Interview with Ms Marvel, Marvel’s first Muslim superheroine

Iman has the freshness of the first time on the other side of the computer screen, something he will lose and / or dominate as more interviews and press contacts increase.

In addition to the series of 6 episodes – this Wednesday Disney + uploads the first two in streaming and next Wednesday will preview one a week -, the co-stars the wondersthe continuation of Captain Marvelnext to Brie Larson. Released in 2023, Iman is a strong and risky bet from Marvel Studios.

-I assume you had to go through a casting process, right?

-Yup. Yes, it has been quite a long process, mainly due to the pandemic. I started in February 2020, so I sent in my first tape, the next week I was in Los Angeles for an audition, and then a week later they wanted to take me back to Los Angeles, but the pandemic hit, so they sent me an e- mail, for example “You are in the race. We just have to work out a few things on our part.”

And I was like, “Okay, well, I’ve got school and all, so that’s fine.” And in June they asked me for another screen test, but about Zoom. So super weird … But yeah, the next week I did the casting on my last day of high school.

-And what did those casting tests consist of?

-The first audition was super fun, in person. And I met Sarah Finn (casting director) and Louis D’Esposito (Marvel producer), and I was absolutely in love with them. And I just wanted to take advantage of being in that room with all these people from Marvel Studios, because I didn’t think it was going to happen again …

And so, yes, I think sharing my enthusiasm and my passion for this world is what struck them.

-And did you read the “Ms Marvel” comic before the audition?

-Yup. When I was 15, I was already obsessed with her. I read all the comics, did cosplay, dressed up as Ms Marvel. I was super, super fan.

-What was the first Marvel movie you saw?

– I think it was Captain America the First Avenger. I don’t really remember, because I grew up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Hombre de Hierro It was first introduced when I was six, I don’t remember …

-Are you a cinephile?

-I would say yes.

-Because you were selected for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Next Wave Committee.

-Yup. TIFF is a lot of fun. And I was able to meet many other young spectators, who are “crazy” like me. And they all had very eclectic tastes in movies, so he was just learning from each other. And then we were able to program such a diverse range of adult films, with so many marginalized voices and foreign directors. It was a very lucky experience that I had.

-And was there a movie that, after seeing it, made you think, this is what I want to do in my life?

-Uh … Maybe the films of Agnès Varda, or the films of Tarantino. I was obsessed with Tarantino when I was like 14, and I loved those movies, I just thought they were as good as he was, how he stylized the violence and animated characters. I really loved it.

And Agnès Varda, in a completely different way. She had such beauty and simplicity in her characters, and she brought out all the nuances and emotional moments and made the audience feel what those characters were experiencing.

An out of the ordinary superheroine

Kamala is Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. Do you practice Islam? Are you a religious person?

– I am yes.

-If you had to choose one, only one of the powers that Ms Marvel has, which one would you choose?

– Probably the stretching powers, because I am a very lazy person and I don’t want to get up to take anything. So if my arm could reach it for me, that would be great.

-The series speaks strongly of the representation of non-white ethnicities in Hollywood. What do you think about this?

We just wanted to focus on creating a character and using comics, because they are a wonderful source material, they really incorporated diversity in an organic way, without it being the only story. And this was something very important to me and to all other Muslims. Our personality is not Islamic or Pakistani. There is a lot more of our character throughout the series.

We really wanted to point out that this is not a show on the labels. We are not doing this, he is not just the Muslim superhero, just a Pakistani superhero. Kamala is a combination of so many different things, personalities and quirks that make her, and that’s the whole theme, it’s the whole arc that follows, subverting all the labels and expectations thrown at her and becoming her version of a Superhero.

-And this is perhaps why young people feel identified with Kamala.

-Yup. I think he’s a super universal and close character. We wanted to get into that sweetness and awkwardness of growing up and being 16, and the confusion that comes from people telling you you need to understand your life. In the meantime, you are passionate about superheroes. So how do these things go hand in hand?

And yeah, we use a lot of movies, like Lady Bird Y Eighth grade as inspiration, and Scott Pellegrino vs. the exes of the girl of his dreams. Those movies were really about growing up and the fantastic, animated world around them. And so, yes, that’s the direction we went.

-What was, for you, the best thing about participating in the series?

-I met a lot of interesting and nice people. I love meeting people who work at Marvel, I love having relationships with them. And the fact that Marvel employees know my name is the most surreal thing there is. The fact that Kevin Feige (the president of Marvel) knows my name is super weird. So I’m processing it all right now, honestly.

-Can you tease something about “The Marvels”? Because this is your first job as an actress.

–the wonders It was a very different experience than the TV show. We had a lot more time to shoot, a lot less content, it was a lot more relaxed. And I’ve got to work with so many wonderful women. Nia DaCosta, our director, is incredibly talented and truly an actor director, she cares so much.

And Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris, both gorgeous women, it was very inspiring to be side by side with them and to be in front of the camera. I really felt it in our scenes. And yes, I can’t really talk about it (about the movie), but I’m excited for people to see it next year.