The MCU's Phase 4 train is not slowing down anytime soon. Moon Knight (2022) is a hit with fans, and there are three (possibly four) more Disney+ shows to premiere in 2022 alone. It's hard not to be excited about She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, and What If season 2. Still, Ms. Marvel is just over the horizon - and the show we have the most information about.

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As has been the trend in the post-Endgame world of the MCU, Ms. Marvel will introduce yet another superhero that general audiences may not have heard of. While it is tempting to confuse this new hero with the already established Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) is her own unique hero who will be an essential character in the MCU.

The MCU's First Muslim Superhero

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Image via Disney+

Disney is still trying to play catch-up with the diversity in the MCU's line-up of predominantly white superheroes, and Ms. Marvel is a welcome addition. Not only is Kamala Khan Pakistani, but she is also a practicing Muslim. The religious group does not see a lot of representation - especially in mainstream media such as the MCU.

Trailers and interviews make it apparent that Kamala's Muslim faith will be integral to the plot. She must balance her new superhero responsibilities with her devotion to her family - similar to Peter Parker’s worries. This Pakistani-focused series is being guided by four directors to help keep it culture-accurate: Bilall Fallah, Adil El Arbi, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Yes, Kamala is Closely Linked to Captain Marvel

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Image via Disney+

Ms. Marvel is a teenager from New Jersey who is a huge fan of the heroes of her world. She loves comics, video games, and superheroes, which will feel very meta for fans of the MCU. Her favorite hero is Captain Marvel, who, in the comics, started off with the title of Ms. Marvel. After she upgraded to Captain, Kamala obtained her powers and took upon the mantle of Ms. Marvel.

The MCU version of the character also looks up to Captain Marvel and is seen wearing the same suit in most promotional material; this hints that Kamala's personal journey will involve her trying to replicate Captain Marvel at first before coming into her own. After her show, Ms. Marvel is confirmed to help form the superhero group in the sequel to Captain Marvel (2019), The Marvels (2023). This group will consist of Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who debuted in WandaVision (2021).

Same Hero, Different Powers

Kamala Khan powers changed

The MCU version of Ms. Marvel seems to have slightly different abilities than the comic book version of the character. Traditionally, Kamala's central powers are morphogenetics and elongation. Basically, she can stretch and manipulate the size of her body (like Mr. Fantastic). She has self-healing abilities and the ability to shrink herself, similar to Ant-Man. She has been known to have the ability to change her appearance to mimic inanimate objects.

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It is unclear which of these powers the MCU rendition of the character will possess, especially since her origin has changed. In the comics, she is exposed to a chemical known as Terrigen Mist which gives her these abilities. In the MCU, Ms. Marvel will be getting her powers from some kind of "cosmic" bracelet she finds in an attic. Instead of her limbs stretching, she can produce cosmic energy that can take the form of stretchy limbs and make energy plates to use as a shield or help her walk on air. Fans will just have to wait to see if these powers will allow her to do the same things she could do in the comics or if they will give her entirely new abilities.

Who is Red Dagger?

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A brief clip in the latest trailer confirms Red Dagger to be in the show. Kareem is a fellow hero and a love interest of Ms. Marvel in the comics. He protects the people of Pakistan as the Red Dagger. Other than small plotlines, he doesn't have a significant role in the comics, but that could be very different in the MCU.

The character has been confirmed to be played by Aramis Knight (Into the Badlands) and is speculated to be playing an integral role in Kamala's origin. He does not possess any superpowers, instead, having spectacular marksmanship and gymnast abilities.

Bringing the Comics to the Screen

Ms. Marvel editing choices

The most unique aspect of the show might just be its aesthetic and editing choices. From the trailer, fans can see that the show aims to explore high school life from inside Kamala's hyperactive imagination; some scenes will be hyperrealistic dream sequences where the audience will be shown a representation of what the hero is thinking.

The editing style will be similar to something akin to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010). Just like how that film had video game elements projected on the screen, Ms. Marvel aims to replicate a comic book aesthetic. The trailer showcases drawn elements like those one might find in a high schooler's diary or art journal. This style has been done before in projects like Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), but this series will still stand out from the rest of the MCU.

Skrulls. Everywhere. Maybe.

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Marvel's Secret Invasion is planned to be released later in 2022. It will adapt a popular comic run where most of the characters in the Marvel universe were revealed to have been secretly Skrulls, an alien race with the ability to replicate DNA and take the appearance of anybody. They were introduced into the MCU in Captain Marvel, only instead of villainous aliens, they were innocent fugitives.

This series has been teased a few times. A few notable characters are already revealed as Skrulls, such as Nick Fury and Agent Hill at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). Since this is one of the two last shows before Secret Invasion, audiences can expect a Skrull or two to make at least some kind of appearance. A few fans have already speculated that the bracelets Kamala gets her power from might be from the Skrulls.

Release Date

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Moon Knight is still going strong, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is releasing around the end of the show's run on May 6th.

Fans will have to go Marvel-less for a few weeks before Ms. Marvel releases on June 8th. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the wild ride that will be Multiverse of Madness.

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