Casting reportedly begins for Ms. Marvel show

Ms. Marvel fans, rejoice! Rumor has it that Marvel has began the casting search, trying to fill two roles for the upcoming Disney+ series.

It was just about a year ago that I was attending Disney’s fan convention, D23, and listening to all the exciting plans that Disney had for the future of its streaming service, Disney+. I still remember them flashing the titles of all the upcoming Marvel projects across the screen, including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What/If? and Ms. Marvel. It was one of the most exciting panels of the convention last year!

Unfortunately, things are different this year, with conventions cancelled or going digital thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. But Disney continues to lay the groundwork for these shows. In fact, they may even be casting for the project I’m most excited about: Ms. Marvel!

As a Pakistani American Muslim myself, Ms. Marvel (aka Kamala Khan) represents the community and world I grew up in. Knowing such a character even existed in the comic books felt huge, but the fact that this young superhero is now getting her own Disney+ series is something I never saw happening.

It’s going to be a dream come true to see a representation of myself on screen, something the 6-year old me would have loved to brag about. Imagine the street cred I would have had!

But with all this excitement, there is one thing that worries me: who will Marvel cast as the shape-shifting title hero? It’s important to so many of us that these choices are made with care. According to The Illuminerdi, a casting call has gone out for a young man and young women to play characters codenamed Omar and Willow, respectively

"The male, with the code name Omar, is listed as a Pakistani American in his mid-to-late 20’s, a practicing Muslim and a self-proclaimed wiser older brother. He is also listed as modern and spirited.The female, code named Willow, is listed as a 16 to 20 year old American teenager of Turkish, Moroccan, or Arab decent. Active in student organizations with a love of being in charge, she is described as a hijabi Muslim, woke, popular, stylish and smart."

Based on this, it doesn’t seem like they are casting for the lead role just yet. I take that as a good sign; hopefully they’re working out every detail to ensure they provide the most accurate casting call when the time comes.

But who are “Omar” and “Willow”?

Based on minimal knowledge of the comics and what I’ve discussed with friends, “Omar” is likely the role of Kamala’s older brother, Aamir Khan. The description pretty much describes what we know about him from the comics.

As for “Willow”, she sounds like Kamala’s close friend, who comes from a Turkish family. Fans of the comics know her as a social activist, which matches pretty closely to the casting description.

I know the casting process has just begun, but I think as they get the ball rolling, it’s crucial for the casting directors to understand all the characters of Ms. Marvel from a cultural, ethnic, and religious perspective. Whoever takes on these roles should truly understand what it means to be in the shoes of these characters. There’s a lot of nuance required to understand the challenges of growing up in a world where you are torn between two cultures and have to learn to adapt and assimilate.

Granted, these characters are young, but from a very young age, these struggles are present, and I really hope that as Marvel begins their casting process, they pay attention to detail.

I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

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h/t LRM Online