Let me start off by saying the only comic book I've read Ms Marvel in was the pages of Champions when she was teamed up with Miles Morales and a young Cyclops from the past who was in the present (whole 'nother story there). When I saw the preview for this Disney+ series I thought it looked cute, but not really up my alley. But I wanted to check it out just so I could have an opinion on it. By the time Kamala and Bruno get to Avengers Con I was hooked. The series is cute, and innocent, and small-scale. And that's perfect!
The end of the Infinity Saga in the MCU left a lot of us guessing what was to come next. How does Marvel move on after achieving cinematic history? Something that all other studios have tried to copy and have all failed? I think the most obvious answer is they couldn't. After three Phases, Marvel Studios had set itself a high bar, one that, like the original Star Wars trilogy, was never going to be reached in the eyes of their fans. Kevin Feige has never been one to play to the crowd. He has his ideas, and his plans, and sticks to them (for the most part). One thing we've seen out of Phase 4 is risks in different kinds of storytelling. Eternals, Loki, What If, and The Multiverse of Madness are all examples of Marvel trying to experiment and make different kinds of movies and shows. And when that happens, it doesn't work for everyone.
Ms Marvel to me is the MCU's attempt at not only something a little bit different, but also scaling back. Much like Spider-Man: Homecoming. By the final episode Kamala is really just trying to save the neighborhood. Iman Vellani lights up the series as a young Pakistani girl from Jersey who idealizes Captain Marvel. Her innocence is something we all can relate too, regardless of ethnicity. And the style of this series mirrors Kamal's personality with the texting and music.
What really brings this show to the top half of MCU projects is Kamala's supporting cast. Her parents are a complete delight, along with her brother. Her friends are there to support her, but they have their own lives to live like school admissions and mosque elections. And of course, Kamala seems to be juggling several boys, and out of the three potential suitors she seems to lean towards the worst one for her. I'm fine with Bruno or Kareem. Her entourage enriches this series. If you can take a superhero story, but take out the superhero portion, and you're still left with good characters in a good story, then that is a good superhero story. This series was about a young girl learning about her family history, finding confidence, and learning to trust the ones she loves.
Now, as far as faults go, it's the same one a lot of MCU projects have, the villain. From the moment Najma and her minions showed up asking about the bangle, I knew she was a bad guy (or girl). But it seems in her final moment she sacrificed herself to save the world her son lived in and gave him a form of protection at the same time. At least that's the way I saw it. Maybe we'll get more clarification later. Meanwhile, the DODC was hunting Kamala and Kamran, led by a very typical, uninteresting villain, Agent Deer. Deer had no depth, but it didn't help that we were focused on Najma most of the time as the antagonist and then switched the primary focus in the last episode to Agent Deer.
Watching this series has now made me more excited for The Marvels. Especially after that post-credit scene. To keep it short, my theory is that in the film we will be following Carol Danvers on an adventure and then she is magically transported to a bedroom filled with poster of her. How that is connected to Kamala and her bangle, I'm willing to just wait and see.
Did he say 'mutation'? Of course, it is the line every fanboy is talking about. It's been years since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and regained the rights to make X-Men films. And since then, we've all be wondering when Marvel's Mighty Mutants will make their debut in the MCU. We still don't know exactly how, but this line, with some classic musical notes played after, is confirmation that mutants are coming, and Ms Marvel is indeed one of them, or at least connected. In the comics, Kamala is an Inhuman, but thanks to the god-awful ABC series that name has been tarnished. And given that Kamala's powers are different than the comics anyway, let's all just say it's a multiverse and move on. Because nothing in the MCU is exactly the same as in the Marvel comics. And that's ok to me, just as long and it's good storytelling. Though to be honest, I have issue with Sharon Carter's MCU treatment, but, instead, let's wrap this up.
Ms Marvel turned out to be the spunk the MCU Disney+ shows needed. I think some Disney+ series are being handcuffed by the 6-episode format, but showrunner Bisha K. Ali did a great job with the task she was given. This series from the first episode made us fall in love with Kamala, her family, and her whole world. And in classic superhero fashion, her mom made her suit. Now I just want Kamala to team-up with Kate Bishop and Peter Parker. I think those local heroes could have some fun adventures.
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