Ms. Marvel and Batgirl Directors Compare the Two Origin Stories

This week saw the launch of Ms. Marvel, the latest live-action series set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make its debut on Disney+. The six-episode adventure serves as the origin story of Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and based on the early reactions and reviews for the series, viewers are definitely enjoying the creative implementation of it. The first episode of Ms. Marvel was directed by the team of Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, who executive produce the series and are also expected to direct its finale. Ms. Marvel won't be the duo's only entry into the superhero medium, with the pair also directing the upcoming Batgirl film for DC. In a recent interview with Variety, Fallah and El Arbi addressed the similarities between Ms. Marvel and Batgirl, while also outlining some key differences. 

"For both, it's an origin story," Fallah said. "They have to grow and find a way to be who they have to become – a superhero. On the other hand, it's totally different. Ms. Marvel is so teenager, super colorful and young, and then you have Batgirl in Gotham City with Batman, which is darker. Their journeys are similar in that they have to learn to become a superhero and take responsibility and grow."

"They would be best friends, no doubt," Fallah said of Vellani's Kamala and Leslie Grace's Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. "Whether it's Gotham in the darkness or Kamala Khan in her hero world, they're fun, cool, very endearing and charming."

Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan — a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City. An aspiring artist, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she is a huge fan of the Avengers-and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world-that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she's always looked up to. Alongside Vellani in the eponymous role, Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur have been cast in various roles in the show. 

Batgirl will follow the journey of Barbara Gordon, a young woman who becomes Gotham's newest protector. The film will be written by Christina Hodson, whose work includes Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and the upcoming The Flash movie. The film is expected to see JK Simmons reprising his role as Commissioner James Gordon, Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, and Jacob Scipio, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, and Ethan Kai cast in currently-unknown roles.

New episodes of Ms. Marvel debut on Disney+ on Wednesdays. Batgirl is currently poised to debut on HBO Max at a later date.