Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel works so well due to a number of reasons. The critically acclaimed superhero show has a strong lead in up-and-coming actor (and comic book superfan) Iman Vellani, and the writing is impeccable. You also have to give props to the talented directors, though, including formidable duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The two (who are also EPs on the series) have already made quite a splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they’re ready for more. They even pitched some other gigs for the massive franchise, and they sound great!
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who rose to mainstream prominence as a result of their work on Bad Boys for Life, directed the pilot and season finale of Ms. Marvel. When watching the premiere episode, it’s apparent that the two are comic book fans, especially when it comes to their handling of the thrilling AvengerCon sequence. When I spoke to the pair during the Disney+ show’s press junket, I asked if they already had their eyes set on any other MCU properties now that their work with Kamala Khan is done (for the moment). It didn’t take two long to name their favorites, and El Arbi mentioned some pretty famous mutants when doing so:
We’d like to do something with the X-Men, you know, that would be cool, just to build more on that. But there’s so many we gotta explore. We gotta open our little booklet.
It’s no secret that Marvel Studios is looking to introduce the X-Men into the MCU at some point in the future. A reboot seems to be years away at this point, but it wouldn’t hurt for studio head Kevin Feige and co. to look at some potential candidates now. The Bad Boys directors would be strong choices for the project and could bring a freshness to the former Fox franchise that’s been sorely needed. However, there’s another project that they’re really passionate about, and it may even be a better fit for them. The two went on to say:
Adil El Arbi: And [Spider-Man] Miles Morales would be cool, too.
Bilall Fallah: Yeah, live-action Miles Morales, yes.
2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is arguably a perfect film, though many would still love to see Miles Morales (its protagonist) make the jump to live-action via the MCU. While many have been fancasting Morales, I’m just as, if not more concerned about who’d helm such a production. And I firmly believe that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah could create something truly epic. Not only are they passionate about the character, but they could also provide a unique visual style similar to the one they developed for Ms. Marvel. As a matter of fact, El Arbi explained that they approached that art style as a”tryout” of sorts for a Spidey movie starring Miles:
You know, Into the Spider-Verse, that animation aspect that inspired us so much. And we want to do a live-action version of that, because it was not in the [Ms. Marvel] scripts, you know, and the concept that we had this dream sequence and animation sequence is something that we injected into the show, so that's our little tryout for [a live-action Spider-Man movie].
Well, I’d say it’s working because a number of critics and fans have made note of the vibrant visuals when heaping praise on the show. Considering what they’ve achieved thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Marvel recruits Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah for another production. And if that happens, they’ll have plenty of experience under their belts, thanks to Ms. Marvel and the upcoming Batgirl movie they’re helming. Here’s hoping they get a chance to do more in the MCU!
Ms. Marvel drops new episodes on Thursdays as part of the 2022 TV schedule and is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.
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