Marvel Studios can be criticized for a number of reasons, but often what draws the most ire from casual viewers and fans alike is the sameness found across projects. The Marvel house style has become a sticking point for years, and it’s more than fair to point it out. However, this particular criticism appears to have been taken to heart, asMs. Marvel,the latest Marvel Disney Plus show, appears to be bucking the trend with a distinct style all its own.
Written by Bisha K. Ali (who also serves as creator of the series, and previously worked onLoki, having written the episode “Lamentis”) and directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah,Ms. Marvel’s premiere episode is fresh, vibrant, and refreshingly unique. Much likeDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this is a Marvel project that bucks the trend of the MCU and stands out on its own.
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The series revolves around the life of Kamala Khan (played with impeccable charm by newcomer Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American teenager living in Jersey City. Khan, like many people in the real world, is an Avengers superfan, with a particular soft spot for Captain Marvel. Though her head is often in the clouds, Khan is brought back down to Earth by her family, who remind her that despite living in a world with superheroes, there are still realistic things she needs to focus on: school, family obligations, and a hilariously botched driving test.
Kamala’s life changes, though, when she comes into possession of an old family heirloom. When she puts it onas part of a Captain Marvel cosplay, she is imbued with powers beyond her understanding. While audiences have seen characters struggling with their new powers and the responsibilities that come with them, Kamala is thrilled: she finally gets to be a superhero.
While the show’s premiere delivers on introducing Marvel’s newest hero, it takes its time getting to that point.Ms. Marvelspends much more time in its premiere letting viewers settle in with the Khan family and get a feel for the characters, who are uniformly wonderful. Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur hit exactly the right notes as Kamala’s parents. Shroff’s Muneeba is the matriarch of the Khan family, resonating both a strict demeanor as well as a soft emotional strength. Muneeba is worried that Kamala is too caught up in the world of superheroes to focus on what is important: her own future. Kapur does excellent work as Kamala’s father Yusuf, whose lighthearted manner and doting is a great contrast to Muneeba. Saagar Shaikh plays Kamala’s brother Aamir, though he isn’t featured too heavily in the show’s premiere.
Outside of the Khan household, Kamala shares her deep fandom with her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz), who plays the role of support system for Kamala when she feels like the rest of her family doesn’t quite understand her. Kamala is also friends with Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), who seems to represent the more grounded part of Kamala’s life. Outside of her friends and family, Kamala has a rivalry with fellow student Zoe Zimmer (Laurel Marsden). The show does a great job at introducing each of these characters without losing too much of its pacing, which moves at a nice clip without sacrificing crucial plot and emotional beats. The latter is especially important, as Kamala struggles with typical teenage issues. This may be a world full of aliens, gods, and heroes, but it doesn’t change the fact that kids can be cruel,and high school can be hell.
Ms. Marvelsmartly balances its connections to the wider MCU by taking a slice-of-life approach for the bulk of its premiere episode. A large portion of the story is focused onpresenting the Pakistani community of Jersey City, as well as the obligations that come with being part of that community.This is also the first Marvel title sinceSpider-Man: Homecomingthat really seems to take pride in its setting, making Jersey City as integral to the story as the people who live there. This is perfectly exemplified by a scene of Kamala staring longingly out a car window at the New York City skyline, including Avengers Tower, just across the Hudson River.
Even though it is part of the MCU,Ms. Marvelbucks the typical visual style of other Marvel Studios projects. Where shows likeMoon KnightandThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierfell somewhat short in being visually interesting,Ms. Marvelmost closely emulatesWandaVisionin how it makes some bold visual choices. This includes some subjective animated elements, like graffiti that comes to life as Kamala and Bruno have a conversation about how to make her cosplay more unique, or a text conversation with its messages integrated into the scene itself, showing up in neon lights and painted on the street. There are also plenty of dynamic camera moves and transitions to make even scenes where two characters are having a conversation more visually interesting.Ms. Marvelalmost embodies the type of Marvel projectEdgar Wright might have made had he stuck around forAnt-Man(who actually ends up getting a lot of shout-outs in this episode).
Aside from its visual cleverness,Ms. Marvelalso smartly looks at Marvel fandom from within its own universe. Kamala and Bruno’s ultimate goal in the premiere episode is to attend Avenger-Con, a convention for all things Avengers that could very easily exist in real life. This element of the show approaches the line of being self-congratulatory, but just barely manages not to cross it. If anything, it makes this world feel somewhat more lived-in. Of course the Avengers would have a huge fanbase after saving the world multiple times, with people cashing in on all of it. The show even offers an in-universe explanation for how everyone knows what happened inthe big final battle ofAvengers: Endgame.
Ms. Marvelis more than a worthy addition to the growing MCU. It’s the first phase 4 project to feel genuinely fresh and exciting.Iman Vellani is a great addition to the growing cast of heroes, and it’s going to be great to see how her character developed in future episodes, as well as inThe Marvels.Ms. Marvelis packed with heart, character, and a great story. It’s exactly what the MCU needs as it continues its journey into a new era.
Ms. Marvelpremieres on Disney Plus on June 8th.
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