With Moon Knight having just one episode left to go, it’s time to turn our attention to the next MCU show on its way to Disney Plus, Ms. Marvel. And, just like the Oscar Isaac vehicle, Ms. Marvel will likewise introduce a brand-new hero into the franchise in the form of Kamala Khan, as played by fresh talent Iman Vellani in — if you can believe it — her debut screen role.
Ahead of the series making its streaming premiere in June, a new promo image has dropped, which showcases the teen heroine getting ready for action as she picks up her domino mask. As we’ve seen from other promotional materials, Kamala’s superhero look will closely resemble her character design on the page. Check out the photo, as first shared by Total Film Magazine (via Games Radar), below:
Ms. Marvel’s co-creator Sana Amanat, who was closely involved in the series, told Total Film why Vellani was chosen for the all-important role despite her lack of experience, revealing that the 19-year-old performer nailed the different elements of Kamala’s personality right off the bat.
“She just had this energy, and this innocence, and this quirkiness to her,” Amanat explained. “In one of her auditions, she really went from being very nerdy and quirky, to emotional and almost like she had this understanding of a world that someone beyond her years should have.”
For those new to the character, who first appeared in the comics in 2014, Amanat compared Kamala to Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales, except that she’s an even bigger superhero fan.
“She’s this young character who is very much a fan of the bigwigs of the Marvel Universe like the Avengers, and she doesn’t feel necessarily like she can stand toe to toe with them,” she said. “But I think, ultimately, she can, and she does.”
In particular, Kamala is the number one fan of Captain Marvel, with the trailers making clear that she’ll initially wear Carol Danvers cosplay when testing out her new powers before she dons her traditional outfit. Ms. Khan is even set to team up with her idol in The Marvels, out next Feb. Expect much more from Iman Vellani in the MCU, then, but first we have to see her mask up in Ms. Marvel, coming to Disney Plus on June 8.