With The Marvels, the hotly anticipated team-up of Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Teyonnah Paris’ Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, hitting theaters soon; many are likely wanting to learn as much as they can about the two relative newcomers in this team-up. Those who watched the first Captain Marvel will likely remember Monica as the spunky 11-year-old lovingly nicknamed “Lieutenant Trouble” by Carol Danvers now all grown up; but what about The Marvels’ newest and youngest hero, Ms. Marvel?
Ms. Marvel, or more specifically Kamala Khan, has been a fan-favorite in the comics since she first debuted in her eponymous solo series in 2014, thanks to her unique abilities, her relatability as both a younger hero and self-proclaimed in-universe super fan of the Avengers, and the important positive representation she bring to the superhero genre as a Pakistani-American and practicing Muslim. Fans have been wanting Kamala to appear in the MCU since Day One, so the release of last year’s Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, coupled with the character’s forthcoming appearance in The Marvels, was likely inevitable.
Despite the first half of the show being buried by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ms. Marvel has received similar universal acclaim to the comics from which it spawned and even remains the highest-rated MCU project on Rotten Tomatoes at a staggering 98%. And while you probably don’t have to watch it to understand the plot of The Marvels, I would still say you should watch it anyway given just how good it is. In my opinion, it is easily the best of the MCU Disney+ shows so far and if you’ll allow me a few minutes of your time, I will explain exactly why that is.
Ms. Marvel Plot
Our story centers on 16-year-old Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani. She’s a Pakistani-American Muslim living in Jersey City, dealing with plenty of relatable teenage woes. Overbearing parents, crushes, and the stress and anxiety that comes from both not knowing what you want to do with your life and being pressured to figure it out as quickly as possible. She escapes from these pressures in two ways: hanging out with her best friends, Bruno and Nakia, and obsessing over all things Avengers, especially Captain Marvel.
After sneaking out of the house to attend Avenger-Con in Captain Marvel cosplay, Kamala accidentally awakens her super power potential after putting on a bangle passed down to her by her grandmother. She develops the ability to project hard light constructs from her body and begins operating as a local superhero dubbed by the community as “Night Light,” though she thankfully gains the Ms. Marvel name by the end of the series.
Over the course of the series, Kamala’s unique abilities make her the target of two antagonistic groups. Damage Control, a private military/police force specializing in superhuman containment and clean-up; and the Clandestine, an ancient race of Djinn originating from the same “Noor” dimension from which Kamala draws her constructs, as she herself is half-Djinn. And so is her potential love interest turned final antagonist turned maybe ally again Kamran, whose mother Najima leads the Clandestines throughout the show.
What Makes Ms. Marvel Great
Also Read: Ms. Marvel Review – Iman Vellani Steals The Show
For me, there are three main factors that help make Ms. Marvel as great as it is, the first being how the show spotlights the human element of superhero stories. The supporting cast, from Kamala’s family and friends to food vendors and mosque attendees, are all incredibly charming and help make the show’s world feel more lived-in than many other superhero stories. Outside of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films, the MCU hasn’t really explored the on-the-ground civilian perspective, so it’s nice to see here. This human element can also be seen in the show’s tackling of real-world issues such as racism, religious discrimination, or the historical tragedy of Partition.
The second is its directorial style. Though the show employs three different directors across its six episodes, with the duo of Ali & Bilall covering the first and last, Meera Menon taking on the second and third, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy tackling episodes four and five, the entire series sports a very unique look compared to the rest of the MCU in general and the other Disney+ shows specifically.
The directors would shoot on-location with real sets whenever possible, allowing for a more tactile and realistic feel compared to the CGI sets of the Volume utilized in most MCU shows. Moreover, the first two episodes in particular utilize a variety of unique camera techniques, cinematography, and environmental overlays to help make the visuals pop and bring us more into Kamala’s worldview. Split-screen shots, animated inserts, or texts between characters interacting with the environment help the show stand out visually, feeling surprisingly more reminiscent of the Spider-Verse films than any live-action superhero fare.
Finally, there’s the lead performance of Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Vellani grew up both as a fan of the character and the MCU films and that combined with her bubbly energy and charm make her the perfect fit to play Kamala. Despite the changes made to her origin and power set from the comics, Kamala’s personality, quirks, and overall spirit feel like they were ripped directly from the source material, thanks in large part to Iman Vellani’s powerhouse performance.
What Makes Ms. Marvel Better Than Every Other MCU Disney+ Show
While Ms. Marvel does certainly occupy a crowded space in terms of MCU Disney+ shows, it becomes easier to see what makes the show the best of the bunch once you start examining the competition more closely. For one, its themes and ideas are significantly less muddled than those of Secret Invasion or The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and it feels less padded in its runtime compared to something like Hawkeye or Moon Knight. It delivers on its premise more consistently than What If or She-Hulk and offers a more substantive experience than the admittedly adorable I Am Groot.
That just leaves WandaVision and Loki as Ms. Marvel‘s main competitors for the #1 spot. After the second season, Loki likely has the strongest claim to the title, but it still doesn’t have the edge over Ms. Marvel for me if only because it’s not as newcomer friendly and doesn’t work quite as well as a standalone story.
Granted, this makes sense considering that both seasons give major focus to the multiverse and Kang The Conqueror, the show’s inciting incident is an unresolved subplot from Avengers: Endgame, and the title character has been a major player in the MCU with multiple significant appearances dating all the way back to Phase 1 with the first Thor film, but the point still stands.
And for as much as I love WandaVision, I do think some of the mystery element that made it so compelling is ruined by Episode 4 being such a massive exposition dump. Plus, it started an unfortunate trend with MCU shows where the final episode abandons the show’s unique format to become an extended Marvel Act 3, a trend subverted by Ms. Marvel.
Though Ms. Marvel does have a handful of its own issues, namely weak villains and the arguably unnecessary changes to the power set, the positives of the show far outweigh the negatives. Its unique visual style, charming characters, and positive representation showcase how Ms. Marvel adapts the best elements of its source material to the screen while still establishing a unique cinematic identity. It’s fast-paced, action-packed, remarkably fun, and by far the best MCU Disney+ show.
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