What Makes Ms. Marvel So Appealing To South Asians?

Ms. Marvel is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar as the seventh TV series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show is a part of MCU's fourth phase and sets the mood for the upcoming MCU film The Marvels expected to be released in 2023. Based on the Marvel superhero Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, the show has gained popularity among the South Asians.

Ms. Marvel premiered on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar on June 8, 2022 and will be concluding on July 13, 2022 with six episodes. The story revolves around a 16-year-old Pakistani-American high school girl Kamala Khan who is an Avengers-fangirl and believes herself to be a misfit until she discovers superpowers of her own. Ms. Marvel cast include Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Laurel Marsden, Azhar Usman and Rish Shah among others. Indian actor-director Farhan Akhtar and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan are also seen in short roles.

Recently, the show has amassed the attention of the South Asian audience not only because of the Marvel craze but for some other uncommon factors as well. Needless to say, Marvel's attempt towards diversifying its cinematic universe has surely expanded its fanbase as Ms. Marvel strongly appeals to the South Asian audience. Earlier too, Marvel's sixth TV series Moon Knight attempted to include Egyptian diversity into the American superhero series.

What is so exciting about Ms. Marvel that it has become a hit among the South Asian audience? Apparently, the credit goes to these elements in the show:

Muslim Identity

One of the greatest factors of the success of the show among the South Asians is a Muslim female lead. It is the first time ever that the MCU has incorporated a Muslim protagonist portrayed by a Muslim actor. The character of Kamala Khan is played by Canadian actor of Pakistani origin Iman Vellani. It is only obvious that the character appeals to the South Asian audience so much given that the region consist of Muslim-dominated countries.

Farhan Akhtar

The MCU has it's strong hold over Indians as well since the country is home to many Marvel fans. The show was popularised in India as soon as there was news around Indian actor-director Farhan Akhtar joining the cast of Ms. Marvel. Even with a short appearance, the actor managed to steal the hearts of the audience as the leader of the Red Daggers. While his role on the show was short-lived, it seemed integral to the character development of our protagonist, Kamala Khan. Speaking in an interview, Akhtar mentioned, "You automatically start feeling like a superhero when someone tells you that you are going to be part of the MCU. I stood like a superhero, just missing my cape."

Fawad Khan

The show has not just one but two appearances from South Asia including Pakistani actor Fawad Khan! With his charming personality, the actor appeared in a similar avatar to his previous shows Hamsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Fawad Khan plays the role of Khan's grandfather Hasan who was a Muslim freedom fighter and his character is shown in a flashback. The actor has amassed positive reception from fans at home and abroad for his acting.

Suggested Reading: Ms Marvel Review: A Coming-Of-Age Story About Unrestricted Female Fandom

Multicultural Directors

Ms. Marvel is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah who are Belgian film directors of Moroccan descent. In a recent interview, the directors mentioned that they based Kamala Khan out of their own experiences as people belonging to multiple cultures. They further revealed that they did not want to create stereotypical characterisations and wanted to build a realistic story. "For 'Ms. Marvel', we knew we didn't want to have the old conventional Hollywood characterisations of a Pakistani South Asian Muslim family. We wanted to make them realistic, modern, nuanced people who everybody could relate to," Bilal said.