Chris Connor reviews the first two episodes of Marvel Studios’ new Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, “one of the most out-and-out fun entries in the MCU in some time”…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in what is far and away its most content heavy period, and is fresh off the success of the more introspective, character-driven Moon Knight starring Oscar Isaac and the far larger scale Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which has grossed over $900 million at the global box office. The latest Marvel Studios series to release on Disney + is the hotly anticipated Ms. Marvel, introducing fan favourite Kamala Khan to audiences. Khan is the first Muslim superhero to get her own comic book series and so the series continues the MCU’s increased focus on diversity and provides a welcome teen hero to rival Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
The first two episodes of Ms. Marvel do a wonderful job introducing Kamala’s personality and give Iman Vellani plenty of room to develop the character. The episodes are noticeably light on villains and are instead more focused on Kamala finding her feet and coming to grips with her abilities, as well as navigating her burdensome family. The story feels far more like the coming of age stories in Homecoming and Far From Home, with our hero navigating the every-day challenges of being in their teens while fighting supervillains, than any other MCU property.
Vellani here shows the makings of a star bursting with charisma and a likeability not seen in all of Marvel’s heroes, and Kamala’s fight against her family is one audiences can likely relate to. While the rest of the cast haven’t had the chance to shine to the same extent, the family dynamic is certainly fun and offers a chance for this to be explored in future episodes.
The focus on Kamala’s Pakistani heritage doesn’t feel tacked on and, much as was the case with Shang-Chi, instead feels like a key component of the story being told and done with reverence and love. One can only hope that this series will help communities who haven’t seen their fair share of representation on screen feel seen. It is also an incredibly personal series for Vellani who is a self-confessed admirer of the Ms. Marvel comics, with that deep love shining through in her performance and from all involved.
As in the comics, Kamala is a huge fan of Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) and a key part of the opening two episodes involves her attending an Avengers convention as Danvers. Of course Kamala will interact with Captain Marvel in the feature film The Marvels (which also stars WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau), and this shows that Ms. Marvel is far more interested in taking place within the same connected universe than Moon Knight was; whether we will see some big cameos further down the road remains to be seen although it would make sense to set up Kamala’s future appearances.
The opening two episodes lay plenty of threads that will surely unravel in the coming episodes: where do Kamala’s powers come from and just who will the series’ main antagonist be? There are glimpses of groups interested in her new abilities but on the face of it these seem more like organisations monitoring heroes than out-and-out villains.
Ms. Marvel is a welcome departure from the universe ending stakes of Doctor Strange or Loki and Moon Knight’s darker more introspective storytelling. The performances and tone help make this its own corner of the vast Marvel franchise and will likely win over the hearts of many viewers. Kamala is an instantly likable and relatable hero and it will be a treat to follow her continuing journey throughout the MCU. The narrative threads dropped in the opening two episodes leave us guessing as to where the series will ultimately go but rest assured audiences will want the next episode immediately.
Chris Connor
