Ms. Marvel

“I didn’t expect to see my family’s experiences of Partition reflected in Ms. Marvel.”

Title: Ms. Marvel
Episodes Reviewed: Season 1
Creators: Bisha K. Ali 👩🏾🇬🇧 based on the comics by Sana Amanat 👩🏾🇺🇸, G. Willow Wilson 👩🏼🇺🇸, and Adrian Alphona 👨🏼🇨🇦
Writers: Teleplays by A. C. Bradley 👩🏼🇺🇸 (3 eps), Matthew Chauncey 👨🏼🇺🇸 (3 eps), Bisha K. Ali 👩🏾🇬🇧 (1 ep), Kate Gritmon 👩🏼🇺🇸 (1 ep), Freddy Syborn 👨🏼🇺🇸 (1 ep), Sabir Pirzada 👨🏽🇬🇧 (1 ep), Fatimah Asghar 👩🏾🇺🇸 (1 ep), and Will Dunn (1 ep)

Reviewed by Ishmeet Nagpal 👩🏾🇮🇳🌈♿

Technical: 4.5/5

In its seventh Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series, Disney+ delivers a joyful superhero origin story with Ms. Marvel. New Jersey’s Pakistani American Muslim girl Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) goes on a journey like no other—not least because accurate representation for desis in American media is few and far between. Bisha K. Ali’s show is rousing, engaging, and funny, but not perfect: The pacing wobbles and some plot points feel rushed. Others are completely unnecessary, even contrived. For example, Kamala’s short-lived mentor Waleed (Farhan Akhtar) having a James Bond-esque hideout in Karachi just to give a little backstory—using holograms and lasers, no less—seems like overkill.

On the plus side, the action sequences hold their own. The training montage where Kamala discovers and settles into her powers mixes the right amount of humor and clumsiness for a newbie superhero. And the memorable soundtrack uses both contemporary and nostalgic music from the Indian subcontinent (which includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) to set up its multicultural stage the moment the pilot kicks off. Far from resorting to stereotypical tabla music, Ms. Marvel’s fresh world-building brings the viewer into modern desi culture, making each episode a cohesive experience right up to the end credits.

Gender: 5/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES

With the MCU being notoriously male-centric, Ms. Marvel is a breath of fresh air. Women and girls drive the plot, progressing first through the point of view of Kamala, then of her great grandmother Aisha (Mehwish Hayat). Their superpowers are matrilineal; the central conflicts pertain to mother-daughter relationships; and two teenage girls fight injustice in different ways while supporting each other. Even the antagonists Agent Deever (Alysia Reiner) and Najma (Nimra Bucha) are women.

Specifically, the relationship between Kamala and her mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) goes through a satisfying arc. Muneeba starts off overprotective, forbidding Kamala to attend a fan convention much less wear the skin-tight Captain Marvel cosplay her daughter had made. When Kamala sneaks out to attend “Avenger-Con” anyway, she breaks her mother’s trust to a degree that feels irrevocable. But over the next few episodes, Muneeba notices her daughter acting forlorn and works to understand her, eventually becoming Kamala’s confidante and biggest support. Their new beginning culminates in the hero costume Muneeba makes for her daughter, one that perfectly blends Kamala’s Pakistani and American identities. This cathartic journey felt wonderful to watch, and stands as just one of the many female relationships in Ms. Marvel that evolves over the course of the season.

Race: 5/5

Ms. Marvel does a terrific job of portraying Pakistani culture and how it plays out in the context of immigration. As someone who was born in India but whose paternal grandparents migrated from Karachi, I keenly felt the weight of displacement shown through Kamala’s family history. Seen in "Time and Again" (Season 1, Episode 5), when British occupation ended in 1947, Partition divided the subcontinent along religious lines into India and Pakistan. Large-scale violence and riots took place and millions died or went missing. My grandfather never saw some of his siblings again. To see these experiences reflected in Ms. Marvel was unexpected, though a little disappointing due to its oversimplified portrayal.

However, I get the decision to avoid the gory realities of Partition for a teen series released on Disney+. It’s hard enough to talk about in private spaces; my family elders only ever mention the era through specific nuggets of personal memory. It’s understandably difficult to tackle such widespread horrors any other way, especially when Partition-related trauma continues to echo today. Many viewers outside South Asia may not even be aware of the tragic event, so props for at least broaching the topic on such a huge platform as an MCU show.

Not only does Ms. Marvel showcase desi history, writers adapt it to an American setting by layering issues of racism on top. Agent Deever of the "Damage Control" department, in charge of keeping a short leash on superheroes, makes no effort to hide her contempt for Muslims as she indulges in disrespectful behavior like walking into a mosque with her shoes on. The show also takes microaggressions to task: In one scene, Kamala corrects a white teacher for constantly calling her by the wrong name. Later, her new classmate Kamran (played by British Asian actor Rish Shah) mistakenly calls Kamala’s white friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) “Brian,” subverting the dynamic.

Even colorism is addressed. Such racial bias runs rampant in South Asia, so positive examples of Black and/or dark-skinned Muslims are much needed. Enter Travina Springer as the gorgeous hijab-wearing Tyesha, who is happily engaged to Kamala’s brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh). It’s wonderful to see Tyesha embraced by Aamir’s family.

Behind the scenes, British Pakistani creator Ali helms a team full of writers, directors, and producers with South Asian backgrounds. And by hiring Indian fashion designer Arjun Bhasin to create the costumes, viewers get a much needed break from the gaudy messes all too often forced onto actors like Afshan Azad and Sharon Sandhu who play the Patil sisters in the Harry Potter movies or actor Omi Vaidya’s poorly tied turban in The Office. In contrast, the Uncle-Aunty dance—a desi wedding staple!—seen in Ms. Marvel’s "Destined" (Season 1, Episode 3) contains so much hope, love, and merging of cultures and traditions, it makes the heart sing.

Disability: 3/5

Kamala’s great-grandfather Hasan uses a cane to get around, but his disability hardly defines him. The fact that they cast Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan is especially normalizing, given that mainstream desi male actors typically play non-disabled, macho roles. Ms. Marvel challenges the traditional idea of a family patriarch by having Hasan grow roses, read poetry, and cook parathas while making it clear that he was a pillar of strength for his daughter Aisha. Neither are his mobility issues excessively downplayed; in an important scene he does have trouble keeping up with his wife as they hurry to escape, a detail that pays homage to the reality that it was harder for women, young children, elders, and those with disabilities to migrate safely during Partition. While the show doesn’t explore Hasan in depth, it’s positive to see a disabled protagonist in this supporting role.

Bonus for Religion: +1.00

It’s sadly uncommon for TV shows to feature Muslims who are just living their lives and enjoying their culture. Ms. Marvel picks up the slack with Eid celebrations, a friendly religious leader in Sheikh Abdullah (Laith Nakli), and a fun wedding (with its eerily accurate Uncle-Aunty dance that might as well have been from the last wedding I attended in Punjab). You’ll find no sign of the annoying “Apu” accent anywhere.

These scenes go more than skin deep, thanks to the beautiful portrayal of Kamala’s friend Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher). Through her, viewers encounter the types of conflicts that come with wearing hijab. With the religious garment banned in many countries, Nakia articulates a generation’s struggle to assert their Muslim identity. But her religion isn’t all she is; she thrives as a feminist go-getter, advocating for her community and campaigning to get elected to the all-male mosque board. Bring us more strong Muslim girls who can and will change the world!

Mediaversity Grade: A- 4.63/5

While some folks felt threatened enough by Ms. Marvel to resort to “review bombing”, desis are lapping it up. We’ve been starved of positive representation, so when it exists in a mainstream show at every step of production, we can’t help but get excited. What happens to the series’ future is up to the studio gods to decide, but viewers like me will eagerly await the return of Kamala.

Like Ms. Marvel? Try these other Marvel series.

Grade: ALiAugust 21, 2022Great for: Race, Great for: Gender, Female/Nonbinary Creator