What's Ms. Marvel About?

Kamala Khan is a Muslim, Pakistani-American teenager growing up in Jersey City who's obsessed with superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel. At times, Kamala feels like she doesn't fit in at school or at home — until she gets super powers of her own.

Who's involved?

• Newcomer Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel.
• Matt Lintz (The Walking Dead) plays Kamala's best friend Bruno Carrelli, a tech wiz who designs gadgets and proves to be deeply loyal.
• Zenobia Shroff (The Big Sick) plays Kamala's strict and sometimes overbearing mother, Muneeba.
• Mohan Kapur plays Kamala's father, Yusuf. He is goofy and caring but stands by his wife's side when she imposes strict rules for Kamala.
• Saagar Shaikh plays Kamala's older brother Aamir. He's getting married, but Kamala and Muneeba are doing most of the work to prepare for the wedding.
• Yasmeen Fletcher plays Kamala's friend Nakia, who leaves the superhero stuff to Kamala and Bruno.
• Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah direct. The Belgian duo is best known for helming Bad Boys for Life, the third installment in the film franchise.
• British-Pakistani stand-up Bisha K. Ali created and writes the series.

Why (and to whom) do we recommend it?

In its latest project from Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney+ combines a coming-of-age and superhero origin story into one. The show is particularly adept at embracing the cultural and religious elements of Kamala's life without being over the top or stereotypical. Small moments — like Kamala whispering "bismillah" before her driver's test, or her family throwing untranslated Urdu into their English conversations — show a clear understanding of Kamala's background.

Meanwhile, the moments of strict, Muslim immigrant parenting feel all too real, as Kamala is forbidden from attending AvengersCon, a superhero convention she hopes to attend with Bruno.

"So you want to go to a party? At night? Is this a joke?" Kamala's mom asks at the prospect of her daughter attending the convention. Defeated, Kamala quips that if it were her brother asking, they would no doubt allow him to go, another sentiment all too familiar to brown girls with immigrant parents. "It's not really brown girls from Jersey City who save the world," Kamala later says.

Eventually, of course, her powers do emerge, and Vellani's take on Kamala's emerging abilities is incredibly charming. Both she and the show are giving young Muslim girls from immigrant families a superhero they can look up to, but even beyond representation, Ms. Marvel is captivating and fun.

Pairs well with

• Hawkeye (Disney+), the MCU series that introduces Hailee Steinfeld as Hawkeye's protegé and potential replacement in the Avengers.
• Never Have I Ever (Netflix), the coming-of-age comedy-drama starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Indian-American teenager Devi.
• WandaVision (Disney+), Marvel's limited series starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch.