Iman Vellani’s MCU fandom is not just another topic of conversation on the press tour; she is the genuine article.
Vellani, who plays Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan / Mrs. Marvel at Disney + Mrs. Marvelnot only does he have an Iron Man shrine in his childhood bedroom, but he also has a knowledge base that consists of in-depth cuts such as cross-promotional material between Marvel Studios and Xbox. Mrs. MarvelVellani’s creative team was so excited about the Marvel movie universe that he was inspired by his own collection of Iron Man merchandise.
“So at home, I basically have an Iron Man shrine. And one of the things there is is a bust of Iron Man’s head, but it’s also a cologne. It smells bad, but it looks great. So before receiving the cast, I gave it to Sana [Amanat]our producer, a tour of my room, and I showed him that … And then my first day on set, they toured me in Kamala’s room and … they had recreated the little perfume of Iron I have a hand, “says Vellani The Hollywood Reporter.
At the premiere of Mrs. Marvel“Generation Why” Kamala theorizes that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is actually a closet player, something MCU fans know is true after watching Avengers: Endgame. But Vellani believes that Kamala has already educated the God of Thunder in the world of online gaming.
“My guess is that Kamala has definitely poured it online, playing Fortnite. I think they interacted online, ”says Vellani.
In a recent conversation with THRVellani also made it clear that he is not Thor’s sworn enemy, “NoobMaster69”.
So we all saw the footage from when you got the role in Zoom. What happened right after?
I was on my friends ’sidewalk, and everyone was watching me. They didn’t know he’d auditioned, so they were super confused about the phone call he was making in the middle of his driveway. So when the phone call ended, I slowly went back to my friends’ car, and they said, “So what happened? Did you win the lottery or something?” And I said, “Basically!” Then I told them I got the paper, and they were super confused again because I didn’t tell them anything else. And then we called. There were many screams. And they said, “Wait a minute, you lied to us! You said you were going to sleep with us in college! You’ll never go to college!” So I had to apologize for all my lies, and then we grabbed burritos. Good morning.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel / Kamala Khan and Ms. Marvel from Marvel Studios, exclusively at Disney +. Courtesy of Daniel McFadden / Marvel Studios
Everyone is drawing parallels between you and Kamala. You’re both MCU fans who became superheroes out of nowhere. Did anything from your own fandom MCU get to your bedroom or AvengerCon?
There is something in your room. So, back home, I have an Iron Man shrine, basically. (Laughter.) And one of the things there is is a bust of Iron Man’s head, but it’s also a colony. It smells bad, but it looks great. So before I got the cast, I gave it to Sana [Amanat], our producer, a tour of my room, and I showed her this and told her the story behind it. And then my first day on set, they paid me a visit to Kamala’s bedroom and they said, “Look what we have on the table!” And they had recreated the little Iron Man perfume I have. So it was great.
Both you and Brie Larson rehearsed their Marvel roles before their first performances premiered. Was it a weird feeling to play Kamala again? The wonders before the public knew her?
No, it was like muscle memory. There were only a couple of weeks between productions, so it was already very routine for me.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel / Kamala Khan and Ms. Marvel from Marvel Studios. Courtesy of Marvel Studios
In the first episode, Kamala mentions that he will make a theory video about Thor as a secret player, and we know that for End of game who, in fact, became a player during his depressed state. So, you started thinking about the very high probability that one day you would discuss it in a scene with Thor?
(Laughter.) I haven’t thought about it, but I guess Kamala has definitely poured it online, playing Fortnite. I think they interacted online.
In End of gameThor was targeting a player named “NoobMaster69”, so what if he was really Kamala?
No, because the boy [D.C. Pierson’s Aaron] from the Apple Store a Captain America: The Winter Soldier ended up being Noobmaster in a short film they made. [Writer’s Note: In a cross-promotion between Xbox Game Pass and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Pierson reprised his role and admitted he’s the infamous gamer named NoobMaster69.]
Wow, you really know your MCU stuff.
(Vellani gives two thumbs up.)
I’m really surprised right now. You surprised me with your knowledge.
(Laughter.) I have this effect on people.
***Ms. wonder is now airing on Disney +.