Every generation needs a hero.
Ms. Marvel is a 2022 superhero series directed by Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, created by Bisha K. Ali, produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Disney Platform Distribution. It is based off of various Ms. Marvel comics by Marvel Comics. It stars Iman Vellani and Matt Lintz. This is the thirty-fifth project and seventh TV show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was preceded by Captain Marvel, Moon Knight, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and will be followed by Thor: Love and Thunder, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and The Marvels.
"It's not really the brown girls from Jersey City who save the world." - Kamala Khan
Plot
Kamala Khan is a junior in high school. With the stress of school and her messy relationship with her parents, Kamala spends a lot of her time with her head in the clouds. When she follows her passion of the Avengers, she discovers that she may have powers herself.
What I Loved About This Episode
I was not excited for Ms. Marvel at all. While No Way Home was obviously amazing, the MCU has been off their game a little bit in Phase Four. Multiverse of Madness and Moon Knight were both underwhelming, and the trailer for Ms. Marvel looked like a crappy Nickelodeon superhero show. I wasn't even sure if I was going to watch it when it released. But I figured I would. And it absolutely blew away all of my doubts. This is a coming-of-age superhero story that acts as a love letter to the rest of the MCU. And that's truly what I loved. Most of the first episode is not about Kamala being a superhero. It's about her fractured relationship with her family and her struggling to find a place to fit in. There's tons of references to the Avengers. The opening sequence of this episode was awesome. It established itself as a unique and fun show inside of the MCU, and I am absolutely on board for the rest of the show.
What I Didn't Love About This Episode
To be completely honest, I don't have a ton of negatives. Sure, there are some cringe lines. I don't exactly know where it's going. But this is (possibly) my favorite pilot episode of the Marvel shows. I loved this episode. I can nitpick, but I don't want to. I thought it was great.
Final Thoughts
Ms. Marvel kicks off with a bang. Iman Vellani shines as bright as ever in the titular role. The MCU gives us it's first coming-of-age story that is aimed towards a younger audience, but it works for older viewers as well. I am hoping that the quality of the show remains as good throughout the rest of this season.
Fun Factor: 8.5/10
Acting: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Quality: 8.5/10
"Ms. Marvel"
"Generation Why"
Directed by Alil and Billal
Rated TV-PG for thematic elements
Premiered on June 8, 2022
49 minutes
Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel
Matt Lintz as Bruno Carrelli
Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan
Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan
Sagaar Shaikh as Aamir Khan
Laurel Marsden as Zoe Zimmer
Yasmeen Fletcher as Nakia Bahadir
Arian Moayed as P. Cleary