Ms. Marvel: Press Conference Recap With Kevin Feige, Iman Vellani
Today at the noon, the cast of Ms. Marvel came together for a virtual press conference before the series premiere.
On this occasion, Ms. Marvel herself Iman Vellani, alongside her co-stars Rish Shah, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Saagar Shaikh, and Mohan Kapur. They were also accompanied by Sana Amanat, who is the writer and producer, Meera Menon, who helmed episodes two and three, Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who serve as the executive producers and also the directors of episodes one and two), and Kevin Feige (Executive producer). The press conference started after 1 pm ET.
Here is a full recap for Ms. Marvel Press Conference:
“This is all very, very trippy,” Amanat said. ‘When Wilow and I were crafting this comic years ago, we were like this is not gonna get past issue 9! No one is gonna care! Low and behold, Kevin Feige cared…I think what I love about it the most is it had people from different backgrounds, people who had never really read comics before showing up in comic shops…A few years later, when Kevin let us know that he wanted to make this into a show, I was thrilled. I also feel like it’s perfect for a series, a live-action series.”
Kevin Feige Also Talked About Kamala Khan’s Debut
Feige opened up about Marvel Studios going ahead with the Ms. Marvel series. “Marvel, it’s such a privilege, because not only are there reinterpretations every few years of existing characters but every once in a while, a new character comes around that catches the audience’s attention…This character did that…Almost from the first few issues…people started asking, when is Kamala Khan coming? When is Ms. Marvel coming?” He credits Disney+ for the opportunity to tell her full story in a series before transitioning into a feature. “I’m so proud of bringing new characters to the screen,” he said. “I think that’s important. I want people who never even considered watching Marvel Studios’ production before to watch this and enjoy it, and then go watch all the other ones!”
Iman Vellani Thought Her Casting Call Was A ‘Scam’
Hilariously, Ms. Marvel star Vellani initially thought the casting call was nothing but a scam. “I did it. I sent out a very academic resume,” she said. “I knew exactly which comic books they pulled them from!” She thought she couldn’t do it. “At 3 am, I sent in my self-tape. I was like, my 10-year-old self is going to hate me if I don’t try.” A few days later she was called to LA. She fangirled while meeting the executive producers, however, the pandemic had halted things before June 2020. With a screen test and self-tape over Zoom, she finally got the part on her final day of high school.
Ali also opened up about working on Kamala for a TV show. “Every single person involved in this project loves those comics,” Ali said. Changing the powers was “a group decision” impacted by “how she is going to fit into the MCU.” She wished to “stay true to this beautiful incredible character” seen in publishing.
Kapur is questioned about representing the Muslim and southeastern Asian communities. “I don’t think this series is shouting from the rooftops saying, ‘Watch me about representation,'” he said. “I think it’s a fabulous op because we suddenly say, ‘This is the Marvel universe telling a story about us.'” He shared stories about cultural experiences that get featured in the series. “They’re just so beautiful…That side of the world, they just can’t wait to see this happen. This is us. This is us! The fact that if Marvel can run this juggernaut, it’s a big thing for the rest of the world. If they could do it, they knew what they’re talking about it, let us do it!” He says this is not a political statement but a story of a family and one girl. “It’s the story of a family that’s in a land that’s not their own,” but they’ve made it their own, he points out.
Shaikh also opened up about authentic elements of culture being featured in the show. “It was weird only because I feel it’s not what any of us are used to,” he said. “We’re used to having to explain a lot of things and have to fight to change a word or say something that’s a little deeper of a cut just to get that reference out there. but with this show, everybody was on the same page. Everybody got it.” He says it is not the show’s responsibility to teach you what certain words mean but viewers can turn to Google if they want to understand more. “Everybody working on this show was muslim or south Asian,” he points out. “We all got the references.”
Lintz discussed walking into the movie shoot, portraying the boy genius in a set that has so much culture that he hadn’t experienced. “There are certain scenes where I was able to see the culture and how diverse and rich it is…even the clothes,” he points out. “I’ve learned so much from all these beautiful people. Being able to call them my friends and cast mates is something I’ll be forever grateful for.”
Abi and Fallah discussed Ms. Marvel being a “little less violent” than most of their other work. “We fell in love with Kamala Khan,” Arbi said.
Fallah also discussed being present on the set. “It was a true honor to be part of the MCU,” he said. “We were like really kids on the set and the producers were like, ‘Come here and direct!'”
Fallah shared that “Tom Holland came to see AvengersCon,” before it was over. Everybody had a really nice time on the set.
