Opening Doors to a New Marvel Chapter
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continually redefines the landscape of superhero narratives, with its characters transcending mediums and seeping into various forms of pop culture. Iman Vellani, famed for portraying Kamala Khan (alias Ms. Marvel) in the MCU, is primed to embrace a fresh challenge — co-writing the new Ms. Marvel comic—a task she surprisingly finds more intimidating than stepping onto the colossal stage of the MCU itself.
Fans worldwide mourned when the superhero Ms. Marvel nobly laid down her life in the Amazing Spider-Man #26 earlier this year, earning her a heartrending commemoration in the special issue Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel. However, as any ardent follower of superhero comics knows, death seldom holds permanence in these fantastical realms, and the vivacious Kamala is no exception to this rule.
“This was way scarier than joining the MCU for me,” Vellani confesses to EW. “Those projects feel like they live in their own dimension, so I guess I can separate myself easier. But you can hold a comic book! I’ve never written anything before in my entire life, but I have read many comics, so I just wrote what I would want to read. I was given a very professional tool to write what is essentially my own fan fiction.”
Embarking on the Journey from Screen to Comic Pages
Joining Vellani on this creative odyssey are Ms. Marvel TV writer Sabir Pirzada and celebrated artists Carlos Gomez and Adam Gorham, whose vibrant illustrations will breathe life into the narrative. Sara Pichelli, renowned for her striking cover art, will weave her magic into the main covers.
Acknowledging the startling revelation from the Ms. Marvel series finale, the new comic’s title, Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, denotes Kamala’s metamorphosis from an Inhuman to a mutant. This transition is the rationale for her quick reappearance, as fans of modern Marvel know well the X-Men’s uncanny knack for resurrecting their fellow mutants.
“I want to make it very, very clear that we are not reconning her Inhuman origin. That’s a part of Kamala’s identity that Marvel editorial and myself would very much like to keep and protect,” Vellani clarifies. “Our book will absolutely reflect all those core themes of identity that the Ms. Marvel comics have consistently explored — only now there’s a whole new label that Kamala has to learn to accept. It’s going to be pretty crazy.”
Donning a New Identity and a Reinvented Costume
Kamala’s evolution doesn’t obliterate her Inhuman roots; rather, it opens an exciting avenue for her character development, offering a fresh perspective entrenched in the intricacies and challenges of a newfound mutant identity. Readers can anticipate a captivating narrative rife with conflict and discovery as she navigates through the deep-rooted animosity between mutants and Inhumans.
Adding a visually intriguing element to Kamala’s transformation, the new series presents a revamped costume, an artistic creation by the gifted Jamie McKelvie. Kamala will now sport X-Men logos, boldly replacing the traditional Ms. Marvel lightning bolt, further accentuating her novel mutant identity.
“Hopefully those readers who are kind of getting into the comics after the Disney+ show are are going to have something fun to look forward to on shelves,” Vellani comments with contagious optimism.
The Creative Synergy of Vellani and Pirzada
Working with Vellani has been an enlightening experience for Pirzada, who found himself humbled by her exhaustive knowledge of comics.
“She was throwing out references to specific comics that came out before either of us were born. She has a very great eye for what makes for a good sequence on the page as drawn by an artist,” he commends, reflecting the creative synergy between the two.
Transitioning from the world of TV to comics, the duo had the chance to play with Kamala’s powers in ways that were not possible on-screen. From changing her body size to stretching beyond limits, Vellani appreciates the creative freedom this medium provides.
“You can do anything with those stretchy powers,” she exclaims. “It’s honestly so liberating to be able to pitch ideas and everything gets accepted because they can just draw it. There’s no need to worry about budgets or effects.”
Summing up the sentiment of countless Marvel fans worldwide, Vellani gleefully proclaims, “It’s so awesome to be able to contribute to the official Marvel comics canon.”
As Ms. Marvel returns triumphantly from the screens onto the comic pages, fans can rest assured that this exhilarating narrative journey is just beginning.
