them return to their home in another dimension; as well as the attention of the Department of Damage Control who are trying to track down as capture new super-powered people in the hopes of limiting the amount of danger they can place the public in. Meanwhile Kamala is just trying to learn how to manage her powers whilst balancing the hectic social, familial, and school life of a teenager.
Ms. Marvel was the subject of much controversy prior to its release because of the decision to alter Kamala’s powers from their comic book origins. As someone who has never been exposed to Ms. Marvel before, I can’t say I cared. I’m sure it might annoy some people but I feel like what has been achieved with the character in this series is fantastic and she has quickly become one of my new favourite Marvel superheroes.
The show’s greatest strength is Vellani. She’s amazing in the role, so much so that you don’t even get the feeling that she’s acting. She’s so comfortable in the role of Kamala, and that makes her witty humour, naivety, and strength so much more convincing.
Matched with a great supporting cast, in particular Kamala’s friend, Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), Kamala’s mother, Muneeba (Zonibia Shroff), and Lintz’s Bruno; the characters make Ms. Marvel as special as it is.
That’s not to say that Ms. Marvel rests on its laurels and can’t deliver in any of the other areas. The story is deeply rooted in the Partition of India in 1947, as well as modern life as a Muslim woman in the United States. It’s interesting new territory for Marvel to tackle, and a big departure from the usual stories the studio tells. It doesn’t go quite as hard on the racial and political commentary as I had hoped it would, maintaining Marvel and Disney’s glossy sheen and never wanting to take a hard stance on the matter, but it’s good to see these elements finally being introduced and making the world seem more grounded and diverse.
The show’s greatest strength is Vellani. She’s amazing in the role, so much so that you don’t even get the feeling that she’s acting. She’s so comfortable in the role of Kamala, and that makes her witty humour, naivety, and strength so much more convincing.
Matched with a great supporting cast, in particular Kamala’s friend, Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), Kamala’s mother, Muneeba (Zonibia Shroff), and Lintz’s Bruno; the characters make Ms. Marvel as special as it is.
That’s not to say that Ms. Marvel rests on its laurels and can’t deliver in any of the other areas. The story is deeply rooted in the Partition of India in 1947, as well as modern life as a Muslim woman in the United States. It’s interesting new territory for Marvel to tackle, and a big departure from the usual stories the studio tells. It doesn’t go quite as hard on the racial and political commentary as I had hoped it would, maintaining Marvel and Disney’s glossy sheen and never wanting to take a hard stance on the matter, but it’s good to see these elements finally being introduced and making the world seem more grounded and diverse.
The only area that really lest Ms. Marvel does is its CGI. As I stated in my Thor: Love and Thunder review, it’s really starting to become clear as day that Marvel’s special effects tech is outdated. Due to the nature of Kamala’s powers, a lot of Ms. Marvel’s CGI looks fresh out of the mid 00’s and it’s just not good. This doesn’t stop the show from being extremely enjoyable, but it does tarnish the shows otherwise glowing shine. The show does try and make up for this with some great cinematography, excellent licensed music choices, and well-choreographed combat sequences, but the visuals are always impacted a little when Kamala’s powers are on display because of how dated they look.
Ms. Marvel is one of the best series Marvel has produced for Disney+, and I do wish it had been longer. Coming in at just six episodes long, the result isn’t much longer than the average MCU film. With plenty of time spent building characters in the first three episodes, the final three episodes feel like they have to sprint to the finish line to get the rest of the story in. That being said it’s a good story, with excellent characters, and some fantastic humour. I can’t wait to see Vellani return as Ms. Marvel in future MCU projects (including the upcoming The Marvels), and if you feel like you’re starting to suffer from Marvel fatigue, it may be worth checking this out before you tap out entirely.
Ms. Marvel is one of the best series Marvel has produced for Disney+, and I do wish it had been longer. Coming in at just six episodes long, the result isn’t much longer than the average MCU film. With plenty of time spent building characters in the first three episodes, the final three episodes feel like they have to sprint to the finish line to get the rest of the story in. That being said it’s a good story, with excellent characters, and some fantastic humour. I can’t wait to see Vellani return as Ms. Marvel in future MCU projects (including the upcoming The Marvels), and if you feel like you’re starting to suffer from Marvel fatigue, it may be worth checking this out before you tap out entirely.