RAWALPINDI: Pakistani women will play a major role in bringing to screen an upcoming television series by Marvel Studios that features its first Muslim superheroine, the producer confirmed on Friday.
Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will co-direct the “Ms. Marvel” series based on Marvel’s popular comic book of the same title, while Pakistani-Canadian teenager Iman Vellani will star as its lead character. The series will also feature actress Nimra Baluch known for the new groundbreaking Pakistani TV show “Churails.”
“The casting process was vast,” executive producer Sana Amanat said in a video introducing the series shared by the company, which is the home of Captain America, Spider-Man, and other colorful heroes.
Ms. Marvel, a newer character to Marvel comics has grabbed the world's imagination and we are excited to announce Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan.
Ms. Marvel, an Original Series from Marvel Studios, is coming late 2021 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/ArHe8vMCXd
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 11, 2020
“When we discovered Iman, we knew that she was Kamala Khan,” Amanat said.
Kamala Khan the lead character of "Ms. Marvel" comic books. (Photo courtesy: Marvel Studios)
Kamala Khan, the lead character of the series, is a teenage Pakistani American girl from New Jersey. By playing her in the televised version of the story, Vellani is becoming Marvel’s first onscreen Muslim and Pakistani superhero.
Cast as Kamala Khan in the upcoming "Ms. Marvel" television series, Iman Vellani becomes Marvel's first onscreen Muslim and Pakistani superhero. (Photo courtesy: Marvel Studios)
The “Ms. Marvel” series will be the screen debut of the 18-year-old who was born to Pakistani immigrants in Ontario. Vellani will also be featured in “Captain Marvel 2,” the upcoming sequel to “Captain Marvel.”
The character of Kamala Khan was conceptualized by Amanat and Stephen Wacker, based on her own experiences of growing up as a Pakistani-American. The comic books have received a number of awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story and Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics. The series has also been praised by Muslim rights groups for its unique perspective on Muslim Americans and diversity.
“Ms. Marvel” will be directed by Obaid-Chinoy alongside Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, and Meera Menon.
The series will be coming to streaming platform Disney+ in late 2021.
