Ms. Marvel continues the streak which started with Moon Knight earlier this year, introducing yet another brand new hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Disney+ gave us the privilege of watching the first two episodes of Ms. Marvel, but it was enough to give us a wonderful glimpse of what to expect.

Legacy

Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

At its heart, the Ms. Marvel series is sort of like the MCU Spider-Man films in terms of tone; a coming-of-age teenage high school comedy drama. However, Kamala Khan’s Muslim and Pakistani heritage provides a unique perspective that adds something new to the MCU. Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan is the best part of the series so far. She brings a vibrant and fun energy to the role. She also brings the character to life with an earnest and endearing personality that makes it impossible not to like her. This is another fantastic casting choice, which bodes well for the future of the MCU (as Iman Vellani is already set to reprise her role in the upcoming The Marvels movie).

As a Muslim myself (but not South Asian/Pakistani), the representation in Ms. Marvel does feel authentic and genuine enough. That’s not surprising, considering that many of the writers and directors (including the showrunner, Bisha K. Ali) working on this show are themselves Muslims and/or South Asian/Pakistani. This is especially so seeing how natural it sounds when Kamala’s parents, Zenobia Shroff’s Muneeba Khan and Mohan Kapur’s Yusuf Khan, code switch between Urdu and English effortlessly (which many non-white bilinguals can definitely relate to).

(L-R): Mohan Kapur as Yusuf, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Saagar Shaikh as Aamir, and Nimra Bucha as Najma in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL. Photo by Daniel McFadden. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Another highlight of Ms. Marvel are the adorable little visual flourishes and lively animations happening in the backgrounds of many scenes. For instance, one cute scene has Kamala planning a heist to sneak out of her home, and it unfolds with these animated sequences that look reminiscent of something like Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. These definitely make Ms. Marvel stand out amongst the crowd of other teen-focused TV series out there.

Besides the change to Kamala’s powers, everything else looks and feels accurate to the comics, especially many of the supporting characters. These include Matt Lintz’s Bruno Carrelli and Yasmeen Fletcher’s  Nakia Bahadir, both of whom are Kamala’s friends, and Kamala’s brother, Saagar Shaikh’s Amir Khan. Elements of their characters are taken directly from the comics, but I won’t spoil what they are.

Khan Wait For More

Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

While I’ve only watched two episodes, both of them were close to 50 minutes long. However, the pacing didn’t feel draggy or plodding at all. If you’re worried about Ms. Marvel being too teen-focused, I can assure you that it’s still very much a Marvel series that’s worth watching even if you’re an adult. There are no annoying characters or frustrating useless subplots. With only six episodes in its first season, Ms. Marvel will likely have no time for those in its remaining four episodes that I haven’t watched.

Is Ms. Marvel the best Disney+ series to date? Probably not, when you already had shows like WandaVision and Moon Knight, but I’m definitely excited to see more of what is already a captivating series that will probably be another hit for the MCU and Disney+.

Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan will be a fan-favourite, that’s for sure.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

We received an early screener of Ms. Marvel courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. The first episode of Ms. Marvel is slated to premiere on 8 June 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.