The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become famous for its diverse superheroes. Recently, they cast Iman Vellani as the titular character of their new Disney+ streaming series, Ms. Marvel. Vellani is of Pakistani Canadian descent and is set to be Marvel’s first Muslim character to be portrayed in a live-action adaptation.
Vellani recently sat down with MTV News to discuss how being a mutant will change the character of Kamala Khan. Vellani pointed out that Kamala will be facing unique challenges, as she will gain powers that are not natural to her.
Vellani said, “Kamala is an ordinary girl who gains superhuman powers through an accident. This is something that she has to come to terms with and learn how to control and use those powers. She’s not only trying to figure out how to do that but also how it changes the way she looks at the world around her. That’s a huge part of her story—learning how to use these new powers and also how to function in this new superhero identity she’s in.”
While Kamala is no stranger to superheroics—having previously appeared in Marvel comics—Vellani reveals that being a mutant will totally change her perspective. She states, “Being part of a group like the mutants, it’s going to change the way Kamala looks at the world. It’s going to give her a different set of eyes to see the world through, and it’s going to change the way she operates within it.”
This is particularly important in a series that will be aiming to use Kamala’s experiences as a teenage Muslim-American as a central point of focus. Vellani said, “Also [it will] change the way she looks at a lot of things, like her faith, her community, and just the world in general.”
In the comics, Kamala can enlarge or contract parts of her body, and Vellani promises that Ms. Marvel will see her using her newfound mutant powers in ways the audience wouldn’t expect. Vellani concluded by saying, “Kamala discovers a lot of new abilities that I’m sure everyone’s going to be excited about. It’s just going to be a really cool journey and I’m really excited to explore it all.”
As Kamala will be the first live-action Muslim superhero in the MCU, Vellani’s comments are an exciting glimpse into how being a mutant will change her journey in the series. We’re sure that Ms. Marvel’s portrayal of Kamala Khan will be one to watch!
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