When Kamala Khan debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics back in 2013, she quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most popular characters in the publisher\u2019s entire line-up. Now, as she leaps into live-action with her very own Disney Plus<\/a> series, expect history to repeat itself on an even larger scale. In other words, you\u2019re about to have a new favourite superhero.<\/p>\n Ms Marvel<\/a> is a joyful origin story for high school student and Avengers fangirl Kamala (Iman Vellani), who fantasises about saving the world with her super-powered idols, including her cosplay inspiration Captain Marvel. When she discovers a mysterious bracelet in a box of family heirlooms, which holds the power to create hard light structures conjured by her imagination, that dream comes crashing into reality \u2013 but it could come at a price.<\/p> There are certainly aspects of Ms Marvel that feel familiar, with some of the fantastical elements \u2013 controversially altered from the original comics \u2013 feeling like they\u2019re channelling Marvel\u2019s Distinguished Competition. Just two years ago, DC\u2019s Stargirl<\/a> followed another high school student empowered by an object from her family\u2019s past, while Kamala\u2019s revised power set bears a striking resemblance to that of Green Lantern at times.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, the series feels unmistakably fresh in its first two episodes, thanks to its stylistic flair, new perspective and an electric lead performance from newcomer Iman Vellani. As the unknown discovery of a far-reaching casting call, no one knew exactly what to expect from Marvel\u2019s latest star \u2013 but the first two episodes are a stunning debut for her, where she simply oozes charisma in every single scene.<\/p>\n The MCU has expanded massively in the past year or so, with the release of five movies and six streaming shows, but Vellani is still easily one of the most exciting new talents this franchise has to offer. With sharp comic timing and palpable enthusiasm for the role, the future looks bright for her tenure as Kamala Khan (next summer\u2019s The Marvels<\/a> \u2013 set to be her second appearance \u2013 just became a much bigger deal).<\/p>\n But this show is impeccably cast across the board, allowing every character to be firmly established in just the first two episodes. Each one feels like a complex, well-rounded personality, with their interpersonal relationships carrying real weight; from Kamala\u2019s protective parents Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) and Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) to her older brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh), and her best friends Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher).<\/p>\n Bisha K Ali and Kate Gritmon, who wrote the first two episodes respectively, also deserve praise, with their scripts packing rapid fire gags that almost always hit the mark. This is the most comedic Disney Plus series we\u2019ve seen from Marvel Studios to date and that fits beautifully with the material, while the brisk pace that accompanies it is a welcome change from the glacial standard that has been set so far.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong: I\u2019ve enjoyed each of the Marvel shows on Disney Plus<\/a> for their own merits, but one criticism that applies to every one of them is that they\u2019re just too slow. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier<\/a>, Loki<\/a> and Moon Knight<\/a> were guilty of particularly frustrating mid-season slumps, so it\u2019s my sincere hope that Ms Marvel avoids the same fate \u2013 the kinetic first two episodes are quite promising in that regard.<\/p>\n The stellar direction also helps keep the show in a constant state of forward momentum, with the camera rarely stationary for long in a choice that reflects Kamala\u2019s ever-buzzing imagination. Filmmakers Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah and Meera Menon find especially inventive use for it in the show\u2019s whimsical fantasy sequences and montages, which help give the show a distinct identity among a crowded field.<\/p>\n Another way in which the show mirrors its lead is through its celebration of fan culture (specifically, the nice, non-toxic side). Admirers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can expect to see some fun and unexpected references to past entries, but these are well-balanced to avoid drawing focus from what is an exciting new chapter in its own right \u2013 not to mention a leap forward for representation on the same scale as Shang-Chi<\/a> and Black Panther<\/a>.<\/p>\n Put simply, Ms Marvel is off to a brilliant start. I couldn\u2019t suppress my smile for the duration of the first two episodes as the show\u2019s colourful world, endearing cast and hilarious wit had me entranced. It\u2019s a coming-of-age story meets family comedy-drama by way of superhero origin and it all works superbly. If it can maintain this high standard across the remaining four episodes, this show could be something truly special indeed.<\/p>\n Ms Marvel premieres on Disney Plus on Wednesday 8th June 2022. You can\u00a0sign up to Disney+ for \u00a37.99 a month or \u00a379.90 a year<\/a> now. Check out more of our Sci-Fi<\/a> and Fantasy<\/a> coverage or visit our TV Guide<\/a> to see what\u2019s on tonight.<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.<\/b><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n By David Craig Published: Tuesday, 07 June 2022 at 12:00 am 5.0 out of 5 star rating When Kamala Khan debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics back in 2013, she quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most popular characters in the publisher\u2019s entire line-up. Now, as she leaps into live-action […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":16564,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-review-a-joyful-origin-for-your-new-favourite-superhero.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By David Craig Published: Tuesday, 07 June 2022 at 12:00 am 5.0 out of 5 star rating When Kamala Khan debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics back in 2013, she quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most popular characters in the publisher\u2019s entire line-up. Now, as she leaps into live-action…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/16563"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/06\/ms-marvel-disney-plus-iman-vellani-2-62211ae.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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