Hot on the heels of Moon Knight, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to introduce another superhero never-before-seen in live-action with Ms Marvel.

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A relatively new creation, Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan made her debut in the pages of the comic books in August 2013, but her instant popularity was enough to warrant a streaming series less than a decade later.

An exhaustive casting search eventually picked newcomer Iman Vellani to be the schoolgirl superhero, who spends her free time obsessing over the Avengers, without knowing that she is destined to one day join their ranks.

Despite the success of the source material, the team behind Ms Marvel have opted to tweak some elements of the story, most notable of which being Kamala's power set.

In the comics, she is able to elongate her limbs (like Mr Fantastic) and "embiggen" parts of her body (like Ant-Man), with her most iconic pose arming her with an oversized hand that offers a major assist in battles.

However, with those powers being difficult to realise in live-action – a fact acknowledged by even co-creator G Willow Wilson – the character's MCU incarnation appears to harness hard-light constructs and energy blasts instead.

We'll have a better idea of her exact abilities when the show launches on Disney Plus this week, with details available below on the dates and times to pencil into your diary.

If you’re having trouble keeping up with the rapidly expanding MCU, find out more about the many other upcoming Marvel TV series on Disney Plus or check out our comprehensive overview of the Marvel movies in order.

Ms Marvel release date

Ms Marvel will premiere on Disney Plus on Wednesday 8th June 2022.

The series will consist of six episodes in total, which will be rolled out weekly until the finale drops on Wednesday 13th July, which is expected to set the stage for Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels.

Filming began in November 2020 in Atlanta and New Jersey, and wrapped in Thailand in May 2021.

What time is Ms Marvel streaming on Disney Plus?

Following the trend of other Disney Plus originals, Ms Marvel will be available to stream on Disney Plus UK from 8am BST on Wednesday 8th June 2022, with subsequent episodes expected to drop at the same time in the weeks ahead.

Our friends across the pond will have to stay up late in order to be among the first viewers of the show, as it is scheduled to appear at 12 midnight PST and 2am CST.

If you don’t have a subscription to Disney Plus, you can sign up for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.

Ms Marvel cast

Kamala Khan talks with a friend in Ms Marvel
Kamala Khan talks with friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) in Ms Marvel Disney/Marvel

The following cast members have been confirmed for Ms Marvel.

  • Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel/Kamala Khan
  • Aramis Knight as Kareem/Red Dagger
  • Saagar Shaikh as Amir Khan
  • Rish Shah as Kamran
  • Matt Lintz as Bruno Carrelli
  • Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan
  • Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan
  • Laurel Marsden as Zoe Zimmer
  • Yasmeen Fletcher as TBC
  • Laith Nakli as TBC
  • Azhar Usman as TBC
  • Travina Springer as TBC
  • Nimra Bucha as TBC
  • Alyy Khan as TBC
  • Alysia Reiner as TBC
  • Fawad Khan as TBC
  • Mehwish Hayat as TBC
  • Anjali Bhimani as TBC

Iman Vellani takes on the lead role of Kamala Khan, who will also be a major character in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, where she'll cross paths with Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris).

The supporting cast will include Saagar Shaikh as Kamala's brother Amir, The Walking Dead's Matt Lintz as her best friend Bruno and Aramis Knight (Into The Badlands) as vigilante Red Dagger.

Relative newcomer Laurel Marsden, who gained attention starring opposite Sophie Turner in disaster drama Survive, also stars as high school student Zoe Zimmer.

Much like Spider-Man's relationship with Flash Thompson, Zimmer is an occasional bully and later friend of protagonist Kamala Khan, and is the very first person the superheroine saves in the comics.

Considering Kamala's adoration of Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, we would not be surprised if Brie Larson made a cameo as the superheroine, especially as the show is apparently connected to upcoming blockbuster The Marvels.

Bisha K Ali, who helmed Mindy Kaling's Four Weddings and a Funeral series for US streaming site Hulu, is leading the writers room on this series, working in collaboration with an impressive line-up of directors.

The duo behind Will Smith's hit sequel Bad Boys for Life, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, are tackling the premiere and finale, while documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and The Punisher's Meera Menon also have two episodes each.

Narcos cinematographer Carmen Cabana is also working on the series, while Arjun Bhasin will be the show's costume designer following his work on A Suitable Boy.

What is Ms Marvel about?

Iman Vellani in Ms Marvel
Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan in Ms Marvel Disney

The official synopsis reads: "Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City.

"An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero mega-fan with an oversized imagination – particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel.

"Yet Kamala feels invisible both at home and at school – that is, until she gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with superpowers, right?"

The teenage hero first appeared in Marvel Comics in 2013, where she had the power to manipulate her body on a molecular level – shrinking, growing and stretching at will.

However, her abilities have been changed for the TV show to creating hard light constructs and firing energy blasts, which appear to be connected in some way to garments she wears on her wrists.

It's unclear who exactly Ms Marvel will be fighting in her debut adventure, but comic book villain Kamran could be involved – a friend of Kamala's who turns against her after gaining his own powers.

Is Ms Marvel a mutant, an Inhuman or something else?

Kamala Khan handles a bracelet in Ms Marvel
Kamala Khan handles a bracelet in Ms Marvel Disney/Marvel

In the comics, Ms Marvel is an Inhuman, who receives her powers after the transformative Terrigen Mists descended on Jersey City during the explosive events of Jonathan Hickman's Infinity crossover.

The mists activated her dormant Inhuman genes, activating her incredible powers and setting her on the path to being one of Marvel's most iconic characters.

However, it seems in this series that her powers will come from a mysterious bracelet that gives her powers not too dissimilar to Captain Marvel herself, appearing to involve energy manipulation and enhanced strength among other feats.

Ms Marvel trailers

Disney Plus unveiled the first full Ms Marvel trailer in March 2022, showing off its quirky, light-hearted tone and endearing lead character. Watch below.

Disney had previously released a "sizzle" below which discussed the origins and importance of Ms Marvel, as well as giving a sneak peek at some early shots from her solo series.

Is Ms Marvel the same as Captain Marvel?

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
Disney

Not exactly. Carol Danvers once held the moniker of Ms Marvel in the comics, while a Kree alien named Mar-Vell went by the name Captain Marvel.

However, Danvers transitioned from Ms Marvel to Captain Marvel in 2012, leaving her original name vacant for young Kamala Khan to inherit it.

Khan is depicted as being a huge admirer of Carol Danvers particularly, hence why she's so enthusiastic about taking on the prestigious title.

Ms Marvel will reappear in the upcoming MCU film The Marvels, which will also star Brie Larson as Carol Danvers and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.

Ms Marvel premieres on Disney Plus on Wednesday 8th June 2022. Sign up for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.

Check out the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus, or find out what's on tonight with our TV Guide.

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Authors

Ben AllenOn Demand Writer, RadioTimes.com
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