‘Ms. Marvel’: Who Is Iman Vellani, the Actor Who Will Play Kamala Khan in the Upcoming Disney+ Series?
Ms. Marvel is coming to Disney+, and the MCU just cast Iman Vellani as the new series’ superhero. So who is Vellani, and what do we know about her new role as Kamal Khan?
Who is Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan?
Kamala Khan is a 16-year-old, Pakistani-American Muslim teen from New Jersey teen who idolizes Carol Danvers. When she discovers her newfound superpowers — shape-shifting, invulnerability, and elasticity — Kamala uses her knowledge of superheroes to become the best crime fighter she can be.
The character was created by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie McKelvie. She first appeared in Captain Marvel #14 in August 2013.
After Carol Danvers assumed the title of Captain Marvel, Kamala took on the identity of Ms. Marvel and started appearing in her own comic book series. The first Ms. Marvel comic dropped in November 2013.
Who is Iman Vellani, the new Ms. Marvel?
Fans have been waiting for news on the new Disney+ Ms. Marvel series for quite some time. Luckily, the Marvel Cinematic Universe just announced their casting choice for the lead superhero.
As reported by Deadline, newcomer Iman Vellani will play Kamala Khan in the new series. This is her first Hollywood project. But according to the outlet, she previously worked with the Next Wave Committee to help diversify the industry.
“We want stories from different genders and different countries and different people,” the Toronto native told CBC in 2019. “I think that’s really important because then people are going to understand each other. Even if they can’t relate to it, you learn from it … Our big goal is to just help people understand other perspectives.”
In her TIFF bio, Vellani described herself as “curious, adventurous, meticulous.” And she also revealed that she would love to play Iron Man in a Marvel film.
Vellani has new celebrity well-wishers
Soon after news of Vellani’s casting in Ms. Marvel broke, numerous celebrities gave the teen a congratulatory shout out. Kumail Nanjiani — the Pakistani actor/director who will appear as Kingo in the upcoming MCU film, Eternals — took to twitter to offer his support.
Mindy Kaling also tweeted a sweet message for Vellani. “What a joy in these trying times to see that #MsMarvel (a Pakistani American teen superhero!) has cast its lead role, a young actress named Iman Vellani! Congrats to you,” she wrote. “I can’t wait to see the show!”
What do we know about ‘Ms. Marvel’ so far?
Aside from this colossal casting news, showrunners have revealed very few details about Ms. Marvel. We know that the series will be led by Academy Award-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and directors Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, and Meera Menon.
And as far as the story arc goes, it will likely follow Kamala’s rise as Ms. Marvel. In the comics, she is mentored by Wolverine and teams up with her new furry ally, Lockjaw.
Hopefully, as production on the series begins, fans will get more information on casting and storylines.
