In August 2019, Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, confirmed that a live-action Ms. Marvel series was in the works. This production will come to Disney Plus and, of course, will be part of the Marvel Universe. As showrunner is the screenwriter and humorist Bisha K. Ali. In addition, it was recently revealed that Iman Vellani will play the heroine.

Ms. Marvel has special relevance in the Marvel universe and there are several reasons for this. Below we review some of the most outstanding that make this character one of vital importance for La Casa de las Ideas.

Unusual diversity in Marvel

Although many suggest that diversity in different cultural products is just a fad, the truth is that it is much more than that. Well, it is about a representation that for a long time was not given to the different communities that make up societies of any kind. Heteronormativity and, yes, the practice called whitewashing, or bleaching, remained for a long time common practices in both film and television. In the last decade, we have seen how little by little this situation has been changing, and Marvel soon adopted these new narratives.

This is how Kamala Khan came to the comics in August 2013, who would also become the heroine known as Ms. Marvel. Kamala became the first Muslim character in the Marvel universe to have her comic book series, which made quite an impact. The first volume of Ms. Marvel won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2015. That Magnificent Ms. Marvel series, by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jung, has been hailed for its depth and relevance. It is about to come to an end next January 2021, although Kamala’s adventures will continue in the Champions series., where Ms. Marvel teams up with Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Viv Vision, and a teenage version of Cyclops.

The other Ms. Marvels

We must remember that Kamala Khan is not the first to use Ms. Marvel. And it is that this name has been carried by other heroines, among which Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel herself stands out. In the comics, Carol Danvers gets her powers after her DNA merges with Captain Marvel after an explosion. Thus, the ordinary officer of the United States Air Force becomes a superheroine who shortly after would be the mainstay of The Avengers. In 2012 Danvers changes her name on the recommendation of Captain America himself to Captain Marvel after the death of Captain Marvel.

Sharon Ventura was the second character to use the pseudonym Ms. Marvel. She first appeared in The Thing comic in 1985 where she was part of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation with the Thing, taking the name Ms. Marvel. Shortly after she joins The Fantastic 4 (in 307 in 1987) and in one of her adventures she is hit by cosmic rays so she is affected and her appearance is similar to that of The Thing, so she changes her name to She-Thing.

Another character, but this time a villain, would bear the name of Ms. Marvel. This is Karla Sofen, a supervillain also known as Moonstone. During the “Dark Reign” storyline, Karla Sofen joins Norman Osborn’s group of Avengers, known as the Dark Avengers. She plays the doppelganger of the previous Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. Soon after, Danvers retrieves her name.

a Muslim teenager

That’s how we got to Kamala Khan, the latest Ms. Marvel. A 16-year-old Pakistani-American girl who lives in New Jersey and comes from a Muslim family. In addition to her unprecedented characteristics in the Marvel universe, those responsible for this title provided the character with an outstanding depth that captivated the public. Kamala was created by Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona; she first appeared in Captain Marvel #17 (November 2013).

The Ms. Marvel series for the Disney Plus platform is now in development. As we said above, she will be played by Iman Vellani. This title is scheduled for 2021, however, due to the various changes in the launch of the series and movies of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to sanitary measures due to the pandemic, its premiere may be delayed. We will be on the lookout for it.