The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with its second Disney+ series of 2022. Following the Indiana Jones-esque adventure of Moon Knight comes a much different show in Ms. Marvel. Starring Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, the show explores the perspective of a teenage Avengers fanatic who develops her own super abilities.
The show at its heart is a coming-of-age story about a Muslim girl adapting to the life of a local superhero, with a dash of Marvel movie action. Only the first episode has been released, but there's already a lot to fall in love with. These ten aspects of the series' first episode are highlights for diehard Marvel fans and franchise newcomers.
10 Blinded By The Lights
From the get-go, this series established a new tone for an MCU project. The familiar Marvel logo splash returns at the start of the episode, but instead of the typical theme, the score is more contemporary. Over this brief intro plays one of the biggest pop songs of the 2020s so far, "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd.
This 80s throwback song certainly sets the mood for the upbeat, colorful adventure that Kamala's story promises. It's been used in lots of media and commercials before, so Ms. Marvel making use of it is no original feat. However, it definitely has the right energy to pump up audience members who may be skeptical going into this show.
9 Comic Book-Inspired Visuals
The first few moments of this series don't attempt to hide Kamala Khan's love for all things Avengers. Just like the first panels of her debut comic run in 2014, the series opens on Kamala creating her own superhero content on YouTube. She concludes a 10-part series on her idol, Carol Danvers, known to the world as Captain Marvel.
The comic book visuals don't stop there. The editing and direction of this first episode are chock-full of allusions to comic book panels and artwork. One sequence in particular uses these animated visuals to literally depict the Captain Marvel redesigns that Kamala and her best friend, Bruno, are discussing mid-bike ride.
8 Kamala, The Avengers Fanatic
Of course, one of the best part of this pilot episode is Iman Vellani's performance as Kamala Khan. Watching interviews with the young actress make it clear how perfect she is for the role of a nerdy superhero stan. The real-life actress is an expert on all things Marvel and MCU, and she brings that energy into her energetic performance.
At the same time, it's very easy for MCU fans to relate to Kamala. Her emotional connection to these real-life figures is the real heart of this show. The stakes feel high when her home life gets in the way of her dreams of becoming a superhero like Captain Marvel. Plus, viewers get to see a lot of MCU references throughout the show.
7 A Superhero From New Jersey
Ms. Marvel stays true to Kamala's comic book origins. She lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, which is a huge part of this show's world. Unlike characters like Kate Bishop and Peter Parker, her distance from places like New York City, which receive lots of attention from the Avengers, perfectly encapsulates her feeling as an outsider.
In addition, it feels like the show is placed in a more unique setting than most other Marvel shows. While Moon Knight explores foreign countries, there's a familiarity to Ms. Marvel being set in a local, urban environment. It's also notable that the MCU's first Disney+ show, WandaVision, also takes places in a fictional town in New Jersey.
6 Family Versus Fantasy
A big conflict in the first episode of Ms. Marvel concerns Kamala's relationship to her parents. As the child of strict Muslims, their rules for her behavior often come in direct contrast to her desires as a social teenager. This applies to her desire to go to Avenger-Con and compete in a Captain Marvel cosplay competition.
One of the episode's most emotional moments comes when her parents decide to entertain her hobby for a brief moment. Her mother allows her to go to Avenger-Con under the condition she brings her father, who is cosplaying as the Hulk. It's an emotional moment to see Kamala put her foot down and reject her parents' conditions.
5 Let's Talk About Bruno
Thankfully, Kamala is not alone in her superhero fanaticism. She's joined throughout most of the episode by Bruno Carrelli, her classmate and best friend. In the comics, Bruno has a similar role as Kamala's closest confidant, particularly when she discovers her superpowers and has to hide them from her family.
This episode also finds Bruno showing off his expertise as an engineer. He crafts photon gloves for Kamala's Captain Marvel costume, and helps Kamala's father rig up a security system for their house. It's possible Bruno could be on track to rival fellow young engineers in the MCU like Shuri and Peter Parker.
4 Subtle On-Screen Texting
Many modern-day shows feature on-screen text messages as a way to convey characters communicating over the phone. These commonly manifest as iMessage-esque text bubbles that pop up on the side of the screen. Ms. Marvel, however, takes a different approach to showing its characters' interactions over long distance.
In a scene where Kamala informs Bruno about her failed persuasion of her parents to let her go to Avenger-Con, the two text about next steps. During this sequence, viewers see Bruno arrive at his apartment above a Circle Q. The text messages are subtly inserted into the world around Bruno, on sidewalks and store signs.
3 Avenger-Con
Against the wishes of her parents, Kamala manages to sneak out and make it to Avenger-Con with Bruno. There, viewers are treated to a mountain of Easter eggs and references to both the MCU and Marvel Comics history. There's merch referencing the "America's ass" joke from Endgame, as well as a Drax lookalike signing autographs.
There are even visuals of Carol Danvers in her original Ms. Marvel outfit from the comics, as well as her more familiar MCU costume. The reference that should catch fans' eyes the most in this sequence, however, is a painted tribute to Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff. Their sacrifices in Endgame continue to pay off in future stories.
2 A Twist On Kamala's Familiar Powers
Many comic book fans were disappointed to learn that Kamala Khan's powers in this series would differ from her comic book origins. In her original story, Kamala acquires her powers after walking through Terrigen mist, making her an Inhuman. Her abilities allow her to stretch her body parts big or small and use them for attacks.
It's possible these powers were too similar to Reed Richards', who is played by John Krasinski in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That movie also introduces Black Bolt, the Inhuman king, though a future for the otherworldly family is unknown. However, the visuals for Kamala's powers harken back to her stretchy comic roots.
1 A Mid-Credits Return
The first episode of Ms. Marvel contains a mid-credits scene for those who are patient enough to wait (or fast-forward). This scene features the return of Agent Cleary, played by Succession star Arian Moayed. Cleary first appeared in the beginning of Spider-Man: No Way Home, as an agent of the Department of Damage Control.
Though his appearance in No Way Home was only brief to show the consequences for Peter's framing by Mysterio, it looks as if the character has a larger role in Ms. Marvel. Another agent brings to his attention footage of Kamala using her powers at Avenger-Con. Their interest in her will definitely cause trouble for Kamala in future episodes.
New episodes of Ms. Marvel premiere every Wednesday on Disney+.