About a week ago, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who always plays his MCU cards close to the chest, created quite a stir when he revealed that Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, was definitely, sort of, in the works. Although his phrasing allowed for some flexibility, his words are encouraging for those hoping to see the Inhuman make her way to the MCU before long. It may be a ways off, but should Marvel move forward with Ms. Marvel, actors Riz Ahmed and Mindy Kaling have already thrown their hats into the ring to help bring the character to the MCU. Take a look:
Riz Ahmed must really like the character, as he is already proposing that he, along with other talented names like Mindy Kaling and Kumail Nanjiani, work on the screenplay for the potential film. And while this is just a hypothetical at this point, a Ms. Marvel movie would certainly be lucky to have these three working on the screenplay. Kumail Nanjiani is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter for his film The Big Sick, and Mindy Kaling has a lot of writing experience on The Office and The Mindy Project. Kamala Khan is a fun and youthful character that these three would be well suited to bringing to life. Mindy Kaling seems up for it too, as she is a huge fan of the character.
With Marvel increasing the diversity of its offerings both in front of and behind the camera, it would makes sense to have these three take a crack at Ms. Marvel. While a writer doesn't have to share the same race, ethnicity or religion as a character to do them justice, there is a certain level of understanding that those that do can impart. Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American and a Muslim, and those parts of her identity are part of her story. Both Kumail Nanjiani and Riz Ahmed are of Pakistani descent, and Riz Ahmed is a Muslim, so they can bring that experience to the character and have it speak to an audience that isn't used to this sort of portrayal on screen.
Ms. Marvel is probably quite a ways off at this point, but the enthusiasm around Kevin Feige's comments certainly has to have perked up the ears of those at Marvel Studios. And while Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed have already offered to write the film, it is never to early to start fan casting. Artist BossLogic did just that on Twitter. Check it out below:
BossLogic is offering up Linnea Berthelsen as a potential Kamala Khan, and that's certainly a solid choice. The actress was previously seen playing the superpowered Kali/Eight on Stranger Things. My guess is that this fan casting and chatter will only get louder in the years to come. But you can't have Kamala Khan without Carol Danvers, and she'll be introduced to the MCU when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019. Keep an eye on our Marvel Cinematic Universe page for all the latest on what lies ahead in the MCU.
