Fans have been waiting for mutants to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Disney combined with Fox Studios. Most people would never have anticipated that Ms. Marvel’s Iman Vellani would wind up having the big moment.
Sure, Professor X appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but this is the first actual mutation detected on Earth-616 (at least for the audience). So, how did the Disney+ series do in terms of exposing fans to the first MCU mutant?
Let’s take a look at the show’s main flaws and successes.
Vellani the Superstar triumphs
Let’s get to the show’s greatest part: Iman Vellani is fantastic as Kamala Khan. She was born to play this part and will certainly become one of the MCU’s most recognizable characters. What makes it even better is how enthusiastic the actress is about Marvel outside of the show—though that’s just the icing on the cake.
Her young enthusiasm bursts through the screen, and her fangirling seems both genuine and familiar in many ways. What’s more, none of it ever comes off as overbearing. Her fiery attitude and love for individuals like Captain Marvel inspire admiration rather than disgust.
When it came to bringing her live-action counterpart to life, Kamala Khan did get a slew of alterations from the original material. Were these all positive changes?
At the end of the day, there doesn’t seem to have been any compelling reason to dramatically alter the character’s power set. Her muddled origins make sense considering the time of the X-Men and the lack of Inhumans in the mix, but Kamala might easily have preserved her flexible skin.
Obviously, this is not the case. Despite the alterations, her new abilities operate well. However, there is still a lot to explain to viewers about the Noor, the Clandestines, those Kree links, and how it all pertains to being a mutant.
While it would have been nice to have her Inhuman heritage, having the X-Gene provides an interesting new route for the character. It would have been preferable if her background hadn’t been so tangled. While Kamala is an overall success for the MCU, the sloppiness of her beginnings is frustrating.
Hopefully, The Marvels will assist to clarify matters.
Criticisms: The Villains Fail
Unfortunately, although there are many positive aspects to the series, the villains are not one of them. The introduction of Nimra Bucha’s Najma and the rest of the Clandestines was arguably the show’s worst point, and it also received the greatest criticism from viewers across the board.
The group was hurried into the procedures and all died not long after. They left no impression and were completely forgettable, not to mention the perplexing mythology they provided, which still leaves many unanswered issues.
What is the connection between being a Clandestine and being a mutant? Is the Noor energy and dimension inextricably linked to all of this? Is it similar to (X-Men member) Magik’s link to Limbo?
One modification that may have made a significant difference would have been to avoid leaving New Jersey for Episodes 4 and 5. This departure delayed the show’s pace and turned viewers away from the actors.
This may have also given the Clandestines more space to develop and become personalities rather than angry thugs brandishing odd weaponry. Furthermore, the threat does not necessarily have to endanger the whole planet. It would have been wiser to keep the tale limited and focused on New Jersey for all six episodes.
By the show’s conclusion, Kamran had taken over the position of the Clandestine. While the character and acting aren’t horrible, the tale about his gaining abilities and being abandoned by his mother was rushed.
When a result, in the last episode, as Kamran is pursued and finally turns on the Department of Damage Control (DODC), much of the emotional impact of what was occurring was missing. Fortunately, the character is still alive and well towards the conclusion, so he may return in a future second season.
The show’s second bunch of evil men, the DODC, were excruciatingly uninteresting. It’s unfortunate that they had to take up so much space in the conclusion. They turned out to be a bunch of government operatives being terrible just for the fun of being bad.
When did the world become so antagonistic to those in positions of power? In earlier ventures, everything looked to be going swimmingly. Not to add that the Avengers rescued half of the universe.
Victory: Kamala’s Support System
Aside from the aforementioned baddies, the supporting cast is fantastic. Not only are they all entertaining to watch, but their interplay is flawless. This is best shown when the Khans are in the same room. They easily bounce off one other, and the whole family seems real.
Zenobia Shroff, who plays Kamala’s mother, deserves the greatest praise among the Khans. She portrays the ideal strict but loving parent—she was never so unreasonable that she became a humorously awful person for spectators to despise. The authors made an excellent decision in giving her the opportunity to don the famous Ms. Marvel outfit.
Bruno, played by Matt Lintz, is also deserving of high acclaim. Every time Iman Vellani and Lintz shared a scene, their chemistry virtually exploded off the screen. Hopefully, fans will see more of him sooner rather than later, particularly now that he seems to have uncovered the X-Gene.
Shoutout also goes to Yasmeen Fletcher, who has a good bond with Kamala. The series could have used a lot more of the two together.
Victory: That Adorable Energy
Ms. Marvel’s style is one of its most distinguishing features. The frenetic energy that pervaded the majority of the performance, the clever and creative usage of graphic graphics between scenes, and the catchy music—it was all there.
Unfortunately, much of that vitality was lost in Episodes 4 and 5, which damaged the project’s overall identity. Fortunately, it was able to recapture some of that energy for the big climax.
The introduction to Muslim culture, which is not commonly handled in big-name productions, was woven into the show’s DNA. It was amazing to watch and learn about Kamala’s culture and global experience in an organic and real manner, for the most part.
Once again, the fourth and fifth installments must be criticized. It was interesting to learn about Karachi and The Partition, however the way the plot diverged from that was detrimental to the entire storyline. It didn’t help that the main shock in Episode 5 centers on dubious time travel principles that don’t appear to match up to what spectators were taught in Avengers: Endgame.
The First Mutant in the MCU Is a Success
Overall, Kamala Khan’s debut in the MCU was a rousing success. Iman Vellani is great, and she is supported by an amazing supporting cast that help bring New Jersey City to life. When it comes to villains, both the Clandestines and the DODC could have utilized a lot more effort, since both are major contributors in the series’ failure to achieve greatness.
While many may be disappointed by the character’s multiple drastic transformations, the route to mutants in the MCU has finally started. The most pressing question is, what is the next step in this journey?
Hopefully, Kamala Khan’s adventure in The Marvels will help fill in some of the gaps in her genetic mystery. More importantly, we finally get to see Ms. Marvel’s world crumble as she comes face to face with Carol Danvers herself.
Ms. Marvel is now available on Disney+.
