The following article contains minor spoilers for Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel.
Since then mrs wonder was announced, there has been a lot of talk about Kamala Khan’s powers and how they are not comic book accurate on the show. While Marvel Studios made the decision to adapt the series for television, it was confirmed early on that the studio had taken creative liberty with the origins of the heroine and the source of her power. However, after three episodes, the series is starting to show that it wasn’t the worst decision and, in fact, it might have been the right move.
mrs wonder has introduced the first Muslim and South Asian female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first episode of the Disney Plus series itself established the importance of Kamala’s culture and religion, which is similar to the comics. Her discovery of an ancient bracelet, which later gives her magical powers, also reflects the same cultural background and is connected to incidents from real life and history. Adding the story of the partition of India and Pakistani folklore in 1947 to Kamala’s story makes her much more relatable and also furthers the studio’s mission towards a more diverse MCU.
Last week it was revealed that the bracelet that previously belonged to Kamala’s great-grandmother somehow unlocks the superhuman abilities within the latest MCU hero. Iman Vellani’s Kamala uses the bracelet to shoot cosmic rays from her hands, create floating platforms that she can stand on, and even manages to grow her fist, the latter being a reflection of her comic book counterpart of hers. . She uses these newfound powers to save Zoe Zimmer from Laurel Marsden at AvengerCon, and later helps the “shoe thief” when she accidentally falls off the mosque’s minaret. As questions about her powers began to grow, the series threw a curveball in the form of Kamran’s mother, Najma, played by versatile Pakistani actor Nimra Bucha.
Najma explains to Kamala in Episode 3 of mrs wonder that the bracelet is a much more powerful tool than he first imagined. Furthermore, he also reveals that he is a being from another dimension and refers to his people as Clan Destines, hailing from the “Noor dimension”. It is implied that Kamala is also like them, in a way, and has possibly been seeing or dreaming of them for years. Najma states that they are “more commonly known as Djinns”, something Kamala feared, as revealed in Episode 1. But more importantly, Djinns have a profound relevance to Islam.
In Islamic mythology, there is a strong belief in supernatural beings. The Djinn is just one of them, and is believed to be an invisible being created from fire. The MCU has already adapted a lot from Norse mythology, bringing the Asgardians to life and moon knight made many Egyptian gods come true. Similarly, the introduction of Djinns in mrs wonder it could be the studio’s way of connecting Kamala’s powers and origins with her religion and culture. In the comics, the origin of her powers is the Terrigen Mist which unlocks the Inhuman side of her. While she would have gotten a nod of appreciation from comic book fans if mrs wonder If they used the same backstory, incorporating religious undertones makes things that much more interesting.
In a conversation between Matt Lintz’s Bruno Carrelli and Mohan Kapur’s Yusuf Khan, the latter refers to Djinns as “supernatural beings from pre-Islamic folklore.” Subtle dialogue and plot development beautifully link Kamala’s religion and Pakistani folklore with her currently unexplained powers. Although it has made many comic book fans unhappy, using Islamic mythology as the answer to why Kamala suddenly has magical powers is a stronger narrative for television than simply saying that she is Inhuman. Plus, it makes Kamala’s entry into the MCU more relatable.
In the last episode of mrs wonderKamala’s great-grandmother Aisha, played by popular Pakistani actor Mehwish Hayat, also appears and is seen in action as she raids a cave with her allies in search of a pair of bangles. It turns out that it is the same bracelet that he gave to Kamala and that was previously in the possession of her grandmother. The female lineage of her family is obviously aware of much more than she shares thus far. But, what is interesting to note is that the discovery of the bracelet is associated with a real life incident, the partition of India, once again. Awarded the logo of the Ten Rings of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appear in the tomb, it is pre-partition India that plays a role in the bangles and their history.
anyone who has seen Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings you will know that the origin of the rings is never revealed. It is only known that Wenwu acquired them and then passed them on to his son Shang-Chi. Similarly, it is unknown at this time how Aisha found out about the bracelets and what they are capable of. episode 2 of mrs wonder it already revealed that Aisha got lost in the crowd during the partition, never to be found. But, before that happened, she had discovered a great power. When she puts on the bracelet for the first time, Aisha has a surge of power running through her body and a kind of vision that viewers cannot witness. She may have been able to use that power to “come home.” Either way, the studio has formed a direct connection between Kamala and Shang-Chi’s journey in the MCU.
Throughout the last episode of mrs wonder, there are so many Islamic references. From taking off their shoes in the mosque to the imam asking the couple if they want to get married three times, several scenes in the episode almost seem to honor the main character’s culture. The show doesn’t explain the nuances behind these moments, and it doesn’t need to. It’s refreshing to see an MCU project intertwined with culture and faith in a character’s origin story, without having to break it down for audiences that aren’t from the same demographic. Fans should remember that Kamala’s religion and culture play a huge role in her life in the comics, and using that to drive her story on the show makes sense.
mrs wonder is streaming on Disney Plus.
