Last year, Marvel Studios introduced its first Muslim hero into its live-action canon: Ms. Marvel, and to this day, it is still one of my favorite shows of all time.
Created by Bisha K. Ali, Ms. Marvel follows Kamala Khan, a sixteen-year-old Muslim Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey as she navigates high school, friendships, and the newfound powers she gains from a special yet mysterious bangle. Ms. Marvel is based on the comic book character of the same name, who made her first appearance in 2014 as Ms. Marvel, a moniker taken up by multiple people throughout Marvel Comic history. In 2020, Iman Vellani, a Pakistani-Canadian newcomer, was cast as Kamala Khan.
Even a year later, Ms. Marvel is truly unlike any of its MCU predecessors to me. It’s a fun, campy, and colorful piece of entertainment that represents the awkwardness and lighthearted nature of the teenage experience while candidly showcasing Kamala’s religion, community, and family as vital parts of her everyday life. While Vellani’s quirky and charismatic performance is what makes the show so enjoyable, the Muslim representation is some of the best I’ve seen in recent years.
One of the very first words uttered by Kamala Khan in the show is “Bismillah,” an Islamic phrase Muslims usually utter before starting tasks. In this instance, Kamala says it before she is about to begin her driver’s test. Although small, the moment is one of the most relatable and normalized depictions of how Muslims, especially in America, function in everyday life. It was refreshing to hear something my family and I say regularly onscreen, in my favorite fictional universe no less.
Kamala and her family are not the only Muslim characters in the show. There are two hijabi characters in the show– Nakia, Kamala’s headstrong and confident best friend played by Yasmeen Fletcher, and Tyesha, the fiancee of Kamala’s brother Aamir, played by Travina Springer. In addition, the imam of the mosque that Kamala goes to, Sheikh Abdullah, is played by Syrian-British actor Laith Nakli. In the second episode of the series, Nakia delves into her decision to wear the hijab while having a heart-to-heart with Kamala:
“So when I first put this on, I was hoping to shut some people up, but I kinda realized I don’t really need to prove anything to anybody. Like, when I put this on, I feel like me.”
Portraying Nakia’s decision to wear the hijab as an empowering one dismantles the stereotype of hijabis being seen as submissive and oppressed due to wearing the hijab. Hearing a monologue like Nakia’s in a series that can reach millions of households worldwide can potentially change people’s perspectives on hijabis and what the hijab means to the women who wear them.
Although Kamala’s a superhero, I have never resonated more with a character in Marvel before. Western media has a history of portraying Muslims in a stereotypical and one-dimensional manner in which Islam is seen as the only component of a Muslim person’s identity. Thankfully, Ms. Marvel diverts from this completely. Kamala being Muslim is not a defining characteristic of her identity but rather a normal part of her everyday life. In the show, she’s established as a loveable nerd that constantly daydreams about her favorite superhero, Captain Marvel, and struggles with parental expectations and not knowing what she wants to do in the future. After school, she hurriedly makes her way to her local mosque with Nakia in tow to catch the next prayer on time. For the Islamic holiday of Eid-al-Adha, she dons fancy traditional wear and heads to her mosque for festivities with her friends and family, all while thinking about her newfound superpowers. To me, Kamala Khan is an incredibly authentic representation of what being a Muslim-American teenager is like.
So far, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing a great job of incorporating more diversity and making it feel natural. It’s important for everyone to feel represented in the films and shows they watch, and I’m so glad that shows like Ms. Marvel do exactly that for Muslims. Luckily for Ms. Marvel fans, the show will not be the last time we see Kamala Khan. Iman Vellani is set to reprise her role as Ms. Marvel in the upcoming film The Marvels, and after watching the teaser trailer, I couldn’t be more excited to see her big-screen debut. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Marvel is up to next and hope that her legacy fosters further change in the representation of Muslims in media.