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  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Described as a “Palate Cleanser” After ‘Moon Knight’ and ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Described as a “Palate Cleanser” After ‘Moon Knight’ and ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    The MCU has introduced “some darker storylines as of late. Wanda faced the regrets of losing the one she loves in WandaVision. Sam Wilson trying to cope with taking on a new mantle with the weight of how the world would see him. Moon Knight gave us a man who lost himself and is on a journey to find peace with not only himself, but the alters that share the same body. Then you have Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with Strange possessing a corpse of himself from another dimension.

    So, it’s been quite a wild ride, and the upcoming Ms. Marvel series is taking a different approach. We’re taking a step back to follow young Kamala Khan trying to balance her life at high school, her family, and the challenges of being a hero. Ms. Marvel herself, Iman Vellani, describes the series as a “palate cleanser” in an interview with Variety

    It’s a great palate cleanser coming out of “Moon Knight” and “Multiverse of Madness.” “Ms. Marvel” brings a really fresh, warm perspective and a very light-hearted touch to the MCU, bringing back everything we loved about “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

    Iman Vellani

    She goes on to highlight what the Disney+ series has to offer that makes it stand out from others. While all the big heroes seem to have figured out their place in the world, but that isn’t the case for young heroes like Peter Parker and Kamala Khan.

    It has a very universal charm with the way we balance fan culture, religion, action and coming of age. We also definitely cater to a younger audience who can hopefully connect to the awkwardness and confusion of growing up and are comforted by the fact that you don’t have to have things figured out. Even a superhero doesn’t have things figured out.

    Iman Vellani

    Vellani continues to highlight how much she understands the character’s core and even brings her own experiences to help this character become an iconic part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Who knows if we’ll get more light-hearted stories alongside some darker ones. Thor: Love and Thunder also seem to be taking a more cheerful direction which will likely stand out from the rest.

    Source: Variety

  • Iman Vellani Shares How She Was Introduced to Ms. Marvel

    Iman Vellani Shares How She Was Introduced to Ms. Marvel

    Iman Vellani is living the dream. As a superfan of Marvel and the MCU, she now gets to play Kamala Khan, who is also a superfan of the heroes of her own world. She just happens to also gain out of this world abilities to become a superhero herself. On top of it all, she was a Pakistani-American who became an icon for many that wanted to see themselves in comics. That story isn’t too different for Vellani, as she shares in an interview with Variety.

    My first introduction to her was through “Ironheart”; she was on the cover of one of the comics and I was like “Who is this brown person?” I just went into a wormhole, falling in love with the character and the creators Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson. I watched their TED Talks and all their interviews and I was like “They have the dream job. I want to be them. They’re brown and they’re working at Marvel.”

    Iman Vellani

    It became a big inspiration for her, as it seemed like it would be possible for her to find a footing within the industry herself. They were an inspiration for Vellani just as much as the character in the comics.

    That was so incredibly eye-opening for me because I didn’t realize there was space for someone like me in the industry — and I know that sounds super cheesy or whatever, but it’s so true. Beyond representation on screen, seeing ethnic names in the credits matters so much. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in high school; I just wanted to try everything behind the camera, because I was really in love with the tech stuff, so seeing these people thriving working at Marvel was so inspiring.

    Iman Vellani

    Of course, there’s more to this story. Vellani shared how she connected with the character and how “very close to home” it was reading her stories, as she stands by her moral code as well as how her family and friends were important to her story.

    On top of that, Kamala was a Pakistani Muslim superhero fanatic; I was a Pakistani Muslim superhero fanatic. And [the story] wasn’t about her being Pakistani, or about being Muslim, it was about her being in love with superheroes and having this innate desire to want to help people and do the right thing because she has powers. She doesn’t know how to fight — she’s a 16-year-old kid — but she knows that she has to use them for good. She had such a strong moral code and I really admired how her family and friends were also part of her story and her friends. It felt very close to home. It felt like my life, like the comics were written about me, literally.

    Iman Vellani

    In a way, Vellani was the perfect choice to bring this character to life, as she connects with her in so many different ways. It’ll be exciting to see what she brings to the experience as the series has now started airing on Disney+ with more episodes on the way.

    Source: Variety

  • REVIEW: ‘Kao the Kangaroo’ Falls Short of the Knockout

    REVIEW: ‘Kao the Kangaroo’ Falls Short of the Knockout

    In the silver age of gaming, console mascots reigned supreme. SEGA belonged to Sonic the Hedgehog, PlayStation was carried by Crash Bandicoot, and Nintendo was practically owned by Mario. No gamer was worth their salt unless they had a favorite, and no gaming environment could be great until it was stuffed with images of big, cartoonish characters. Never among those company symbols, however, was Kao the Kangaroo. The Polish platformer hopped his way onto the Game Boy and Dreamcast in 2000 but was never able to secure the kind of following that studio Tate Multimedia was hoping to acquire. As a result, the series was shelved in 2005 after a measly three games, and Kao, quickly forgotten by popular culture, fell into obscurity. That is, until now.

    Somehow, Kao the Kangaroo returned. After a re-release of the franchise’s second game landed on Steam, the series developed a surprise cult following that convinced Tate Multimedia to give the whole thing another shot. Unfortunately, the Kao reboot is anything but a knockout. Instead of a triumphant re-imagining of the character and his universe, fans receive a rather sub-par retreading of the same old thing. Not only in relation to the previous games in the franchise, but also to the countless other platforming mascots in existence. Nothing much stands out when playing through the story, and the gameplay itself is a pretty standard affair.

    The plot concerns the titular kangaroo as he discovers his long-lost father’s magical boxing gloves. A gifted fighter, he begins using them to make his way through hordes of dark creatures, locate his missing sister, and uncover the mystery of the “Eternal Warrior” who threatens his world. The premise has a lot of potential but ultimately falls flat in its execution. Kao and his supporting cast lack the charm required to draw the player in and oftentimes come off as more obnoxious than they do likable. It feels mean to say, but the voice acting is also laughably terrible. Kao himself has the energy of the infamous Tommy Wiseau, causing many of his sentences to come out as total meme material. His dialogue is supposed to be funny, but not in the way it ends up coming across.

    Kao the Kangaroo‘s best attribute is its level design. The look of the world is colorful and alive, and the arrangement of its platforms provides the biggest challenge of an otherwise simple game. Players who aren’t skilled in platforming may find the traversal aspect of the game a welcome challenge. In fact, the project might have been better off if it leaned further into Kao’s kangaroo features than it does his boxing gloves. Encountering moments of combat was usually a bit disappointing, with underwhelming enemies dispatched easily. While the design of the malevolent, anthropomorphic baddies is pretty fun, they’re typically done away with after just a few punches or tailspins and only really served to break the flow of travel.

    More interesting than the actual story of Kao are its side quests, which aren’t truly side quests. In actuality, they’re just little offshoots from the main path that lead to collectibles and treasure chests filled with coins. These tend to be the best part of any level, and are always worth seeking out during the main objective. The coins can be used to modify Kao in the central hub area, which doubles as the protagonist’s hometown and base of operations. Players are brought back here after each level, where they are then able to train, explore, and find dark runes that open doorways to further progress the plot. Whether or not a monetary system belongs in a mascot platforming game is debatable, but here it at least adds something to the experience. Kao can also interact with the citizens of this little town, which is actually quite entertaining. Much like Kao, they usually say something ridiculous with the utmost confidence.

    Truthfully, it’s a shame that Kao the Kangaroo isn’t better than it is. Mascot platformers are becoming far and few between, and there was a real hope that Tate Multimedia might be able to turn that trend around with their latest effort. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case. The project ends up being a pretty lame, deflated attempt at the genre. It almost feels as if the studio only put a portion of its energy into developing Kao, resulting in a marsupial that can’t seem to land on his feet.

  • GEEKED WEEK: Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Anthony Hopkins

    GEEKED WEEK: Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Anthony Hopkins

    Zack Snyder has made himself a nice home over at Netflix. Not only was he able to create a new franchise based around zombies with Army of the Dead, but he’s also now taking a step beyond the stars. Geeked Week offered us a small tease of what’s to come, but that wasn’t all. Now, the all-star cast for Snyder‘s upcoming sci-fi epic, Rebel Moon, has once again added a new member to its cast. This time around, it looks like Anthony Hopkins will have a role in the film as revealed by the official Netflix Geeked account. the best part is they even announced who he will be playing.

    According to the official Twitter account, he will be playing a sentient robot named JC1435, who once protected the slain king. So, we sadly won’t see Hopkins on-screen but get to enjoy his voice coming out of the robot. It does look like we’ll have to wait a bit until we get a good look at how JC1435 looks like, but the first teases of Rebel Moon have been quite promising so far.

    Snyder has big plans for the new sci-fi series, as he aims to roll it out not only as a singular film but plans to build a franchise around it. Netflix’s new model has been quite strong in trying to bank on the success of these projects to establish franchises that aren’t dependent on a specific medium either. Even The Witcher got an anime spinoff and has a live-action one on the horizon. So, we’ll see just how big this franchise ends up.

    Source: Twitter

  • Amazon Pickups Season 2 of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Ahead of Season 1 Debut

    Amazon Pickups Season 2 of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Ahead of Season 1 Debut

    Ahead of its Season 1 premiere, Prime Video has given a second season order to The Summer I Turned Pretty. The series, which will debut later this month, is based on the Jenny Han novel of the same name. The book tells a multigenerational story about a love triangle between one girl and two brothers, as well as the ever-evolving relationship between mothers and their children.

    “When I decided to adapt ‘Summer’ for television, I knew we’d need more than one season to honor the story we are telling,” Han said in a statement to Variety. “To receive a second season pickup ahead of the premiere of Season One is beyond my wildest dreams. I am so grateful to Amazon Studios for this amazing vote of confidence in our show, and cannot wait to bring our incredible team back together to tell the next chapter in our story.”

    “As fans anticipate the beach fun and young romance in the upcoming first season, we’re excited to announce more summer to come with a second season of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios. “We look forward to our Prime Video customers returning to Cousins Beach with Jenny Han and her characters as they continue their coming-of-age journeys for another season.”

    The decision to renew The Summer I Turned Pretty shouldn’t be entirely surprising. After all, like Han’s hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which was adapted by Netflix, the Summer series consists of three books: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer.

    Han served as the co-showrunner on the first season alongside Gabrielle Stanton. However, Stanton is expected to move into an executive producer role on Season 2, with Sarah Kucserka coming on board to serve as a co-showrunner with Han.

    The Summer I Turned Pretty will officially debut on June 17th. The series stars Lola Tung, Jackie Chung, Rachel Blanchard, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Alfredo Narciso, and Minnie Mills, with Colin Ferguson and Tom Everett Scott.

    Source: Variety

  • What “Folie à Deux” Could Mean For the ‘Joker’ Sequel

    What “Folie à Deux” Could Mean For the ‘Joker’ Sequel

    2019’s Joker was a box office hit that was met with equal measures of controversy and praise. The film grossed over $1B worldwide, but the real surprise was the performance Joaquin Phoenix put on, which earned him the Best Actor Award at the 2020 Academy Awards. The news of a sequel comes as a shock for many as first of all, Phoenix has really never been much for sequels. Secondly, Joker’s ending didn’t seem to leave a lot for the character to do in a sequel, but the film’s title could provide some clues to how it might play out.

    When translated to English the subtitle for the film’s sequel translates to “Madness for two”, but is often defined as “an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals, usually the members of a close family.” With that in mind, here are a couple of ways that could apply to the plot of the sequel.

    The Imposter

    One avenue this film could follow is to pick up immediately following the events of Joker, and focus on the effects of Arthur Fleck’s influence on Gotham. Following the riots his debut as the Joker unleashed, the sequel could portray a Gotham up in flames and full of citizens in clown masks, inspired by Arthur to turn life in Gotham on its head. The sequel could directly tackle this by introducing a faux Joker, someone who fills the void left by Arthur’s absence and continues to raise hell in the city while Fleck sits in Arkham.

    Interestingly enough, in an interview with GQ, Willem Dafoe pitched the idea of a sequel following an imposter alongside Phoenix’s Fleck. Dafoe clarified that it was merely a hypothetical, but Folie a Deux could provide an opportunity for WB to cash in on the popular fancast of Dafoe as the Joker, similar to how Marvel Studios brought in John Krasinski to play Reed Richards in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness.

    Casting another major star alongside Phoenix and pitting him against Fleck for the title of Clown Prince of Crime could be a lot of fun on screen. The idea also seems to fit with the film’s subtitle, teasing a counterpart with a mentality similar to Fleck’s.

    Family Conflict

    Alternatively, the chip away at the part of the definition of Folie a Deux that ties in nicely with one of the most controversial reveals from the first film. In Joker, it is hinted that Arthur Fleck is the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne and half-brother to Bruce Wayne. While Thomas deflects these claims and tells Arthur his mother was delusional and crazy, the sequel could explore this claim and set up a confrontation between Fleck and Wayne.

    The first film included the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne that sends Bruce down the path to becoming Batman. However, the fact that the killer was wearing a clown mask and was clearly inspired by Fleck can allow Bruce to focus his vengeance on the man who lit the fire in Gotham.

    Such a plot for the sequel could feature a time jump and be set sometime in the 90s, which would allow for it to feature a grown Bruce Wayne, who has become somewhat of an insane vigilante. It’s a crazy and ambitious idea to hypothetically introduce yet another Batman while we’ve got Michael Keaton, Robert Pattinson, and Ben Affleck still running around in the cape and cowl, but it could work.

    No matter what they do with a potential sequel to Joker, it’ll be very interesting to see where Phoenix takes the character and just how he elevates and changes the performance for the return of Arthur Fleck.

    SOURCE: GQ

  • Iman Vellani on How Brie Larson Helped Prepare Her For Marvel Stardom

    Iman Vellani on How Brie Larson Helped Prepare Her For Marvel Stardom

    Marvel Studios’ latest superhero is Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. Luckily for fans of her performance, the six-episode show won’t be the last time audiences see the teenage phenom from Jersey City. Vellani is set to reprise her role for the upcoming blockbuster film The Marvels alongside fellow returning heroes Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris. The project will act as a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel and will see Khan team up with Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau to fend off a currently-unknown new threat.

    In the comics and the show, Danvers’ Captain Marvel acts as somewhat of a mentor and idol to Khan. Speaking to Variety in a recent profile piece, Vellani revealed that she and Larson had very much the same relationship after the former was cast in her current role. She elaborated on the time the two spent together on and off the set:

    She was the sweetest. I was really shy and I felt like everything I wanted to ask would have been stupid, but she didn’t make me feel like that. She has such a warm presence and made our Zoom call intimate, telling me all about her experience. She was like, “Seriously, if your mom needs to talk to my mom, we can make that happen. Anything you need.” Any time I had any issue on set, I would text her and she’d make herself so available to answer my questions, as silly or small as they were.

    Iman Vellani on Brie Larson

    Vellani continued to explain how the Short Term 12 star helped prepare her for a life after Marvel. Larson was famously targeted by review bombs and sexist remarks following her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, and the actress evidently felt it was important to make sure her young protégé had someone on her side should the heat of fame start taking it’s toll:

    She really wanted to be there for me, because even though she was already an established actor, being in Marvel changed her career forever. The sheer amount of attention you get being a Marvel actor is completely unmatched to anything else in this industry, and she wanted to prep me for that mentally and hold my hand throughout it.

    Iman Vellani

    Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Variety

  • Breaking Down Kamala Khan’s Powers Change In ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Breaking Down Kamala Khan’s Powers Change In ‘Ms. Marvel’

    As Marvel Studios’ newest project, Ms. Marvel, debuted its first episode, fans can now officially experience the first chapter in Kamala Khan’s Marvel Cinematic Universe journey. The new hero is also relatively new to Marvel comics, but the charismatic character has a strong following among fans. Fans are excited for Kamala to join the MCU, but one major change to the character has been hotly debated: her live-action character has significantly different powers than she has in the comics. While even star Iman Vellani, creators of the Ms. Marvel comics, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige have all expressed their support for the changes, some remain unconvinced. Now that the Disney+ series has formally introduced those powers, let’s dissect the differences between the comics and live-action powers and the debate surrounding them.

    In the Ms. Marvel comics, Kamala’s Inhuman lineage is activated by the Terrigen Bomb. When she was exposed to the Terrigen Mist, she became able to stretch her body in pretty much any manner. Not only can she extend limbs, but she can grow or shrink, as well as shapeshift. These same abilities allow her to rapidly heal from injuries and effectively grant her super strength and speed. Kamala refers to her powers, particularly when she enlarges herself or parts of her body (such as her fist), as “embiggening.” Interestingly, it was later revealed that she is able to do this by time-traveling on a molecular level, meaning she is borrowing or giving her cells to past or future versions of herself in order to add or lose mass which allows her to embiggen or shapeshift.

    Marvel
    Marvel

    While we will learn more about her live-action powers over the course of all six episodes of Ms. Marvel, there is no doubt that Kamala’s powers in the MCU are substantially different. First, the MCU has not officially introduced Inhumans to the live-action Earth-616, so no connections between the Inhumans and Kamala can currently be made. Instead, the bangle gifted by her grandmother unlocks powers that we can infer are related to her family history and lineage, at least in some way.

    In terms of her actual powers, she seems to be able to project crystal-like light structures that are solid yet breakable. From what we saw at AvengerCon, she can shoot the projections away from her, suspend them in the air, or even use them as extensions of herself. Many have pointed out that these powers seem similar to the DC comics hero Green Lantern. The shot where she projects an extended arm and large fist to catch Zoe is clearly an homage to her comics abilities.

    Marvel Studios
    Marvel Studios

    The debate goes beyond general disappointment that Ms. Marvel’s powers have been changed. On one hand, her embiggening powers are just cool. They look extraordinary on the page, and while shapeshifting and elongating are not exclusive to Kamala’s character in Marvel comics, something about the way Ms. Marvel uses her abilities always feels unique. Some fans have expressed disappointment purely on this front, but many also speculate that the MCU did not want her to have similar powers to the someday-introduced (to Earth-616) Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. Others guess that the budget for a Disney+ series may not have allowed for her comics powers to translate well to the screen. Both may be true (or false), but the main factor cited by the series’ creators is that her new powers are better suited to connect Kamala to Monica Rambeau and Captain Marvel in The Marvels. 

    In addition, plenty of fans are upset that Kamala does not seem to be Inhuman. As noted, though, establishing her as an Inhuman is not particularly practical in the current MCU. Even if Marvel Studios wanted to introduce the group through Ms. Marvel—which does not make the most sense—Kamala’s connection to them would not carry much weight. But the fact that her powers seem to still be linked to her own genes and family lineage is functionally similar to her Inhuman origins in the comics, even though it may not connect her to a larger superhuman group like it did in the comics. Still, it has yet to be seen if or how the ultimate source of her powers may relate to the greater MCU.

    However, the biggest debate centers on how integral Kamala’s shapeshifting powers are to her story in the comics. Much of Kamala’s journey as a Pakistani teenager in Jersey City in the age of superheroes centers around her self-identity. Early on, after she discovered she had powers, she shapeshifted to look like Carol Danvers in the retired Ms. Marvel costume, because she struggled to reconcile how she viewed herself with what she thought superheroes looked like or should look like. Kamala’s story resonates with many, and her powers were the perfect conduit for her self-expression as well as an easy metaphor for self-consciousness. When she was afraid, embarrassed, or felt defeated, she could shrink to hide; when she felt confident, she could embiggen. Many fans are concerned that without her comics powers, that aspect of her and her story will be diluted. However, many people who worked on the series have openly given reassurances to fans that those worries are unnecessary and that Ms. Marvel does justice to Kamala Khan’s character.

    Fans can judge Kamala’s new powers for themselves, as Ms. Marvel‘s first episode is now streaming on Disney+.

  • Producer Hiram Garcia on How ‘Black Adam’ Connects to the Larger DCEU

    Producer Hiram Garcia on How ‘Black Adam’ Connects to the Larger DCEU

    Dwayne Johnson’s decade long investment into getting Black Adam on the big screen will finally pay off this fall when the character’s solo film debuts on October 21st. Initially set to be introduced in Shazam!, Johnson fought hard to make sure both heroes got their time to shine. As a result, the character’s first appearance in the DCEU comes when the idea of powered heroes is already well-established in-universe.

    With such things already established, the creative team behind Black Adam had their work cut out for them when deciding how to introduce someone like Teth-Adam whose powers, as seen in the trailer, are sure to catch the attention of Earth’s other heroes. In an interview with Screen Rant, producer Hiram Garcia discussed how the team approached it and built it into the fabric of the film.

    And for us, you’ll feel the effects in our world. We know that those guys exist. There’s even conversations where he’s told that there’s other heroes out there, but he’s very specific to the kind of hero he is. We like the idea of knowing that he has now been put into this world, and he’s kind of a disruption, because they’re not used to having a person that powerful be that much of a livewire. They can’t figure out how to control him.

    Hiram Garcia

    As the trailer indicates, some of the first heroes Adam will come into contact with are Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Atom Smasher and Cyclone, members of the JSA who are all pretty powerful in their own right. How those interactions with the Man in Black, who isn’t known for playing well with others, remains to be seen, but we know one thing: the hierarchy of power in the DCEU is about to change.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1

    REVIEW: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1

    As the 7th Marvel Studios Disney+ series and 14th project of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4, Ms. Marvel’s first episode manages to shine as the beginning of an origin story that, so far, feels distinct from the constant influx of MCU content throughout the past couple of years. In other words, Ms. Marvel stands out, and it does so despite not teasing fans that the series will be a game-changer for the franchise. The character of Kamala Khan makes a triumphant leap from comics to screen, and the way the episode is shot, edited, and visualized gives the start of Ms. Marvel a texture that makes it arguably the most unique-feeling project of the MCU in years.

    Of course, at the heart of the first episode and series is Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. Kamala is a Muslim American-Pakistani teenager from Jersey City who is obsessed with the Avengers. The character has been a comics favorite for nearly a decade, so Ms. Marvel exceeds in Vellani’s seemingly flawless portrayal of Kamala. The first episode treats Kamala’s family and cultural background like any other; for the casual viewer, Episode 1 does not subtitle basic phrases spoken in Urdu and does not baby the audience or other the Khans by explaining every detail of Pakistani- or Islamic-influenced element in Kamala’s life. She is noticeably different in terms of her background from the heroes and characters of the MCU thus far, but her culture is not treated as something mysterious or otherworldly—Kamala Khan is Kamala Khan. And her inclusion into the MCU makes Earth-616 a bit more real and a bit richer.

    Speaking of richness, the mechanics of this episode are mesmerizing. The inclusion of animation, the fast-paced editing, and the quirky shots give Ms. Marvel a visual but intangible texture that genuinely feels unique in the MCU. To achieve this, it does not have to be on the same terrain as Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor: Ragnarok. The subtlety itself is brilliant, as it feels like the viewer is in a new world without having to leave the old one. 

    Plenty of fair concern was levied against Ms. Marvel in advance due to the fact that the series changed her power set from the comics. What we see in Episode 1 is not enough to begin to truly decide whether the changes are a true downgrade. But an undoubted positive to the change is that now her powers and their origins are a mystery. In that way, the series moves into uncharted waters—even the viewer doesn’t know where the journey will ultimately take Kamala and how she could connect to the greater MCU. 

    Fans have also never truly seen the MCU from the angle Ms. Marvel has created. Kamala is all of us—obsessing over the Avengers, wishing she had superpowers, and living in an age of heroes. This “regular citizen” angle has never been explored before and Kamala’s coming-of-age and coming-of-superhero story takes place in a world fully aware and mindful of most of the events of the MCU. So seeing how Kamala works her way into the overarching MCU will surely be something special.

    The premiere episode of Ms. Marvel achieved something miraculous—standing out while fitting in. Vellani is a perfect casting and driving force for Kamala charm, and the series’ placement in the MCU feels natural. Still, between the charisma of Kamala herself and the texture of the episode, Episode 1 feels uniquely Ms. Marvel, and so far Ms. Marvel has built a world for itself that can’t help but make the future of the rest of the MCU look brighter.