Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan has arrived, and her show, Ms. Marvel, is off to a great start. While viewership numbers might paint the wrong picture, both critics and fans alike are loving the New Jersey-based superhero. One of the key elements of her character is how she's such a big fangirl of superheroes themselves—much like the very audiences watching the Disney+ series.
In that sense, the show can get pretty meta at points. Take the first episode, for example. The story saw Kamala going to a big local convention named AvengersCon. The massive fans event referenced an endless stream of MCU characters and went to showcase just how events like those might look in the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself.
It's clear how an event like AvengerCon is so clearly influenced by events such as San Diego Comic-Con, or more precisely, the smaller more local affairs. Despite those influences, the show's head writer Bisha K. Ali has actually "an email drafted to [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin Feige [about how they] can make AvengerCon real in the real world."
Well now, the marketing has taken another big step towards blurring the lines between reality and fiction, as a new website has been created for the big AvengerCon event seen in the series.
New Website for AvengerCon
To promote the new Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, Disney has launched a brand new site for the fictional AvengerCon as seen in the new Iman Vellani-led show.
When navigating to the main page of the site, visitors are told that this is "the only convention held where heroes are born"—and given what happened to Kamala Khan, that might not be too far off.
The description for the event also notes how the event is "held at the historic Camp Lehigh and home of Captain America", and how "AvengerCon is a celebration of the Avengers and a historic gathering of the most dedicated enthusiasts of Earth's Mightiest Heroes."
Scrolling down, readers will be greeted with several graphics depicting the various activities that will be on display. The events are as follows:
- "GET A PHOTO WITH THE STAR-SPANGLED SINGERS! With the Star-Spangled Singers at your back, you'll feel like you can do this all day!"
- "A PAL TO ALL PLANETS: THE PETER QUILL STAR BOY STORY. Be the first to experience the epic retelling of Star Boy's journey through the galaxy."
- "CAPTAIN MARVEL: COSMIC AVENGER. Marvel at the cosmic powers of the one & only Carol Danvers in this special exhibit"
- "CAPTAIN MARVEL COSPLAY CONTEST. Show off your best Carol Danvers looks. And Don't forget to bring your own personal flair."
- "ASGARDIAN THRONE PHOTO OP. Pose as the 'God of Thunder'!"
- "THINKS HULK SMASHED. Relive the strongest Avenger's feats. *All items have been independently authenticated as smashed by the Hulk."
- "TRASH PANDA ALLEY. Scavenge for galactic prizes!"
- "GIGANTIC DUDE ANT-MAN. See a (almost) life-sized model of Ant-Man himself in this massive display."
- "THE REALM OF ASGARD. Can't make it to New Asgard? Experience the next best thing!"
Strolling across the screen can be a news ticker reading: "Due to recent events during the inaugural Captain Marvel Cosplay contest, AvengerCon has been canceled until further notice. * SORRY NO REFUNDS*"
Then comes the gallery section, which includes photos of the event as seen in the show. Among them is one that seems Laurel Marsden's Zoe Zimmer in her Captain Marvel cosplay, which looks more in line with the character's classic Ms. Marvel attire in the comics.
For those wondering what the Trash Panda Alley pop-up might possibly look like, well, the picture included should help with the visual.
Another image showcases an "Asgard Pride" banner, which may be a part of one of the two different Asgardian themed functions.
The big food stall with a very Ant-Man-friendly theme looks like a tasty detour while visiting the convention.
This next display is bound to raise eyebrows, as there's no way the general audience would have any idea what an adult Groot would look like. Maybe Rocket helped paint a clear picture during his time off from the Avengers during The Blip?
Then, finally, comes a touching tribute to Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark, who both gave their lives to save half of existence.
At the very bottom of the website, there's a section titled "AVENGERCON STARTER PACK", where can get "prepare for the first-ever celebration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes with [some] customer wallpaper[s] for all of your devices:"
"Prepare for the first-ever celebration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with these custom wallpaper for all of your devices. Wherever you go, from the shores of New Asgard to the streets of New York City, the farthest reaches of the galaxy to the depths of the Quantum Realm, you’ll always be repping your Avengers pride when you have these on your phone."
In the final section of the page, there's a link to the convention's store, which also happens to be where you can buy official Marvel merchandise prepping the fictional event.
In addition to the website, the convention also has an official Twitter page with a few fun tweets out in the wild. One of them says, "Thanks to all who attended the first-ever New Jersey AvengerCon! Future historians will definitely write about it."
A second states, "for those inquiring about the incident during the Captain Marvel Cosplay Competition, we have no further comment at this time."
Another asks fans: "What was your favorite part of New Jersey AvengerCon?" The listed poll options are "Things Hulk Smashed", "Gigantic Dude Ant-Man", "The Realm of Asgard", and "Cosplay Contest".
The Realities of AvengerCon
While one could easily argue that AvengerCon already exists in the form of various fan conventions across the world, many would probably be completely on board with Marvel Studios holding an official version of their own somewhere. The company already has the template down, now they just need to refine it.
As fun of an idea as AvengerCon is, many viewers were left wondering how some of the many references existed in the MCU's reality. Such as all of those Guardians of the Galaxy cosplays, something which Ms. Marvel producer Sana Amanat attributed to how there'd "be some sort of recording elements" to the big battle in Avengers: Endgame which would have helped the world see glimpses of the battle and those taking part.
With just who Kamala Khan is as a character, Marvel fans will undoubtedly get plenty more insight as to how the world knows little details about their fight with Thanos. Audiences can probably bet on plenty of that in the upcoming The Marvels, with Ms. Marvel getting to come face-to-face with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, her idol.
Ms. Marvel is currently streaming on Disney+.
