Kamala Khan Is The First Muslim Superhero to Join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Last Updated on 2019-08-28 , 7:42 pm

Unlike Singaporean advertisements like this, Marvel is not exactly known for its racial diversity.

Their most popular superheroes like Spider-Man, Deadpool, Wolverine, and Hulk are all white males.

Well, Hulk is occasionally green, but you get my point. The Marvel Universe lacks diversity.

But a new groundbreaking character is set to break to mould.

First Marvel Muslim superhero

On Friday (23 Aug 2019), Walt Disney Studios announced that Ms Marvel, their first Muslim superhero, is being developed as a series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.

Other series on the streaming service include The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, and She-Hulk.

Before you go, “Cool, I’m going to cancel my Netflix and subscribe to Disney+ NOW,” hold your horses: Disney+ hasn’t been confirmed to be coming to Singapore. Yet.

Anyway, back to the marvellous Ms Marvel.

According to Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, the live-action series would focus on Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American girl from New Jersey.

While there have been several iterations of Ms Marvel over the years, starting with Carol Danvers, Disney+’s Ms Marvel will be the first Marvel on-screen production to feature a Muslim superhero.

Kamala idolises Captain Marvel, most recently played by Brie Larson in the MCU, but eventually becomes a superhero and even joins The Avengers.

Superpowers

As an Inhuman (think of it as a mutant), her superpowers include shape-shifting and extra healing.

Her character first appeared in Captain Marvel in 2013 and she took over the Ms Marvel comic series entirely in 2014.

After her takeover, the Ms Marvel comic book series sold out in stands and topped the book market in trade paperbacks.

According to Feige, the Ms Marvel series will arrive in Winter 2021 or early 2022. The character will also appear in a future, unnamed film.

However, the Marvel boss didn’t reveal any additional plot details, nor did he say who would play the lead character.

Realistic Portrayal

Kamala Khan’s character is revolutionary not just because she represents a minority, but also because she is portrayed in a realistic manner.

In addition to dealing with supervillains, the Ms Marvel series also explores conflicts with Khan’s home and religious duties.

Sana Amanat, one of the creators of the character, said “As much as Islam is a part of Kamala’s identity, this book isn’t preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It’s about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It’s a struggle we’ve all faced in one form or another”.

Marvel has certainly won many fans over with this groundbreaking character.

With characters like Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan, it’s clear that heroism is not reserved for a specific ethnicity or gender; anyone can be a hero.

Even a cat.

But if this isn’t enough to excite you, here is a list of Marvel heroes that you will soon see on screen:

Marvel heroes we’ll see on screen by 2022:
-Moon Knight
-She Hulk
-Ms. Marvel
-Thor
-Doctor Strange
-US Agent
-Jane Foster
-Hawkeye
-Kate Bishop
-Scarlet Witch
-Vision
-Valkyrie
-Falcon
-Winter Soldier
-Black Widow
-Loki
-Shang-Chi
-Monica Rambeau
-All Eternals
-More

Unreal

— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) August 23, 2019

Now tell me that’s not something you’re looking forward to.