Ms Marvel star defends superpower and comic book changes: “Trust Marvel”
Rish Shah, who plays Kamran, spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the upcoming MCU series.
Ms Marvel arrives on Disney Plus on 8th June, with the character joining the MCU for the first time in her own show before appearing in Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels next year.
However, ever since the trailer dropped, some fans have been concerned to see that Iman Vellani's version of the character has different powers than in the comics. While in the comics, Kamala Khan can shapeshift and stretch (called 'embiggening'), in the series she appears to harness energy and create hard-light constructs instead.
Now, speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Rish Shah, who plays Kamran in Ms Marvel, addressed the changes, saying that "her story's the same and the essence of her character is the same".
Shah explained: "All that's been reimagined is the way in which those powers are manifested. But that journey of self-discovery remains the most essential aspect and core arc of Kamala's journey. Especially in these six episodes, in Ms Marvel, it's very much about introducing this character."
Shah continued: "And so I think what's more important is getting a feel for her personality and her community and the people surrounding her. And then the powers on top of that are whatever the powers are going to be, but at the end of the day I would trust Marvel. I think they know what they're doing. They are the best."
For those who are concerned that the comics are being disregarded, Shah stressed that they are deeply "embedded" within the show.
He said: "Whether it's Easter eggs which people can look out for, or certain lines which have been kind of repeated or slightly altered, it's rooted in the comics and the comics are obviously always the best source material to look at. So that was definitely my first point of call when I found out that this was happening."
Shah also said that when he read the comics initially, he thought they were "brilliant".
"I think that it was great to see a teenager who is dealing with these really weird powers and also going on this journey of self discovery amongst a whole bunch of other things, and dealing with normal teenage problems," he continued. "And at the same time, on top of it, I saw someone that looked like myself. So it was definitely great and exciting.
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"And so as soon as I knew this was happening, it was just a big smile on my face, because I knew I'd be watching it as a fan. I never really thought... I know I'd hoped, but I never really thought I'd be here. So I think that it's really great."
Additional reporting by Huw Fullerton.
Ms Marvel is coming to 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 see what else is on with our TV Guide.
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