It’s been over a year since Ms. Marvel’s release. The series follows Kamala Khan, played by the immediately beloved Iman Vellani, as she goes from Avengers fangirl to a hero in her own right. Critics adored it, fans loved it, and yet somehow it remains the lowest-viewed Marvel Disney+ series.
But, in the spirit of Kamala Khan, her infinite positivity, and infectious excitement, we’re not going to try to dissect why that is today. Instead, we’re going to appreciate how lucky folks are to get to experience it for the first time, and why now is the absolutely perfect time to dive into the series.
Not only is The Marvels movie right around the corner, featuring Vellani’s return as Kamala alongside Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, but things are kinda bleak right now on a global scale. While it would be irresponsible to bury our heads in the sand, it is also a necessity that we experience joy through times of turmoil. Having watched the series, I can confirm that Ms. Marvel is the perfect vehicle for that joy. Also? I just think it looks neat. It’s pretty and poppy and visually interesting. Early phases of the MCU were mocked for being too samey, and contemporary phases get a lot of flack for looking unfinished, but Ms. Marvel had the opportunity to be its own thing and ended up pretty beautiful.
Is It Really Homework?
The MCU has gotten to the point where some folks feel like catching up is homework. As someone who was most certainly never a homework kid — which I realize is a weird thing to say as someone who writes essays for a living — I’ve always found this sentiment kind of strange. Can it really be homework if it’s something you’re interested in? Also, someone who just watched The Fast and the Furious and immediately hopped into Fast X would be infinitely more confused than someone who watched the first Iron Man and then jumped into one of The Avengers movies. The story has moved along, sure. But the tone, drive, and overarching aesthetics of the franchise are largely the same. In fact, “it looks too same-y” is more of a valid critique of modern Marvel as a whole than the scope being too large, especially now that we’re in a new saga. (I love the Infinity Saga, but you’d be surprised by how much of it you don’t need at all to understand what’s happening here in Phase 5.)
Heck, even if you’re one of the homework folks, I don’t get you but I can tell you that you don’t need to know much of anything about the MCU that came before Ms. Marvel to get the show. The beats you need to understand will be outlined by the wonderfully chipper Kamala as she fangirls her way through the discovery that she’s a [redacted]. (Honestly if you’ve managed to avoid that spoiler for this long, I am extremely impressed with you.)
And I’ve got great news for the “it’s too same-y” camp: Ms. Marvel doesn’t look like anything else in the MCU. It’s bright and bold in a way we’ve never seen from the franchise’s ground level shows. And, while Marvel’s galactic fare is bright in its own right, Ms. Marvel showcases a wider color palette that highlights both her heritage and her powers.
You’re Gonna Learn Today!
Ms. Marvel implements one of my favorite plot devices in that it helps the viewer learn something in the context of its overall narrative. The series doesn’t go School House Rock in spoon-feeding the audience the history that it wants them to learn, but instead makes it pertinent to the show’s plot. I don’t know about you, but my public school(s) in the middle of the sticks most certainly didn’t teach me about the Partition of India or its effects on Pakistanis.
As a Pakistani-American, Kamala and her family are deeply connected to their heritage. The way the series shares that in all of its facets with its (predominantly Western) audience is really beautiful. All of this was made possible by series creator Bisha K. Ali and the writers room consisting of Ali, Aisha Bhoori, Will Dunn, Kate Gritmon. Josh Levin, Sophie Miller, A.C. Bradley, Matthew Chauncey, Sabir Pirzada, Fatimah Asghar, and Freddy Syborn. And, of course, the original Ms. Marvel creators Adrian Alphona, Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson.
It’s About Family
Not to be mistaken with “fambly” — a column can’t just have one The Fast and the Furious reference, after all — Kamala’s immediate family plays a critical role in Ms. Marvel, and one that I’m delighted seems to be carrying over to The Marvels (no matter how brief it may be). Thankfully the Khan family dynamic is much more interesting than your stereotypical overbearing mother and overprotective father. There is, of course, some of that, but it’s largely overshadowed by the love that the family has for one another and the support they bring.
Ms. Marvel even features a community coming together to face adversity — which I will absolutely admit is my plot device kryptonite. And then there are besties Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) and Bruno (Matt Lintz), both of whom bring a welcome added-level to the story as Kamala’s confidants. There is, of course, a little bit of high school drama thrown into this mix, but it is a show centered on high schoolers, so it’s not really out of place.
Listen, I know earnestness is frowned upon on the internet, but the fact of the matter is that Ms. Marvel is simply a well done, nice show that more people should experience. It brought me great joy, and I hope it does the same for you. Either way, see you at The Marvels!
