New Muslim superhero ‘sends a message’
‘Ms. Marvel’ TV series, starring Markham teen, praised as empowering
Markham teen Iman Vellani has reportedly landed the title role in a new TV series on Disney Plus, playing the first Muslim superhero to star in her own comic in the Marvel universe.
The casting of “Ms. Marvel” was first revealed by Deadline.com. While neither Marvel nor Disney Plus has commented, Variety.com also confirmed the news.
Vellani will be playing Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old PakistaniAmerican living in New Jersey with the ability to extend her limbs, alter her appearance and shapeshift.
Ms. Marvel, who made her debut in 2014, was once part of the Avengers in the comic books. Like Peter Parker in SpiderMan, she’s dealing with the struggles of being a teen while battling villains as a superhero.
Shireen Ahmed, a Toronto sports writer and local mentor for young Muslim girls, recognizes the importance of a character like Ms. Marvel.
“Muslim women have been troped in these stereotypes used about them, that they are oppressive or submissive. This show is amplifying a character that is very rarely amplified. She represents an emerging of identity, of choice and possibility,” Ahmed told the Star.
“It sends a message to young girls that you have that power, now what are you going to do with it and can it be used for good?” she added.
Vellani, 18, is a newcomer to the acting industry. Last year she was a part of the Toronto Film Festival’s Next Wave committee, a group of passionate teens aspiring to work in film.
In an interview on the festi
“Diversity is not about just getting a Muslim to play a stereotypical character. It’s more than that. It’s getting Muslim women to play roles that they don’t typically see themselves in.” AMREEN KADWA HIJABI BALLERS
val’s website, Vellani describes herself as curious, adventurous and meticulous. Fittingly enough, she says her dream role would be to play Iron Man.
In a 2019, CBC interview about the Next Wave Festival, Vellani shared her thoughts on the importance of diversity in the film industry.
“We want stories from different genders and different countries and different people,” Vellani said. “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.”
Amreen Kadwa with the Hijabi Ballers, a Toronto advocacy group of Muslim girls who play basketball, says it’s important that the movie industry doesn’t tokenize Muslim characters.
“Diversity is not about just getting a Muslim to play a stereotypical character. It’s more than that. It’s getting Muslim women to play roles that they don’t typically see themselves in,” Kadwa told the Star.
The Marvel franchise appears to be turning its attention to producing more TV shows and films with superheroes of diverse backgrounds.
Last year, Canadian actor Simu Liu was cast as Shang-Chi, the first Chinese superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is set to be released next summer.
Like Vellani, Liu has also spoken in the past about the lack of diversity in the film industry, particularly among Asians.
“Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or as the sex symbol and that’s absurd,” Liu told the
Star’s Tony Wong in a 2019 interview.
Liu tweeted his congratulations to Vellani on her new role.
“This is the news I needed after whatever the hell I just watched yesterday,” he wrote, referring to the U.S. presidential debate.
“Congratulations Iman, I can’t wait to see what you do for children and adults around the world!!!”
Kumail Nanjiani, who will appear in the “Eternals,” another Marvel movie set to be released next year, was also ecstatic.
“I just saw they cast Ms. Marvel and legit got teary eyed. Congratulations Iman Vellani! Your work is going to mean so much to so many people, myself included. I can’t wait.”