The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in what is by far its most content-heavy period, and is fresh off the heels of the more introspective, character-focused hit Moon Knight starring Oscar Isaac and the much larger, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which has grossed over $900 million at the worldwide box office. The latest series from Marvel Studios to launch on Disney+ is the highly anticipated Ms. Marvel, which introduces audiences to fan-favorite Kamala Khan. Khan is the first Muslim female superhero to have her own comic book series, and thus the series continues the MCU's increased focus on diversity and provides a welcome teen hero to rival Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
The first two episodes of Ms. Marvel do a wonderful job of introducing Kamala's personality and give Iman Vellani plenty of room to develop the character. The episodes are remarkably light on the villains and instead focus more on Kamala finding her place and facing her abilities, as well as navigating her heavy family. The story feels much more like the coming-of-age stories in Homecoming and Far From Home, with our hero navigating the daily challenges of being a teenager while battling supervillains, than any other MCU property.
Vellani here displays the makings of a star overflowing with charisma and sympathy not seen in all Marvel heroes, and Kamala's fight against her family is something audiences can probably relate to. While the rest of the cast hasn't had a chance to shine to the same extent, the family dynamic is certainly fun and offers an opportunity to explore this in future episodes.
The focus on Kamala's Pakistani heritage doesn't feel tacked on, and like Shang-Chi, she feels like a key component of the story being told and done with reverence and love. One can only hope that this series helps communities that haven't seen their fair share of on-screen representation of it feel seen. It's also an incredibly personal series for Vellani, who is a self-confessed fan of the Ms. Marvel comics, with that deep love shining through her performance and everyone involved with her.
Just like in the comics, Kamala is a huge fan of Carol Danvers, and this shows that Ms. Marvel is much more interested in taking place within the same connected universe as Moon Knight; Whether we'll see any big cameos later on remains to be seen, though it would make sense to set up Kamala's future appearances.
The opening two episodes leave many threads that will surely be unraveled in the next episodes: where does Kamala's powers come from and who will be the main antagonist of the series? There are glimpses of groups interested in her new abilities, but at first glance they seem more like organizations that monitor heroes than villains.