Marvel Studios needs to make sure that they don’t make the same Spider-Man (Tom Holland) mistake they committed with Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) as she joins Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) in The Marvels. Kamala Khan is set to join the franchise through her own Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel which has just finished production. After that, however, she will eventually transition to the big screen in Nia DaCosta’s MCU project which also serves as a sequel to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel from 2019.

A relatively new character in print only introduced in 2014, Kamala became an instant hit as the first Muslim-American superhero to star in her own comic book series. Given this popularity, it was only a matter of time before she mades her way into the MCU and a few years since news broke out that she’s indeed making her live-action debut, she’s already set to appear in her own show. Plot details about Ms. Marvel are still scant at the moment and Marvel Studios has yet to announce an official release date. Despite that, her future is already laid out past the Disney+ series as she joins the bigger universe in The Marvels. 

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Exciting as it may be to see Ms. Marvel co-headline a blockbuster with Captain Marvel and Spectrum, Marvel Studios must be careful not to make Kamala overly reliant on her fellow heroes that same way they did with Spider-Man. While MCU’s version of the web-slinging hero is generally well-liked, it's continuously criticized for being dependent on mentors. Peter Parker’s relationship with Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) played a massive role in the young hero’s overall arc — so much so that even in his standalone adventures, the genius, billionaire Avenger was still a factor. Spider-Man’s association with Iron Man has drawn negative comments as the former should be his own hero and not a mentee of anyone. Now, as the MCU moves on without Tony, Peter may be teaming up with another mentor in Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as Spider-Man: No Way Home is confirmed to narratively connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

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Just because Kamala is younger, she shouldn’t be relegated to a sidekick of better-established characters in the MCU which in some ways was what happened to Spider-Man. Despite being one of the most popular Marvel characters, many don’t appreciate that Peter essentially functioned as Tony’s companion. Spider-Man: Far From Home even floated the idea that he should be the next Iron Man which further worsened this issue. Ms. Marvel should be a fully-fleshed character on her own, not dependent on any mentor. Let her carve her own path in the franchise without Carol Danvers, Monica, or any other more seasoned heroes shadowing her every move. That way, she can exist individually in the universe, which can only make her more impressive and relatable for younger viewers at the same time.

This doesn’t mean, however, that Ms. Marvel should be isolated from the rest of the MCU. Marvel Studios just needs to know when to lean on her future relationships with Captain Marvel and Spectrum in The Marvels and when to let her stand on her own two feet. Hopefully, her origins story in Disney+’s Ms. Marvel is able to firmly establish her as a power player in the franchise before she joins her superhero team on the big screen. 

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