Ms.Marvel: Iman in Wonderland

Iman Vellani is living a dream. In the Ms. Marvel series, the 19-year-old Canadian plays Kamala Khan, a Muslim superheroine of Pakistani origin who, except for a few details, leads a life very similar to hers. We spoke to the newest recruit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) during a virtual interview.

Who is Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel?

She’s a 16-year-old girl from Jersey City with a passion for the Avengers, especially Captain Marvel. She idealizes the life of superheroes because it seems simple: they fight crime while looking cool. For her part, she has to come to terms with the boys, her religion, her culture, her family, high school… then she must now tame her new powers. The series allows you to see her grow up and become her version of what a superheroine is.

What do you like most about her?

The character of Ms. Marvel understands what it’s like to be a fan and all that this culture means. It’s a perspective we haven’t seen in the MCU, until now. For example, what does a teenager living in this universe know about the Avengers or the Guardians? Her love for these heroes is similar to that of so many MCU and comic book fans. She is lucky to live her dream.

Not so long ago, that was your dream too, wasn’t it?

I grew up with the MCU! Iron Man came out when I was about 6, so it’s always been a part of my life. My high school was very close to a comic book store and I constantly went there to read every Invincible Iron Man or Silver Surfer. One day I saw a comic of Ironheart and Kamala was with her on the cover. I was 15 and fell into a Ms. Marvel binge. It was an obsession! It was my costume for Halloween!

The series gives an important place to Pakistani and South Asian culture, as well as to Muslim rites and symbols. How was the aspect of representativeness approached?

I think it’s wonderful that a company as big as Marvel is creating space for characters like Kamala to exist. These films and series are shown all over the world, so it makes sense that they represent people from all corners of the world. As in the comics, we will see children of immigrants who are proud of their culture. It’s an important aspect of the show, whether it’s through the relationships between the people, the music, or the food.

Kamala’s next adventure will be in Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, scheduled for July 28, 2023. What can you reveal?

It’s gonna be really fun! Filming with Teyonah [Parris, who plays Monica Rambeau] and Brie [Larson, back as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel] was extraordinary. I can’t wait to say more…

In addition to these, have you met any other actors who are part of the MCU?

A few since we shot Ms. Marvel in the same location as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Loki. During my second week on set, I went to see Barry, a security guard at Marvel, and said, “Bro, I’ve been here two weeks and I haven’t met any of the Toms [Holland and Hiddleston]. He replied: “I’ll be back.” Fifteen minutes later he told me that Tom Hiddleston wanted to meet me. Since I was in my pajamas at the time, I asked Barry if he could reschedule the meeting, but he told me that Tom Hiddleston was waiting for me now. He walked into a Loki costume and I collapsed in embarrassment. I was frozen to the ground and looked up to see this gigantic man approaching me. When I finally came to my senses, we talked for about twenty minutes. He was welcoming and comforting. He told me about his experience, what to expect and how to take care of myself. It was great! He’s the first celebrity I’ve met in person.

“KAMALA IS IN FRONT OF US!”

Ms. Marvel lead writer Bisha K. Ali has fond memories of the day she met Iman Vellani. “She was doing a screen test. It was the first time she was on camera and we watched her perform a scene. I turned to look at Sarah Finn [Head of Casting] and, overcome with emotion, I shouted at her, “It’s here! My character exists! After writing and rewriting hundreds of pages, seeing her alive, in front of me, was awesome.”