Original character co-creator and Ms. Marvel show producer Sana Amanat explains the changes to Kamala Khan's powers. The upcoming MCU TV series was created by Bisha K. Ali and will introduce the titular superhero to the long-running franchise, before she appears on the big screen in 2023's The Marvels. With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness now in theaters, Ms. Marvel is the next Marvel Studios project on deck, set to premiere June 8.
Despite only making her first appearance on the page in 2013, Kamala is a popular character among Marvel readers, and her MCU debut is an exciting prospect for fans. However, the first Ms. Marvel trailer revealed that the show has changed the character's powers, which many have speculated is due to the current absence of the Inhumans from the franchise. The source of her abilities seems to be a pair of cosmically powered bracelets, rather than her own genetic code, and the resulting changes have been met with some resistance from prospective viewers.
Now, in an interview with EW, Amanat acknowledges the fan concerns over the Ms. Marvel powers differences, but stands by them nonetheless. Saying that both she and original comics writer G. Willow Wilson have been on board with the changes from the beginning, she describes the shift as necessary to accommodate the larger MCU storylines planned for Kamala. Still, Amanat insists that the spirit of her original abilities remains in this adaptation. Check out her full quote below:
Obviously, so much of the show is an adaptation, and we thought it was important to make sure that her powers are linking to larger stories in the Marvel universe. We wanted to make sure there is a little bit more story to tell after this series. Obviously, she goes into The Marvels. The powers do look different, which is very controversial. I know people are like, "How dare you change the powers!" I know people are upset about it, but as someone who's probably one of the closest people to this character from the inception, and having spoken to Willow about this as well, I think Willow and I have always felt that this made sense. This was the right move because there are bigger stories to tell.
It's really fun to give Kamala different kinds of powers that feel big in scope and cinematic in a different way. We can do a lot of fun things with her. I don't want to spoil too much about how she uses her powers, but they're fun and bouncy. At the same point, the essence of what the powers are in the comics is there, both from a metaphorical standpoint and from a visual standpoint. We're doing the embiggened fist. We're doing the elements that make her feel and look kind of crazy, but also really cool. I think it's going to be familiar to people, but at the same time, different in a fresh and unique way.
While it is natural for Kamala Khan fans to be defensive about the depiction of her powers, hopefully this statement from the original co-creator will help assuage their fears. The MCU has had to adapt characters without access to their full comics backstories before, with a notable example being Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, who at the time of her introduction could not be explained as a mutant due to Marvel Studios lacking rights to the X-Men. She has seen a significant narrative arc over her multiple MCU appearances, and given Amanat's emphasis on the future, Kevin Feige & Co. could have a similar plan for Ms. Marvel.
That she is already set to appear in The Marvels, alongside Captain Marvel and a newly superpowered Monica Rambeau, is certainly evidence for this theory. But, while fans of the character will be glad to see her become a major MCU player, changing Ms. Marvel's powers might mean the Kamala they know and love hasn't actually made it on screen. They will only find out for sure if her essence carries over to this adaptation when Ms. Marvel premieres on Disney+ next month.
Source: EW
