Iman Vellani Officially Cast As Ms. Marvel
Last year Marvel Studios announced they were finally looking into doing something with their modern hit comic book Ms. Marvel. Two things, in fact…the character would be introduced to the MCU with her own Disney+ series, and then graduate into movies. Now they’ve found the actress who will be putting on the mask and embiggening her fists: Iman Vellani.
Oh yeah, Iman Vellani….we remember her from….nothing, actually. In a rare move, Marvel Studios has filled a potentially major role with an actress that doesn’t have much experience in the industry beyond directing a short film. She’s fairly young at just 18, but so is Kamala Khan, the superheroine she’s protraying. She’s going to have this role for a while; no sense in having to deal with a 30-year-old Ms. Marvel this quickly.
Khan is a Muslim Pakistani-American who fangirls after superheroes. She’s obsessed with them, so the day she gains superpowers herself, she’s ecstatic — and elastic. Ms. Marvel became an immediate hit, with readers finding Kamala a likeable and easily identifiable character. After the breakout success of Ms. Marvel there were several other books published in her wake about fangirls becoming superheroes, but none made the impact this one did.
Other hires that have been made: Bisha K. Ali will serve as head writer and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Meera Menon, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have been tapped to direct episodes. The Ms. Marvel show is still a fair way away from completion and has no specific release window.