The cosmic world inhabited by Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to expand in a big way by adding a pint-sized superhero. Kamala Khan is a teenager from New Jersey who idolizes the Avengers – and has a particular bent for Captain Marvel – who one day discovers that she has powers that put her on the level of the heroes she has been looking up to all of her life. Marvel will tell Khan’s story in the upcoming Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, which has a new trailer, and a release date of June 8 (after a bit of a delay) for the six-episode season.
Canadian actress Iman Vellani won the role of Kamala Khan after a lengthy search by Marvel Studios when the company announced the intention of bringing Ms. Marvel to the screen. Ms. Marvel is a relatively new character, having been introduced into the comics in 2013 before receiving her own title and series in February of 2014. Similar to Peter Parker, Kamala was an unassuming, bright high school student living her own life on the outskirts of New York City (for Peter, it was Queens and for Kamala it was Jersey City). And one day, she encounters… well, something that gives her the unique powers of Ms. Marvel.
Kamala Khan’s comic book origins are very complicated. They involve Thanos trying once again to overpower the Earth, releasing the Terrigen Mists of the superhero team known as The Inhumans and watching it spread. Khan is attending a party with high school friends when she’s engulfed by the Mists. They unlock in her latent powers that allow her to adopt the name of the hero she’s always admired, Carol Danvers.
There was no sign of mist in the trailer, though there were hints at the powers that Kamala Khan will get when Ms. Marvel becomes a series. Khan’s signature ability of to elongate or stretch her body, making her fist giant to use in battle. It looks like this:
It will be interesting to see how Kamala gets her powers in Ms. Marvel, and also who she will face off against in her debut series. While Khan has a handful of enemies she has accumulated over the years, there isn’t a deep bench of antagonists on which to lean, so the creators of the show can get creative, or find ways to tie her story into the larger MCU, as it stands. Ms. Marvel is also expected to play a significant role in the upcoming Marvel movie The Marvels, due in theaters in 2023, that will showcase her alongside Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris).
The Marvel machine is shifting into high gear. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the new MCU movie hitting theaters. On the 2022 TV schedule side of things, Oscar Isaac is going to introduce Moon Knight on March 30, paving the way for Ms. Marvel in June. It’s a wild time to be a Marvel fan, seeing all of these beloved comic book characters come to life in ways we never dreamed possible.
