Kamala Khan is soaring into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Ms. Marvel, but not without some fan-girl moments over a few of the MCU’s most iconic heroes. The Ms. Marvel trailer shows Kamala having Captain Marvel, Valkryie and the Wasp as her own inspirational role models, but why did she specifically choose them as her idols?
The trailer doesn’t concretely answer this question, but any teenage girl could understand Kamala’s reasoning. All of these heroes are women, and presumably being a young girl growing up with the original six Avengers’ Black Widow as the only woman, having women in the new generation of heroes is an exciting progression for Kamala. In fact, it’s such an obsession that she owns female Avengers-themed merchandise, wears costumes and writes fan-fiction. Let’s go into specifics on why Captain Marvel, Valkyrie and the Wasp are Kamala’s top superheroes.
Captain Marvel Changed the Game For Female Superheroes
In both real life and the MCU, there’s no doubt that Captain Marvel’s introduction to the superhero world erupted the assumptions of what a superhero should be. Carol Danvers came onto the scene strong, similar to Tony Stark with unapologetic stubbornness and wit, but somehow Tony is praised for these traits and Carol is constantly torn down for them. There may have been a chance that Kamala was an original fan of Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, but Captain Marvel was — quite literally — out of this world. Her cosmic powers and no-nonsense attitude were big contributors in defeating Thanos, which is well-known among the world in the MCU.
Thor’s Out of the Picture — Valkyrie’s In
Valkyrie is still one of the more obscure heroes in the MCU, and it’s surprising to hear that she’s pretty well-known in its world. Of course, being a myth for thousands of years may be the origin of her popularity, but surely her resurgence in the Avengers: Endgame battle gave her some heroic credit. Seeing that Asgard has moved its population to the grounds of Earth, with Valkyrie declared its new king, Valkyrie proves that even a woman born out of the royal bloodline can lead an entire nation to prosperity. For young Kamala, a Muslim Pakistani-American just trying to find her way in the world, Valkyrie serves as a role model for the minorities who feel isolated and ignored in society.
The Wasp Proves Brawn Works Better With Brains
Scott Lang is funny and all in the Ant-Man suit, but Hope van Dyne is the total package for the ideal superhero. She has strength, flight, intelligence and still cracks a joke every once in a while. With Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne as her parents, there’s no wonder Hope grew up to be as ambitious as she is. Even before she was the Wasp, Hope was a chairwoman of the board of Pym Technologies, building her way as a woman in a male-dominated industry. In the Ms. Marvel trailer, Kamala is questioned by a guidance counselor on what she realistically wants to be in life, and is asked to step away from her superhero fantasies. The Wasp is able to take her real-life strengths and apply it to her superhero life, so why can’t Kamala?
Seeing this is just an introduction into promoting the Ms. Marvel series, there could be so much more Kamala is dreaming about. Are Black Widow and Scarlet Witch worthy enough to take part in Kamala’s fan-fiction? Valkyrie and the Wasp may fit onto Kamala’s shirt, but everyone knows Captain Marvel is the true hero in Kamala’s heart. Surely there will be more obsessions and fan-girl moments to come from Kamala as she attempts to balance her normal life with her newfound superhero life in Ms. Marvel.
To see Kamala obsess over these heroines, stream Ms. Marvel on June 8 on Disney+.
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