Since their debut in Hollywood with Bad Boys for Life, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have become directors. They are working on both Ms. Marvel and Batgirl for the same cable channel. Before the premiere of their latest, we caught up with them and asked if they would bring their signature flair to the adaptation of the comic. You have a reputation for bold action movies, like Bad Boys for Life, and here we get to see you use that with teen characters. What are your top selling points to get what you want to see in AvengerCon?
For us, Bilall Fallah: AvengerCon was the most enjoyable. The luckiest people in the world are us. When we were on the set, we took selfies and played with all the toys. This is our homage to all the fans of the comic book company. Kamala Khan is a fan of both the Avenger's and Captain Marvel. This is our tribute to the fans, because they make the universe so big. It was designed with our production team in mind. We put a lot of Easter eggs and created that moment with the head that rolls.
I agree! The Raiders of the Lost Ark moment is something you have to have.
Adil El Arbi is a fan of the movie Indiana Jones. It was Spielberg OG. You are aware that it had to be there. They were fun to have at the end.
I think we are big Spielberg fans here. This coming-of-age story shows me as a daughter of immigrants who grew up on that vibe. Can you tell me about how you found Iman Vellani to play Kamala Khan and what you wanted to say about her becoming a hero?
When we discovered the comic books, we related to that character because we are all Muslims. We were searching for our own identity when we were teenagers. "What is our place?" Are we Muslims or Arabs? We didn't find our place in either of those when we were teenagers. That is the same as Kamala Khan between the cultures of Pakistan and the United States. She understood that character because she is a Canadian. We put a lot of our experiences, our cultural background, the relationship with the family, the parents, as well as the other cultural aspects, in the comic book, which was very recognizable. Iman Vellani is just like the character. She adores Kevin Feige and he is her favorite movie star. She likes Iron Man. She didn't think she'd be in the MCU. She suddenly became an actress. The main character is a superhero. That is the same thing as Kamala Khan looks up to a superhero. She has a new power. You can see a lot of similarities between the two stories.
The action is great, but I was moved by the family drama. The moment when Kamala gets in trouble with her parents was one of the most difficult scenes to watch. Did it make sense to use some of your own experiences to create that scene?
Fallah: I was caught in the middle of the night by my mother. I wanted to do that because my parents are traditional Moroccans and I wanted to be like them. It was very personal to me and very real. My family and friends supported me as I pursued my dream. The family and friends are the real power players in the show. She needs to go deeper into her roots to understand who she is and where she came from.
There is a small group of people who like to hate on things, but there is a lot of love. It can get to be a bit intense with the inherent racism and sexism in this community. How do you feel supported by the studios that made this project happen?
You have to have the good and the bad if you want to be a fan. It is our belief that it is good. We make these TV shows and movies because of our fans. The reason we have AvengerCon is that they make superheros. We attempt to pay homage to the fans. That is the reason why she is a fan. They are so passionate about that that you need to respect them. We focus on the positive aspects of it because of the love and care that they give. It's a real pleasure and you won't find that in any other job. We hope that our contribution to the movie will be appreciated by the fans.
On June 8th, you will be able to watch Ms.Marvel on Disney+.
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