Marvel Studios has a new Disney+ project set to debut in the coming weeks: Ms. Marvel. The series introduces Iman Vellani’s New Jersey City hero to the world, a young woman who also happens to be a huge fan of everything superheroes. After getting a mysterious bangle, the hero is granted the ability to create light constructs out of thin air. They’re similar in nature to the powers of DC Comics’ Green Lantern, just without the ring.
One of the other most popular young heroes in the MCU is none other than Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. His latest movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, did fantastic at the box office and was universally lauded as one of the best Spidey films ever.
It certainly helped that both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire returned to their roles as Spider-Man to take on nearly half-a-dozen returning villains.
Now, two directors behind Ms. Marvel have gone on record to reveal that Holland’s most recent outing served as a huge inspiration for the upcoming series.
Spider-Man Influences Ms. Marvel
In an interview with Gamesradar, Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah commented on the future of Iman Vellani’s future as Kamala Khan, comparing it to the arc of Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
Fallah stated that “it’s just the beginning” for the character and that “there’s a lot more you can do” with Ms. Marvel.
El Arbi jumped in to compare Kamala Khan to Peter Parker, claiming that his evolution in the MCU is “the bar” for Kamala and revealing that Spider-Man: No Way Home was a major influence on Ms. Marvel's own series and her future journey in the MCU:
“In the same way you see Tom Holland as Peter Parker evolve... that’s the bar, basically… for us, personally, it’s a masterpiece of a movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The bar is now so high. It just inspires us and also the other people involved in Ms. Marvel to be like, ’What can we do to try to reach that goal one day?’”
The actor behind the new hero, Iman Vellani, exclaimed how “everyone can definitely see themselves in her,” and one “[doesn’t] have to be Brown or Pakistani” to relate to her:
“[Kamala]’s a fan [of the Avengers], just like us, and that’s why we root for her when she meets Avengers in the comics… that’s why we root for her when she gets her powers. Everyone can definitely see themselves in her. You don’t have to be Brown or Muslim, or Pakistani. It’s about this Avengers-loving, fanfic-writing nerd who just happens to be a Pakistani-American Muslim girl. But she’s awesome, and ultimately you just watch her grow and become this badass superhero.” Below, see an exclusive image of the new Disney Plus series.”
When will Ms. Marvel Meet Spider-Man?
Given Kamala’s personality as a big fangirl, the desire to see her crossover with other MCU heroes will likely be immediate for many once they finally meet her. With the character also being so young, Spider-Man starts to become a clear perfect fit.
While age is one thing, personality is a whole other—and no doubt, sparks would fly between Vellani and Holland. Seeing those two interact on screen would be incredibly entertaining.
Ms. Marvel is probably around the age Peter Parker was when he first entered the MCU during Captain America: Civil War, a similarity which would certainly come up between the two. Kamala, however, won’t have to pick a side amongst titans, so that’s a plus.
As exciting as it would be to see the two interact, that moment is probably still a ways away. First, Kamala will have to meet her idol, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, in The Marvels—an introduction which will no doubt prove to be an intensely fulfilling moment.
Ms. Marvel premieres on June 8, exclusively on Disney+.
