Ms.Marvel is here. She made her debut to the excitement of fans everywhere. How does the premiere stack up in terms of presenting a young hero to a large group of people? The life of a normal Pakistani-American Muslim teenager in the world of the MCU, balancing grades, family and friend life, and her intense fandom over the Avengers leads to her lack of focus on life. A person who loves to get lost in the world of superheros is shown. In the first episode of the series, "Generation Why", Vellani is delightfully awkward, charming, and constantly commands the screen as Kamala, which is easy to translate to the screen. We can see her story through her eyes because her drawings and text come to life in the background. There is a universal relatability that Vellani plays very well with her own particular charms, which makes her very popular with us. As we open the episode, we learn that she is an awkward child at her school, which includes a nice blink and you miss it nod to the creators of Ms. A social outcast daydreams and can't keep her head in the present There is a feeling of wanting more than this life in Jersey City, which is what is referred to as a "bellesque" vibe. She just wants to have fun in the great wide area. I will stop, but you know what I mean. As her friends, family, and teachers remind her of her superheroic dreams, will she learn that all she needs is her hometown? Just as soon as we learn that she has a goal, we know that she has a goal as well. An unabashed fan of Captain Marvel and her confidence, and wanting to emulate that however she can, Kamala extolls to her best friend Bruno that she's eager to win the Captain Marvel cosplay contest at the upcoming "Avengercon," the first officially-sanctioned fan event She made an elaborate plan to sneak out of the house because her parents wouldn't let her go. We explore how she reconciles what she wants with what her parents want for her in these scenes of conflict with her parents. Shroff and Kapur give great performances throughout the show, but a fine tuning on their presentation may have been needed to allow the audience in Pakistan to feel better represented as the show progresses. The episode shines on the Muslim aspects of the family life. As a source of support and occasionally frustration for the young girl as the seemingly "perfect sibling" in their parent's eyes, her brother has some great moments in here as we see him connect to his faith. It is the small moments of natural inclusion of the culture that can portray Muslims in a nicely casual light that non-Muslims can learn and appreciate from. The episode is a great success. As Kamala is dragged out to do things for a wedding, we learn that her parents, especially her strict mother Muneeba, want to protect her from the dangers outside their tight-knit community. Muneeba warns her daughter to be careful when she gets obsessed with her fantasies. As we incorporate cultural attitudes and stances that are different from our parents, we may be able to relate to this. Vellani does a good job in the scenes that depict her internal conflict with her family. It just doesn't land as hard as it could without more context of the cultural differences and biases they face. The reasons for being an ostracized person can be very broad. White and non- Muslim people perception of her identity is a key part of her perceived awkwardness. Many of us of SWANASA and Muslim origin are ostracized in Western countries because of our religion.
It was the relatability of having to face racism from her peers that made her one of the most sympathetic and universal characters of the new superhero generation. There is a moment in the show where she makes an ignorantly Islamophobic comment to Nakia about her hijab, which is a very real and horrible topic. As the comics progress, it is through this type of reconciliation journey that all audiences are able to better relate to these Muslim characters and their friends, and find something poignantly universal for them all to relate.
In the show, ZOE just doesn't like the spelling of Kamala's necklace. She doesn't say any jokes that Muslims or SWANASA people face. It seems like a good thing at first. It whitewashes the fact that many Muslim kids and adults still have to deal with non-Muslims. It is a let down that the source material had a more honest look. The impact of Kamala and Nakia enduring Islamophobia that so many Muslims worldwide have to face in the real world may unfortunately be diminished in the show. The comics did a good job of addressing this topic in depth, but it seems that the studio didn't want to do that anymore. It is possible that they will be brave enough to do so later in the series and that we will see a more substantive look and active dismantling of Islamophobia.
When she voices her support for another young woman who decided to travel Europe to find herself, her mother and a family friend look at her and think she is crazy. It's interesting that we get the sense that Kamala is afraid that she won't be able to find out who she really is and what she wants from her community. There isn't necessarily this level of emphasis on that that the show is giving us. It was subtle and combined with the struggles that she faces because of her Pakistani and Muslim heritage. Some Muslim critics have suggested that there is more to the series than just a story about a struggle to be free. The first episode may become more nuanced as it goes on. It might have been a better approach as the show began.
The main story is what I'm going to tell you now. Bruno suggests to include something Pakistan to honor her parents, even though she disobeys them later in the episode when she sneaks out of the house to go to Avengercon. Muneeba was sent a bangle from her grandmother in Pakistan, an item that she expressed wariness over when it arrived in the mail. There is a sweet character beat between Bruno and Kamala that inspired her to wear the bangle. The bangle's repeated appearances in this episode are accompanied by snippets of South Asian-inspired music.
I am more hopeful that she won't be an Inhuman, as she was in the comics, with the knowledge that her powers are more directly tied to the family of Kamala. With her powers being different from what we have seen in the comics, hopefully there will still be a journey she takes with them that matches her story in the comics. With the emphasis from Muneeba on wanting her to be more grounded while her powers start off as Cosmically, could we possibly see her internalizing that lesson, embracing her own body's abilities rather than the glittery light constructs? As the show goes on, we will have to see.
After obtaining the bangle and the rest of her costume, she and Bruno make it to Avengercon despite the logistical hurdles. The American military facility seen in Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier is one of the places where the convention is held. It is a choice for the first Muslim superhero to attend an Avenger convention on a military base, given the ongoing discussion about the relationship with the U.S. Military. Despite a quick scene having Kamala try on a prop military helmet, it's not too propagandistic as other MCU properties have been. Avengercon is a comic con and an amusement park all in one.
Just before the cosplay competition begins, there is a sort of force field that surrounds her body, and she sees many shadowed figures with white eyes around her. These are her family. Is there aliens? Is it possible that inhumans are involved? With the stress and intense lights from the cameras on her, her powers activated and she accidentally decapitated a giant Ant-Man figure. There is a lot going on, and in a nice mirror to the earlier moment, Kamala is able to save ZOE.
When Kamala returns home and sneaks into her room, she finds her mother waiting for her, very disappointed in her daughter's rebellion. The mother-daughter tension that is seemingly going to be a big focus is showcased by Shroff's performance. The episode ends with her looking at her poster and smiling as she says, "cosmic." She is able to escape from her daydreams. Is she going to want that in the future?
We are left to wonder, but the episode is not over: in the post credits scene, we see mysterious government agents. These agents are not known. Will her family be happy or will she go to Europe? Will she enroll in an Arabic class? In the meantime, the first episode of Ms.Marvel is a good start to the story. Many of us who are SWANASA and Muslim will be delighted by Vellani's performance and the moments with her family.
The show may be able to incorporate more of the realistic tone of its source material to become something more deeply relevant. It may become even better with the exploration of more specific experiences. Like Kamala Khan.
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