“I’m not going to do the Tom Holland!”

The time of the original Avengers is over. The 4th phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has so far been all about introducing new superheroes. One of them is the teenager Kamala Khan, who will be appearing as Ms. Marvel in the Disney+ series of the same name in the coming years one of the most important heroines of the Marvel future could rise.

19-year-old Iman Vellani plays the MCU’s first female Muslim superhero and is generally breaking new ground for Marvel with her first real acting role. Because instead of the classic superhero: inside origin, we can expect a visually playful teen comedy with gaudy characters and a cultural background that is refreshingly new for the MCU.

Iman Vellani and Ms. Marvel have a lot in common — except that the actress is an Iron Man fan

In the comics, Kamala Khan has been delighting and inspiring fans since 2014. The Jersey City Pakistani-American girl faces a number of challenges: school stress, family commitments, Avenger fan love, Puberty and new superpowers. In the interview, I spoke to Iman Vellani about the revolutionary heroine and her own background as a Marvel superfan.

You can watch the trailer for Ms. Marvel here

Moviepilot: Ms. Marvel is your first professional acting role. How has this experience been for you so far?

Iman Vellani: It’s everything I dreamed of and so much more. Coming straight to Marvel from the small town of Markham, Ontario was surreal. But luckily I got fantastic support. That other MCU actors are basically my colleagues now is totally weird. The comics meant everything to me, and I hope this series can do for other people what the comics did for me. Namely, to make people feel seen and heard and not feel so lonely.

With Ms. Marvel, the MCU does things differently. What sets them apart from the other Marvel superheroes we’ve seen so far?

At the heart of the series is the fan culture. We really wanted to show this absolute nerd. On the one hand, she’s the clumsy teenage girl with teenage issues and superpowers. On the other hand, he’s also a fan of all the superpowered beings in the MCU. That makes her much more likeable and universal for me. she has the same enthusiasm and fascination for the Avengers as real-life fans and I hope that they can identify with the series, just have fun and feel valued.

How involved were you in the process of bringing her to life in the MCU, finding her voice and finding the right tone?

I was pretty involved. The series executives really included me and used me as a resource. After all, I basically lived Kamala’s life. I’m a big Marvel fan. That was the only reason I even auditioned. and I read all of the Ms. Marvel comics when I was in high school. So it was easy for me to step into Kamala’s shoes and portray her as authentically as possible.

So would you say that you and Kamala are very similar aside from the superpowers?

Maybe I have superpowers and we just don’t know! But yes, definitely. The only difference is: My idol isn’t Carol Danvers, it’s Tony Stark. I’ve had a Tony Stark cosplay in mind with a black tank top and the arc reactor on his chest for a while, but I have yet to make it. A painted goatee is of course also part of it.

Before her big role: Iman Vellani used to post Marvel fan theories on Reddit

You’re a huge Marvel fan and I’ve heard that you’ve been very active on Reddit forums and posting fan theories in the past. Now you are part of such theories yourself. Do you still follow these regularly?

I still write comments and troll people on the internet‘Cause they don’t know it’s me So I can say whatever I want and comment, “Yeah, but maybe Kamala will do this and that later.” I just make up my own theories and hope that someday they will turn out exactly like this. I just want to keep my undercover fangirl alive.

But it must be frustrating not to cry out when fans get their theories wrong.

It’s really annoying because I can’t just write and say, “You’re dead wrong.” I’ve always wondered what real power feels like. This is what real power feels like: Knowing Marvel secrets. I keep asking Kevin Feige about other films and sometimes he actually tells me something! These secrets are very close to my heart and I swore to him that I would never be the one to spill or leak them. I will not do the Tom Holland!

In the comics, Kamala is one of the Inhumans who aren’t actually part of the MCU anymore. How is this resolved in the series?

We didn’t want to label Kamala as just anything. The core and theme of the series and comics is to subvert all labels and expectations that are thrown at you and not just label them as one thing. Kamala isn’t just Muslim or just Pakistani or just a nerd. The merging of all these personalities and interests is what defines Kamala. I don’t think we’ll be seeing the Inhumans in the MCU anytime soon – other than [Black Bolt in] Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

First The Marvels, then Ms. Marvel Season 2? This is what the future of Kamala Khan looks like in the MCU

Post-series, we’ll see Kamala return to the big screen in The Marvels alongside her idol Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau. Did shooting the series prepare you well for working on such a blockbuster?

He definitely has. Our series is perhaps on a slightly smaller scale, at least smaller by MCU standards. But I learned a lot about how to work on a set. I was [vor Ms. Marvel] never on a set. It’s really challenging being the only person in a superhero suit as you shoot fight scenes and stunts that can go wrong.

I learned something on all fronts and in all departments of our set, absorbed that knowledge like a sponge and then applied it to The Marvel. To be honest it was extremely helpful to have Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris by my side. I haven’t felt so alone. We shared the pain and joys of being a superhero.

Could Kamala be in Jersey City for a second season after her adventures with Carol and Monica in The Marvels returnsweep?

I hope so. This could be really fun. There is such many impressive and exciting figures in Kamala’s life, all of which have their own storylines. We would also like to tell all these stories. But it all depends on how well the first season goes.

Kamala’s story as a Jersey Pakistani-American Muslim woman is very specific, but also very universal. What would you like people around the world to take away from the show?

Of course, this is not the one representation of all Muslim-American-Pakistani experiences. But I hope people find someone or something on the show that they can relate to. Be it Kamala’s nerdyness or her conflicts: How do I fit in with the rest of the Avengers? How do I differ from the other superheroes? Where is my place in the real world? How can I contribute to society?

And then we have Kamala’s lovely and funny family, their community, and the folks at Kamala’s high school. There are so many characters and points of view in our series. I really think there is something for everyone.

Ms. Marvel launched on June 8, 2022 at Disney+. The first season consists of six episodes and will be broadcast weekly.

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What do you expect from the Ms. Marvel series?