Ms. Marvel: Why Kamala Khan’s powers are different from the comics

With Moon Knight coming to an end, the next Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show will be Ms. Marvel. The upcoming series stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City. In the comics, Khan’s powers involved body-morphing and were activated by the Terrigen Mist. Fans noticed that those powers seem a bit different in the Ms. Marvel trailer, more of the cosmic variety.

While speaking with Empire, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige explained why Ms. Marvel’s powers in the TV series aren’t exactly the same as in the comics.

We adapt the comics; it’s not an exact translation. [Kamala] came about in a very specific time within the comic-book continuity. She is now coming into a very specific time within the MCU continuity. And those two things didn’t match.

The mystery behind the origin of Khan’s powers will be part of the series. “What we will learn about where those powers come from, and how they come about, is specific to the MCU,” Feige teased. “You will see great comic splash panels in some of our action sequences. If you want big, giant hands and arms, well they’re here in spirit, if not in stretchy, plastic-type ways.” In the series, Kamala Khan is an aspiring artist, an avid gamer, and a voracious fan-fiction scribe who also happens to be a huge fan of the Avengers, Captain Marvel in particular. After struggling to find her place in the world, Khan develops superpowers just like the heroes she’s always looked up to.

Ms. Marvel will be directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, with Bisha K. Ali serving as head writer. The series will premiere on Disney+ on June 8, 2022, after which Kamala Khan will join Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) in The Marvels on July 28, 2023.