Actor Iman Vellani has always been an avid fan of Avengers and comics, so moving from Markham, Ontario to the Marvel Film Universe to portray his first Muslim superhero is an almost indescribable success.
“It feels very … just a lot of feelings,” he said, trying to put it into words on his debut on the Toronto red carpet. “Being in Toronto and celebrating with all my friends and family is weird. But yeah, I’m excited.”
Vellani, 19, plays Kamala Khan in the upcoming series Ms. Marvel, which will be released on June 8 at Disney +.
The role of Vellani is also the second South Asian hero of the franchise and the first female. In 2021, Kumail Nanjiani played Marvel’s first South Asian superhero in Eternals, playing Kingo, a superhero-turned-Bollywood movie star.
From left to right: Mohan Kapur as Yusuf, Vellani as Ms. Marvel / Kamala Khan, Saagar Shaikh as Aamir and Nimra Bucha as Najma as Ms. Marvel. The film features Marvel’s first South Asian female superheroine. (Daniel McFadden)
Diversity in the Marvel movie universe
Before that, despite the abundance of South Asian characters in Marvel comics, think Thunderbird, Timeslip, and Omega Sentinel, the films have limited South Asian roles to supporting characters like Dr. Ratha in The Amazing Spider-Man (Irffan Khan) and Dopinder in the Deadpool franchise (Karan Soni), parts critics suggest they were built largely around stereotypes.
Criticism of the lack of diversity of the main actors in the superhero franchise had also been growing.
And Vellani said he sees this role as well as representing his community and showcasing South Asian culture.
Vellani, 19, says that by taking on the role he is able to showcase his South Asian community and culture. (Daniel McFadden)
“Film and television literally shape the way we see people in this world. And so, you know, when you only represent Muslims under a certain type of light, it’s very much a note.” , said the Pakistani-born Canadian actor.
“I’m very happy that Marvel offers space for a character like Kamala to exist and just take up space and tell a very specific story about a very specific girl.”
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‘I hope this rolls around’: Iman Vellani on the representation of South Asia
The Canadian star of the upcoming series Ms. Marvel’s Iman Vellani makes his acting debut as Kamala Khan and explains how it feels to play the first Muslim superhero on MCU.
Representation of South Asia in cinema
The show focuses on Khan, an American Muslim teenager and megafan superhero who grew up in Jersey City. He faces the pressures that many teens face: struggling to adjust to school and finding support at home.
Then he discovers that he has his own superpowers.
Brie Larson, known for her role as Captain Marvel, the franchise’s first female superheroine, contacted Vellani shortly after she was elected.
“He just grabbed my hand all along,” Vellani said. “It was really nice to have this guide from someone who’s been through all this and everything I’m going through right now.”
Vellani is from Markham, Ontario, and has been a fan of Avengers and comics all her life. (Courtesy of Marvel Studios)
Celebrating the fan culture at Ms. Marvel
The story draws a unique parallel to Vellani’s daily life. Being a fan herself, she describes entering the Marvel world as “a lot of fun”.
“I was on set and I was, like, totally springing up from everything I’m seeing around me,” Vellani said.
The show’s crew didn’t let her see the “Avenger Con” convention set from the first episode until the day they shot the scene: they knew her reaction would be as exuberant as Kamala’s.
Vellani, above as Mrs. Marvel, connected with Brie Larson, the actress who played the first Marvel superheroine as Captain Marvel. (Courtesy of Marvel Studios.)
“They were like, ‘Whatever your reaction to real life is what we want … so be yourself,'” he said, describing the energy he brought to the character.
“This specificity is really what makes a character believable and what people will represent … not generalizing all brown people into a single character.”