Marvel Cinematic Universe: Room for Ms. Marvel – who is Kamala Khan?
She describes herself as Captain Marvel’s biggest fan. And she would like nothing more than to be a superhero herself. When young Kamala Khan actually develops superpowers, it becomes clear in whose footsteps she wants to follow. But who was Kamala Khan before her adventures became a Disney+ series? And how did Ms. Marvel get her name?
Ms. Marvel: idea and creation
The idea for Kamala Khan came from a conversation between the two Marvel comic editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker. Amanat told Wacker some stories from their youth as American Muslims, and he liked them so much that they both embraced the concept of a young
MCU: This is how Kamala likes to see herself: As a radiant heroine.
Source: Marvel/Disney
Muslim superheroine who grew up in the USA. Out came Kamala Khan, 16, a resident of New Jersey of Pakistani parents and a background in the Muslim community. Islam was to play a part in Kamala’s stories, but so did her identity as an American teenager living on New York’s doorstep.
One of Kamala Khan’s most important character traits early in her superhero career was her adoration for Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel. When a mysterious mist activates her latent superpowers, Kamala stylizes herself after her idol. As it turns out, Kamala has some of the Inhumans in her family tree, a superhero group conceived by Marvel as the X-Men’s counterpart and closely related to the Eternals. Later, when Carol Danvers transitions from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel, she gives her codename to Kamala.
Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan’s Superpowers
However, the superpowers of the new Ms. Marvel are very different from those of their big role model. In the comics, Kamala Khan is a sort of Mr. Fantastic on steroids. Like the boss of the Fantastic Four, she can also change her body at will, in addition she can heal herself extra fast and
MCU: In addition to super villains and saving the world, Kamala repeatedly has to deal with an even bigger opponent: your everyday life as a teenager.
Source: Marvel/Disney
change their appearance. Also, like Ant-Man, she can make herself smaller and bigger.
In addition to super villains and dark forces, Kamala has a completely different opponent: her everyday life. As a Muslim teenager in New Jersey, she struggles to balance her family, religious life, and school with her second existence as a superhero. It is no coincidence that she is sometimes reminiscent of the classic teenage Peter Parker. Ms. Marvel writer Dan Slott credits Kamala Khan as one of the closest characters to the classic Peter Parker.
Ms. Marvel: Kamala’s place in the MCU
It will be exciting to see what Kamala Khan will take with him to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). From the first two episodes of Ms. Marvel that we previewed, you can see that Kamala’s family and everyday life is quite similar to that in the comics. Only a mysterious bracelet that activates their latent superpowers turns everything upside down. They’re different than in the comics, because in the MCU, Kamala can create matter out of thin air – a bit like DC superhero Green Lantern. There was criticism of this decision in advance – but it has two advantages. On the one hand, the effect budget of the series is spared, on the other hand, Kamala’s powers are similar to those of Captain Marvel.
MCU: In the Disney+ series, Kamala has different powers than in the comic.
Source: Marvel/Disney
It quickly becomes clear that the powers lie dormant in Kamala itself and the bracelet is just a kind of catalyst. There also seems to be a big family secret that nobody wants her to know. After the disastrous first attempt, Marvel might at least want to keep a back door open to establish the Inhumans in the MCU.
It is clear that Ms. Marvel should continue to play a role in the MCU. After all, she is part of the cast for the movie The Marvels, the sequel to Captain Marvel. At the latest there she meets her big idol Carol Danvers. If things go the way they do in the comics, Captain Marvel will initially transform from an idol to a good friend for the young Ms. Marvel. Later, Kamala has to realize that even the greatest superheroes have their weaknesses and things break down.
In the comics, Kamala has also had experience with a so-called incursion. This clash of two multiverses was a big theme in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And then there are all the other young Marvel superheroes who have been appearing in films and series since 2020. In the Marvel Comics, Kamala Khan was part of the second Civil War storyline, which eventually culminated in a conflict between young Marvel heroes and old Marvel heroes. A lot of development potential if Ms. Marvel is to become one of the mouthpieces of the young generation in the MCU, similar to the comics. The extent to which Marvel and Disney can exploit this depends, of course, on how Ms. Marvel is received by viewers.
Reference-www.buffed.de