The 6th Series of Marvel, published in partnership with Disney, Ms. Marvel, is actually the story of a character I’ve been waiting for for a long time. Although the audience did not like Captain Marvel because of the story and Brie Larson, who played the character, I liked the movie a lot. As a new Marvel fan, I came across Kamala Khan when I was doing research on Captain Marvel. Although it was interesting that Captain Marvel left the Marvel title to Kamala Khan, I was actually more impressed with the idea of a Pakistani hero entering the Marvel universe. For some reason, superheroes, like aliens, only appear in America. Although the map is still America, it was interesting that the character’s origin comes from much further away. The processing was perhaps not as superb as expected, but the most important thing is that such a series exists and will be even more valuable in the future.
Let’s briefly touch on the subject… In the new America, where the Avengers team has become a part of the capitalist economy, young people live in admiration for their heroes who saved the world twice. Kamala is one of them. But rather than the Avengers, she admires Captain Marvel, who dives headfirst into Thanos’ ship, which appears just when the Avengers are about to lose. While living with dreams of being a hero one day, fate brings this chance to her doorstep. Trying on the mysterious bracelet that came to her house, Kamala realizes she has powers. This discovery is the beginning of her heroic adventure.
The first thing to talk about is the childish side of the show. As someone so bored of adolescent movies, I didn’t feel any discomfort in Ms. Marvel. Because it is clear as day that Kamala and her surroundings are still children. Kamala is just one of the thousands of kids in her city who want to be superheroes. I loved the show’s choice on this subject. Of course, superheroes that have been adorning our screen for 15 years and that we have admired would of course turn into figures in their own universe. Although not like The Boys, the heroes have become a capitalist economy’s consumption value. Events, festivals, and entertainment are organized for them. Avengers theater play in Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel’s AverngerCon, and the Asgard park in Thor 4 is definitely the result of 15 years of cinematic adventure, and it makes perfect sense. It is normal for such important characters to turn into economic figures, but Kamala, a child, is also normal to admire them. Having a superpower at a young age does not change the fact that she is still a child, no matter how much responsibility she has. Let’s remember what Uncle Ben said:
With great power comes great responsibility.
Yes, Kamala is a little girl who knows her responsibilities but still wants to have fun. For this reason, the adolescent side of the Series did not bother me at all. On the contrary, it bothers me more when Thor, who has been a part of the universe for 1000 years, acts like a 15-year-old child. It is also surprising that Marvel films, in which we expect more seriousness, push the bar in non-seriousness.
The Series doesn’t have an excellent job of the story and the shooting. We can even say that it hasn’t been well prepared. It also contains straightforward fiction and logic errors; it sometimes even shows annoyingly bad visual effects. But despite everything, the Series manages to make itself watch with its sympathetic side. The biggest reason for this is, of course, Iman Vellani. Vellani is Marvel’s new heroine alongside Xochitl Gomez and Hailee Steinfeld. We don’t know the fate of The Girl Born From Eternity, but I’m sure they will add her into the story. Therefore we said hello to 4 new female superheroes in 2022. All of them have similar features. Just like they want to be heroes, their childish side, they succumb to their excitement. However, the only element that distinguishes Iman from others is her position. I will explain below.
Although the Series did not make us watch a powerful story, it successfully promoted our new hero and her culture. But, everything changes depending on how we look at the phenomenon we call culture. In the Series, we encounter an example of a more westernized Islam. More temperate. However, as we move to the east, for example, when we look at Kamala’s origin in Pakistan, Islam is not like in the Series. The show makes a politically correct choice by trying to make a religion that people have associated with terrorism in recent years look cute and constructive. But I think what the show does best is the music choices. Since it is a purely cultural project, all the selected music has a middle eastern tone. When this tone is combined with western vision, it turns out to be quite enjoyable to listen to.
The sole thing that will make a superhero project a success is a significant competitor. Unfortunately, there is no real rival in the Series, and I can even say it was the weakest among the 6 shows. They had a very loose story. But Ms. Marvel manages to stand out even in such an inadequate encounter. Our focus of attention is always Ms. Marvel. And only question we cared about was how she would join the Avengers team. Although the post-Credit scene makes this question even more blurry, we understand from the teasers released during the Series that Kamala will be a member of the new Avengers team. This is the feature that distinguishes Ms. Marvel from the others that I mentioned above. We don’t know what the future of America Chavez or Kate Bishop will be, but Ms. Marvel will obviously be with us for a long time.
Long story short… Although Ms. Marvel is not doing an excellent job in terms of technical design, it has a structure that makes itself watched, thanks to the sincerity and screen power of Iman Vellani. Even if the story is not powerful enough, what remains for us when the Series is over, is a pleasant feeling. We met a new and charming character, and this character will have an important place in the continuation of the universe. Although Phase 4’s inclusion of serials in the story setup messes things up a bit and creates more viewing time, Ms. Marvel didn’t make me regret watching; I was never bored and enjoyed it very much.
Cast & Crew
creator: Bisha K. Ali
starring: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Rish Shah
USA | 2022 | 6 EPISODES |