There are just a few days left for Disney + to premiere ‘Ms. Marvel’ next Wednesday 8 of June. This new series of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe promises to be quite different from what has been seen so far and at Espinof we have had the opportunity to participate in an online presentation round in which a good part of its team has participated to address several important points about it.
The origins
A very striking thing about the series is that Kamala Khan first appeared in Marvel comics back in 2013 and Sana Amanatone of the creators of the character highlighted that “the comic did very well and one of the things that I liked the most was that people who had never read comics were going to comic shops for the first time because of what it meant“In fact, very soon he began to wonder about a possible adaptation, as revealed Kevin Feigpresident of Marvel Studios, who also noted the following about the series:
Marvel is lucky that there are not only reinterpretations of existing characters, but sometimes new characters also arrive that connect with the public’s imagination. Kamala did, and and from the first issues of the comic, people started asking us when we were promoting other things when was it going to be ‘Ms. Marvel’.
It was inevitable that we would, and with the arrival of Disney+ came the opportunity to do what we really wanted to do: tell its entire story in six episodes, and then transition to film. I’m very proud to bring new characters to the screen, not just tell reinterpretations of characters that people have already seen for decades. I think it’s important, I want those of you who have never considered watching a Marvel series to be excited to see it… and then watch the others.
Once the decision was made to make ‘Ms. Marvel’ it was missing to know who would participate in it, being especially essential the actress in charge of giving life to Kamala. The chosen one was finally Iman Vellaniwho commented that he found out about the casting through a WhatsApp message sent by his aunt and believed it was a scam, but he showed up and thus recounted the process:
I sent the proof and two days later they called me to come to Los Angeles. The following week I was already there with my father. Everything was going great, but suddenly the pandemic came. They sent me an email to tell me that she was still a candidate, but that they had to solve some things on her part. Already in June 2020 I sent one last test video and we did a screen test and they ended up signing me when I was still in high school.
For its part, the directorial duo formed by Adil & Billall They were on the crest of the wave thanks to ‘Bad Boys for Life’ when they signed with Marvel to make a series that at first glance may not seem to fit their style at all. This is how they explained how they ended up in front of two episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’:
It’s a little less violent, but this is for the whole family. After putting together ‘Bad Boys For Life’ we were thinking about what our next step was and we concluded that it had to be Marvel, the most important in this business. And we were joking that it would have to be a Muslim superhero, not knowing that it already existed. That’s how we discovered ‘Ms. Marvel’ and we fell in love with Kamala Khan. When we were 15 or 16 we were also looking for our identity, our place in the world and we identified with Kamala. Then we met Kevin Feige and we couldn’t say no.
About his signing, Feige wanted to point out that “they had just made a big hit, the 2020m major and when their name came up I thought if they would be willing to do a series with us because they could do whatever they wanted. They did, and their passion shows throughout the entire series..
Focus
Feige also stressed that the fact that no major villain appears during the first two episodes and the totally different and lighter approach was a fully considered decision of the study for the following reason:
That was always the intention, that the Marvel logo does not promise a very specific group of characters and always the same tone. It was the perfect time to go from ‘Moon Knight’ to Ms. Marvel’, especially since they are so unique and different. With ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ at the other extreme. That’s what makes Marvel unique, its ability to see all that range of tones, styles and characters. I love when people point out how different they are, because that’s what we were going for.
As expected, the question about the importance of representation in the series. In this regard, there are two answers that are as important as they are complementary so that the viewer can get an idea of what awaits him in ‘Ms. Marvel’. Mohan Kapurthe actor who gives life to the father of the protagonist, pointed out the following:
I think it’s a great opportunity, because this is the Marvel Universe telling a story about our community, even taking in small details like going to the mosque, taking off your shoes, coming back and they’re gone. This is real. The process to enter the mosque, the festivals, the wedding ceremony. From my contact on social media, I know that part of the world is looking forward to this happening. This is us.
Nevertheless, the goal of the series was never to focus on Muslim culturebut to include it as one more element in Kamala’s life, as Vellani clarified when he highlighted what makes the character unique:
I think Ms. Marvel has always had a good understanding of fan culture, which has helped elevate the narrative in a unique way. She’s okay, she’s 16 and superpowered, we’ve seen that before, but she’s also a fan of all the other heroes within the MCU. That fascination is what fans identify with. She reacts like we would when she gets powers. I love that part of the character. Culture and religion have never been the main thing for Kamala, it is a part of her life, as it happens to me. We didn’t want to make a series about Muslim culture, but about this awkward girl who loves The Avengers and happens to be a Muslim. And I think we balanced it really well.
About, Meera Mennondirector of two episodes noted that “I think that by searching for her identity, Kamala Khan is going on a journey to reconnect with her family, to understand why telling her own story is so important to her, and to know that she can be the superhero that she knows she can be. Throughout that journey we are going to see the most exciting thing that has happened in his life“.