Ms. Marvel: Everything you need to know before watching the show

After introducing Moon Knight, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is foraying deeper into Phase 4 with another new superhero - Ms. Marvel. The latest series will launch Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan into the MCU. Marking a series of firsts, the origin story created by Bisha K. Ali will revolve around a Muslim superhero and the first South Asian character (she's a 16-year-old Pakistani-American) to headline a Marvel title. Kamala is a part of the next generation of superheroes and she brings in endless possibilities, including a much-talked-about Young Avengers team-up. It’s a big win for representation and for the future of the MCU. But there's a lot to unpack before we get there.

Ahead of Ms. Marvel's premiere on June 8, Filmfare had the chance to watch the first two episodes. The series has Shah Rukh Khan references, Farhan Akhtar, and Fawad Khan in cameos and moments that will hit home for brown audiences.

Here's everything you need to know about the comic book character and the show:

Meet Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan or Ms. Marvel is perhaps the most relatable superhero out there. She is a high schooler from New Jersey and an Avengers fan-fiction-writing Marvel geek. She adores Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. Kamala is navigating life as a brown girl with conservative parents in the West and the awkwardness of being a teenager when she stumbles upon her superpowers. In the comics, her first appearance was in Ms. Marvel #1 created by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G.Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie. In the comic book run, her powers kick in after coming in contact with green Terrigen Mist. She later finds out that her abilities are linked to her Inhuman genes. Just like the character on the page, the live-action version also wears a bangle as a nod to her cultural heritage. On a meta-level, debut actress Iman Vellani is an avid comic book reader and one can instantly see why she’s perfect for the role.

What are Ms. Marvel's powers in the comics and are they different in the show?

The Kamala Khan we meet in the show will have a different journey. The series tweaks the source of her powers and the powers in general. Ms. Marvel's set of abilities is a mixed bag. Her embiggening ability lets her extend her limbs like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four, she also has healing abilities like Wolverine and she can shrink or enlarge her body like Ant-Man. Moreover, she's a shape-shifter. In the TV show, however, her embiggening powers seem to be replaced with sparkly purple fists that she projects rather than extending her actual body parts. She's able to use them when she wears a bangle which is a part of her costume. The bangle itself is an important narrative device in the show as it's integrated into her family's backstory. Without spoiling much, it’s safe to say that fans should expect some deviation from the comic books.

Where does Ms. Marvel fit into the broader MCU?

While that's the biggest question going into the series, there's still no way to pinpoint exactly when the show's events are set. What we do know is that the coming-of-age show is grounded in the present day. Kamala is a part of the Avengers fandom that saw a boom after the blip, so she's aware of the events of Avengers: Endgame. The showrunners have not revealed when the show takes place but in terms of the timeline, it's set roughly 2 years after Endgame which in the MCU canon is 2023.

What does Ms. Marvel’s MCU future look like?

Before the show even premieres, it has already been confirmed that Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan will join Captain Marvel in the upcoming adventure The Marvels. The film will feature Brie Larson who will reprise her role as Carol Danvers and Tenoyah Parris who was introduced in WandaVision as Monica Rambeau. It will see the trio team up for what will most likely be a cosmic adventure. The series will set up the events of the film and act as an origin story for the young superhero. Speaking of young superheroes, Ms. Marvel's speculated future is perhaps even more interesting. With a whole new class of new heroes like America Chavez from Doctor Strange 2, the Maximoff twins from WandaVision, Kate Bishop from Hawkeye, and of course, Peter Parker from the Spider-Man movies, the likelihood of Kamala joining the ranks of the freshly launched superheroes somewhere in the future is high. As mentioned earlier, the possibilities are endless.

Ms. Marvel will premiere on June 8.

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