Ms. Marvel has finally arrived on Disney+, and while it may appear to be aimed at a younger audience, it’s got something for everyone. This new MCU limited series introduces us to Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a teenager who suddenly develops mysterious powers thanks to a family heirloom she finds.
Kamala idolizes The Avengers, Captain Marvel in particular. The first episode, titled “Generation Why,” focuses on the daily struggles every teen faces. Kamala has trouble fitting in, dealing with her embarrassing parents, and finding new hobbies. In the comics, Kamala wrote lots of Avengers-themed fan fiction, but in the show instead runs a YouTube channel titled “Sloth Baby Productions.”
The episode’s opening features a cool intro created by Kamala herself. As seen in the trailers, Ms. Marvel will blend comic book reality with live-action, and it works super well. Kamala is the first Pakistani-American superhero, and Ms. Marvel does a great job portraying her background in the show.
Via: Marvel/Disney
The major plot point of this episode involves Kamala failing her driving test again, much to the chagrin of her mother. Kamala was expected to help her with chores for her brother’s upcoming wedding. She comments how Kamala is always daydreaming and how it runs her family. Her school guidance counselor even tells Kamala to get her act together, further portraying the pressures on teens to figure their lives out before graduation.
Kamala’s grandmother sends her a box full of “junk,” including a mysterious golden bangle. Her mother dismisses it as nothing and has her brother hide it in the attic. At the same time all of this is going on, she desperately wants to go AvengerCon with her friend Bruno and has even been working on a Captain Marvel cosplay. Since her strict parents won’t let her go, she devises a plan to sneak out and takes the bangle with her.
Once she wears the bangle, she can shoot out what is described as “hard light,” and it causes chaos to unfold at the con during the contest.
A classmate of hers, Zoe, is nearly injured but Kamala winds up saving her with her newfound powers. Bruno grabs her, and the two rush home. Arriving back much later than planned, she finds her mother angrily waiting for her. Kamala is scolded for sneaking out and told to stop her daydreaming and focus on herself and what they raised her to be. There is a mid-credit scene, which is a first for any Marvel Disney+ show so early on.
VIa: Marve/Disney
Having seen the first two episodes, I was highly impressed and did not find this series boring or juvenile. For those who have never read the comics, it’s a great introduction to the character before she heads off to the big screen in The Marvels. Whatever direction this series is going in, I am excited and here for it and the growing diversity in the MCU. Marvel fans are going to eat well this summer with She–Hulk: Attorney at Law coming in August and Thor: Love and Thunder in July.
New episodes release every Wednesday on Disney+.
