There is innovation and then there is innovation at a level that reaches a committed mainstream audience.
For many Marvel fans, Ms. Marvel had many of the features of what would be expected of the brand: emotional betting, action sequences, and a concise line.
But Mrs. Marvel had an additional element that elevates the series above a regular superhero show: a story centered on American Muslim teenager Kamala Khan, which shows not only her community but also the historical trauma of her family with a narrative approach to the 1947 partition of India.
This is not something you would ever expect to appear in a conventional superhero series.
“We grew up watching so many movies and TV shows where there were certain representations of Muslims and Islam, and we felt that [with Ms Marvel]somehow we’re creating history or television history or Hollywood history. ” Mrs. Marvel The co-director of episodes one and six told news.com.au, Adil El Arbi.
“It was a great honor.”
El Arbi co-director Bilall Fallah agreed that the series had a huge impact on the fans who were reflected, but said it was the reactions of the community at large that really moved it.
“You have this reaction from the Muslim community and the Muslim girls who are very proud,” Fallah said. “But there are people who have nothing to do with being a Muslim girl from New Jersey. Seeing that the series touches all these people from all over the world from different countries, someone from Brazil, someone from South Korea, that’s which makes me move on. “
For executive producer Sana Amanat, it has been a much longer and personal journey. She was one of the creators of Mrs. Marvel when the character first appeared in comic form.
A Pakistani-American woman, Amanat has lived many of Kamala Khan’s experiences, including her love of dance: “She did a full dance sequence after meeting a boy, we had two dance sequences in this show , which is a great and great success., one of the dreams of my life ”.
Amanat has found joy in the very positive reception of the series. “For the most part, it’s been very positive, and to see the relief and excitement in people’s voices to have that kind of representation out there.
“People feel like they have some cheese. It’s beautiful and vibrant, but people really feel like it was authentic, real and honest, and that makes me very happy.”
Unfortunately, there was a backlash from certain segments of the Internet community, who “bombarded the show” with the show, targeting it for daring to feature a superhero who was female and Muslim.
“It’s disappointing when people get so angry about something and it’s like,‘ I don’t know why we’re drowning you, ’” Amanat said. “We are just trying to make a show and entertain some people. And art doesn’t have to be for everyone the same way.
“I also don’t like everything outside, that’s part of life. I just wish they wouldn’t try to take us down, that they wouldn’t bomb us. Come on guys. “
Preferring to focus on the good and not the regressive, Amanat has been “overwhelmed” by the response at the end of the show. It was until 3 a.m. after its release (it falls at midnight in the U.S., where Amanat lives) watching criticism and comments.
And one aspect of the show that has really resonated with fans has been the immersion in Kamala’s family history, including a half-episode set in the past in the years leading up to Partition, the event in which the former colony British India. it was divided into what is now India and Pakistan, dividing the country along religious lines.
The partition displaced millions of people, causing chaos and lovelessness for those who lost their homes, their lives and their families. Weaving the history of the Kamala family in these ugly episode positions Mrs. Marvel as a show that is deeply concerned with the lasting effects of historical and generational trauma.
It was a comic book thread, but it only had a few pages through dozens of issues. The team behind the series decided to pull that thread to see where it was going.
“That was the anchor point, because you’re talking about a very important moment in history that affected so many lives,” Amanat explained. “We explained it in a simple way, from the perspective of a family and a family whose lives were changed forever at this time in history, as were those of so many families.
“What does this do with the character dynamics of these individuals, of these women specifically? What do you lose when a trauma happens? You lose not only your sense of power, but also your understanding of what your power is and how to use it. This is really the story of Kamala and his family, this power that was passed on to him. “
Kamala’s claim to this power in discovering his family history is why Mrs. Marvel it hits so hard. And connecting it with literal superpowers is a powerful manifestation of that. When Amanat heard the word “recovery” in relation to Mrs. Marvelwas remarkably encouraged.
“The recovery is what this show is all about in so many, many ways,” she said excitedly. “He has to understand his story and where his power came from to retrieve it.
“I love that. I think that word resonates with me a lot because as South Asians, as Muslims, as people of color, we’re also trying to reclaim our history. This show is about reclaiming it and celebrating it.”
Ms Marvel is now streaming at Disney +