Marvel has cast the lead role in the upcoming Disney+ superhero series Ms. Marvel. Deadline confirmed today that newcomer actress Iman Vellani will star as the titular Ms. Marvel, also known as Kamala Khan.
Vellani is new to the television and film industry – Ms. Marvel will be her first role in any production. However, she has experience as a film critic. Last year, she was on the Next Wave Committee at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival. As a part of the committee, she selected and praised films that portrayed diverse characters from diverse film makers.
Ms. Marvel will follow a similar plot to the comic of the same name that started in 2014. Kamala Khan is a New Jersey-native teenager who gains the superpowers of elasticity and shapeshifting. She uses these powers to fight crime as the superhero Ms. Marvel – named for a former codename of Captain Marvel, her favorite superhero and idol. She debuted in the original Ms. Marvel comic in 2014 as the first-ever Muslim character to star in her own series from Marvel. Soon, she will become the first onscreen hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige (producer of several Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as The Avengers) confirmed that the character will go on to crossover into the film side of Marvel as well.
The announcement comes after a series of new developments from the Marvel side of Disney+. Recently, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (3 Bahadu), Meer Menon (Titains), Adil El Arbi (Black, Gangsta) and Bilall Fallah (Image) joined Ms. Marvel as directors. In other casting news, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) was cast as the lead in She-Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson (The Incredibles) was announced to star in series based on his Marvel character Nick Fury. Finally, Disney released the first full official trailer for this years’ WandaVision.
The entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is available to stream on Disney+.