Iman Vellani Says ‘Ms. Marvel’ Is No ‘Watered-Down Version of Another Hero’ (VIDEO)
Make room for Kamala Khan. Disney+’s latest MCU-set TV series Ms. Marvel throws the spotlight over to the 16-year-old high schooler from Jersey City, played by Iman Vellani, who discovers she has incredible superpowers, including the ability to manipulate light that can crystallize.
This is incredible news for Kamala, who is already a superfan of the Avengers, specifically Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. Her adoration of her world’s heroes proves as an escape for the Muslim American girl, who faces difficulties focusing in her classes and dealing with her strict parents, among other typical teen troubles. “I think she’s really kind of looking for some simplicity in life through the fantastical world of the Avengers, you know?” Vellani tells us in our chat, above. “Captain Marvel doesn’t have to deal with boys and religion and high school drama and family drama and cultural drama — there’s just a lot of drama in her life.”
The Ms. Marvel character debuted as a comic series in 2014, but this series will be the first time viewers see a live-action onscreen version of the powerful teenager. In addition to Kamala, viewers will meet her caring parents, Muneeba and Yusuf Khan (played by Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur), and older brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh). Techy best friend Bruno Carrelli (Matt Lintz, who describes Bruno as “the Ned to [Kamala’s] Peter Parker”) is also a major asset in Kamala’s path to self-discovery, and Yasmeen Fletcher’s fierce and sarcastic Nakia rounds out the friendship trio. New guy Kamran (Rish Shah) will also play a pivotal role in Kamala’s journey.
And while we don’t know too much about that journey right now, we are buckled up and ready for the ride of the six-episode series, which streams weekly on Wednesdays through July 13. Teases Vellani: “We watch Kamala subvert all these expectations and labels that are being thrown at her, that come out of being a watered-down version of another hero, and ultimately just becoming a badass version of what a superhero can look like.”
Learn more about the Ms. Marvel world in our marvelous video interview with Vellani and her castmates above.
Ms. Marvel, Series Premiere, Wednesday, June 8, Disney+
