8 Ms. Marvel Stories for the Movies

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige recently revealed that there are plans for Ms. Marvel (a.k.a. Kamala Khan) to eventually appear on the big screen. While Captain Marvel has to come first in order to lay the groundwork for her biggest fan, it seems that Ms. Marvel could appear as early as Phase 4 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s a big cause for excitement amongst comics fans, and should be for those who love the Marvel Studios movies as well.

Since she debuted in 2014, co-created by writer G. Willow Wilson, artist Adrian Alphona, and editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, Ms. Marvel has been a consistent hit in comics. The only new hero who even compares to her popularity in the past decade is Miles Morales. Ms. Marvel stood out for a number of reasons, including her prominent inclusion as a Muslim and Pakistani superhero in Marvel Comics‘ lineup. Over the course of two volumes (divided by the events of Secret Wars) she has been a popular new character for old school fans and young readers alike.

As Feige and his team prepare to adapt Ms. Marvel for the big screen, we expect they’ll be looking very hard at the source material. There’s a lot of great comics to choose from already, and we’ve assembled a list of eight of the best Ms. Marvel stories to inspire elements of a future film.

No Normal

Ms. Marvel (vol. 3) #1-5

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Adrian Alphona

Readers knew Kamala Khan was something special from the very start. This origin story does an excellent job of constructing her family, friends, school, and a very odd new villain. It’s everything that you could want from an initial teen superhero story, reminding us a bit of the great work done on Spider-Man: Homecoming. While Marvel Studios may not want to replicate that experience too much, this is the best possible story to start with for the purposes of brainstorming.

Healing Factor

Ms. Marvel (vol. 3) #6-7

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Jake Wyatt

This crossover with Wolverine obviously can’t be replicated at Marvel Studios (for now, at least), but the heart of the story would still be very useful in a Ms. Marvel movie. The team up is focused on Ms. Marvel’s status as a young hero and fan of those who came before juxtaposed against Wolverine’s world-weary attitude. You could replicate this dynamic with any veteran of the MCU, except for Spider-Man. Doctor Strange or Bucky would make for excellent cameos, playing off of Kamala’s excitement with their austere attitudes for some great comedic impact and character work.

Generation Why

Ms. Marvel (vol. 3) #8-11

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Adrian Alphona

This story presents a big opportunity for Marvel Studios, especially as they need to find new heroes as their originals begin to retire. It’s the story that introduces Kamala Khan to the world of the Inhumans and could serve as a chance to reimagine and rehabilitate this property for the movies. It could provide a similar origin to the comics and offer some great supporting cast members — most importantly Lockjaw. While Marvel Studios may have given up on these characters for now, we think Ms. Marvel could provide them a second chance at success.

Crushed

Ms. Marvel (vol. 3) #13-15

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Takeshi Miyazawa

It’s hard to tell a story set in high school without some subplot focused on crushes and romance. This early flirtation in Ms. Marvel’s history did not turn out as well as she hoped, but it did provide a great villain for her rogues’ gallery and some important lessons. The tension caused by her romantic interest within her family and friends also made for some excellent drama. As far as first villains go, a Ms. Marvel movie could do far worse.

Super Famous

Ms. Marvel (vol. 4) #1-3

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Takeshi Miyazawa

The return of Ms. Marvel in a new volume kicked off a story about how being right often isn’t enough to be seen as a hero. Jersey City is turned against their favorite daughter, making it far more difficult for Kamala to fight villains and save the day. With Spider-Man lacking the presence of J. Jonah Jameson, it might be interesting to see how another young hero handles being called a menace in the Marvel Studios films. It will be hard, but we know Kamala can take it.

Army of One

Ms. Marvel (vol. 4) #4-6

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Nico Leon

Exploring the theme of responsibility, Ms. Marvel attempts to create an army of clones in this story only to see things go horribly awry. There’s still a lot of potential in this concept (with or without the clones). Kamala Khan lives an incredibly busy life even without being a superhero and offers young audiences someone to relate to as they’re pulled in dozens of directions. Balancing family, friends, faith, and a whole lot more should play an important role in any Ms. Marvel movie.

Damage Per Second

Ms. Marvel (vol. 4) #14-17

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Takeshi Miyazawa

Ms. Marvel is a new hero for a new age, and that’s reflected in her new villains like Doc.X. This bad guy represents everything that is ugly about the Internet, playing with concepts like doxxing, cyber bullying, and privacy issues to make the lives of many Jersey City inhabitants hell. As Marvel Studios searches for new villains and threats, focusing on the power of the Internet would make for a great antagonist in the first Ms. Marvel movie.

Mecca

Ms. Marvel (vol. 4) #19-22

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Marco Failla

This is a story for today and one filled with valuable themes about community, democracy, and hatred. It responds to the very difficult times faced by the residents of Jersey City and all of the United States today, and attempts to find values that can bring people together and construct a better future. It’s difficult subject matter, but Black Panther has shown us how well Marvel Studios can tackle serious ideas. Using material like “Mecca”, a Ms. Marvel movie could both diversify Marvel Studios characters and content.