While the majority of MCU fans are excited to see Kamala Khan finally make her live-action debut in next month’s Ms. Marvel TV series, the trailers for the incoming Disney Plus show have generated some grumbling online as it’s become clear that Marvel has altered the nature of Kamala’s powers for the screen. Not only does she now produce energy constructs instead of shifting her shape and size, she’s also no longer an Inhuman.
While speaking to Empire, Marvel chief Kevin Feige teased how the revamped origin of Kamala’s powers is a mystery that will actually be hanging over the character for a little while to come. Feige confirmed to Empire that an “exploration” of the young heroine’s abilities will continue through her own show and into The Marvels, in which star Iman Vellani will team up with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris’ Photon. As Feige said:
“It taps into the future of her story as it connects to her other friends that she will meet in the upcoming film The Marvels. She’s interested in knowing, ‘Great, does that mean I’m an Asgardian? Did I get hit with gamma rays?’ No, it’s seemingly none of those things. It goes to her own past and her heritage and lineage.”
When the first Ms. Marvel trailer was released, fans initially hit back at Marvel for turning Kamala into a Green Lantern, as not only are her powers now energy-based, but they also derive from a piece of mystical jewelry — in this case, a pair of bracelets that are Khan family heirlooms. Feige’s words help us understand why the change was made, though, as it sounds like Marvel really wanted to tell a story about Kamala rediscovering her heritage, something that’s pretty important for the MCU’s first Pakistani-American hero.
It’s interesting, then, that Marvel took what was probably more of a corporate decision — Kamala couldn’t be an Inhuman anymore as they’re not a major part of the MCU — and transformed it into a major arc for the character. We look forward to seeing the start of what could be a long journey in the franchise for Kamala Khan when Ms. Marvel premieres on Disney Plus on June 8.
