The lockdown obviously caused a lot of time spent by everyone in quarantine over the past year and a half. And while it has been a trying time for all, some have taken this down time as a means for creative pursuits. Take Iman Vellani for instance. The star of the upcoming Disney+ series &Ms. Marvel& spent her quarantine in preparation for her entry into the MCU. While doing research for her character, Vellani created a tribute video to Iron Man wherein she filmed herself going about her day while studying comics for her upcoming role in Ms. Marvel&. The video, set to the Billy Joel song “I don’t want to be alone”, features some Claymation scenes with Kamala Khan and Iron Man.
Since her casting as Kamala Khan was announced, it has become clear that Iman Vellani was an excellent casting choice, not only from a representation stand point, but also from a passion standpoint. She has spent a great deal of time showing her passion in researching for the role. She has consistently shown her love for the MCU as well as her love for the lore of the character and comics in general. It makes her impending arrival in the MCU even more exciting for fans.
Development on a Ms. Marvel project were reportedly in the works as early as 2016, though Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige would later confirm in 2018 that an MCU project focused on Khan was officially in the works for after the release of Captain Marvel. Bisha K. Ali, an alum from fellow Disney+ MCU series Loki, serves as creator and head writer for the series while Bad Boys for Life duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah direct two episodes, Meera Menon is directing one and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing three. Currently being described as a miniseries, Ms. Marvel is set to not only introduce Khan into the MCU but also set up the events of the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, with Vellani set to star in the film alongside Brie Larson and WandaVision‘s Teyonah Parris.
It will be interesting to see how Kamala Khan is integrated into the MCU as a whole, although it seems that the character is in safe hands with Vellani. It is always encouraging to see the star of a comic series making the effort to do the research to make sure they are able to accurately portray the character. There are, as always, changes between from the comics to the onscreen version, but Vellani’s dedication to studying the source material will regardless help her portray Kamala Khan.
&Ms. Marvel& is the sixth Disney+ series for the Marvel Cinematic Universe will introduce Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani-American from Jersey City who writes superhero fan fiction, primarily for Captain Marvel, before ultimately gaining shape-shifting powers. Vellani leads the cast as the titular heroine alongside Saagar Shaikh, Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur. Although no release date has yet been set for &Ms. Marvel&, it is expected to arrive sometime in early 2022.