Ms. Marvel (1×01) Generation Why Early Review

It’s time to go back to high school for the next MCU Disney+ limited series with Ms. Marvel, not to be confused with Captain Marvel of course. That being said, the titular character is certainly a big fan of hers. This coming-of-age story with a dash of Pakistani culture throughout works thanks to its star in the making, lead Iman Vellani in her first major role which is certainly an understatement. It has been announced that she will star in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, but she needs to get there first which means that she will have a lot of learning and growing up to do. Based on the first episode, this journey looks to be well worth the ride. The first episode does a great job at establishing its lead, Kamala Khan (Vellani), and the Khan family who look to play a major role in the series and together make for a fun dynamic. Though they may all be Pakistani, their family is very well just like everybody else’s which will surely make them resonate with viewers.

It was just a normal day for Kamala as she and her tech-savvy best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) were set on attending the first ever Avengers convention where she would get to show off her homemade Captain Marvel costume in the hopes of winning a contest there. The two were obsessed with superheroes, often getting lost in their own fantasy worlds much to the chagrin of their parents and teachers, but the two eventually needed to grow up. At their high school, Kamala was virtually invisible. When it came to the convention, convincing her father Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) and her mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) posed a challenge since they didn’t fully trust her and it would take her away from her studies. Nevertheless, she had a plan though it wouldn’t matter without a finished costume.

Things appeared to work out for Kamala and Bruno as the Avengers convention was an event full of Easter Eggs and interesting callbacks. Equipped with a mysterious family heirloom, her costume was complete but suffice it to say that this wasn’t just any heirloom as Kamala found herself in some real trouble in more ways than one as her mother was in her room waiting for the moment she’d try and sneak back in to express her disappointment. There was just something different here as that disappointment hit a little deeper. However, a mid-credits scene showed that the incident at the convention put her on the radar of a mysterious organization.

In the end, what more can be said about Iman Vellani? This girl is going to be a star. Not only does she have boatloads of charm and charisma but she perfectly embodies the youthful awkward nerdy energy to make a character such as Kamala work and be compelling to watch. She makes her so easy to relate to and root for. Though Kamala is flawed and makes mistakes, she’s young and that’s life. Viewers will want to go on that journey because of her. Vellani’s chemistry with Lintz’s Bruno was a highlight as the two play off of each other beautifully. Meanwhile, her chemistry with Shroff as her mother Muneeba was another highlight as the latter brings the right nurturing energy to the table and that final scene of the episode hit especially hard as a result of that strong relationship.

We don’t have to rush things, let’s just stay here for a while.

still courtesy of Marvel Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.