The highly-anticipated Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel is officially coming to theaters in Pakistan in order to celebrate the first-ever Pakistani superhero to be joining the MCU. One of the directors of the series, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, shared the news on social media in order to let Pakistani hardcore fans know to be on the lookout.
Surprisingly, the country still doesn’t have access to Disney Plus, therefore Disney made the executive decision to release the whole Ms. Marvel series exclusively in theatres in Pakistan. The fact that Pakistan still doesn’t even have access to the many superhero storylines found on Disney Plus just goes to prove even further why South-Asian representation is so important and crucial.
While the rest of the world will be able to follow one episode at a time in the comfort of their own homes, Pakistani MCU fans will be able to watch the entire Ms. Marvel series all at once in theaters. The show’s theatrical debut will be split into three sessions, consisting of two episodes each. Episodes 1 and 2 are set to debut on June 16th, while the remaining episodes will be released every two weeks. Therefore, episodes 3 and 4 will debut on June 30th, with episodes 5 and 6 debuting on July 14. The theatrical releases in Pakistan will somewhat line up with Disney Plus' streaming schedule. This is probably to prevent leaks from happening since Pakistani theaters will only be able to view episodes that have already been released on Disney Plus.
South Asians are so non-existent within the MCU that audiences of the same community that they are representing don’t even have the option to access Disney Plus, let alone see themselves reflected on the big screen. Featuring new breakout star Iman Vellani as the titular heroine, Ms. Marvel follows a teenager named Kamala whose wildest dreams start to come to fruition when she suddenly acquires superpowers. Kamala just so happens to be an avid gamer geek, the ultimate fan-fiction fanatic, and to top it all off, a massive superhero fan.
However, she usually reserves the world of magic to solely exist within her daydreams, never once believing that it could one day be her own reality. Kamala's racial and cultural identity makes her feel completely isolated from her peers. To the outside world, she feels invisible and out of place no matter where she roams. That is until Kamala Khan gains powers quite similar to the iconic superhero she looks up to. Throughout the series, she realizes her own inner strength and secret weapon lies in what makes her unique, what sets her apart from the rest.
Ms. Marvel will resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of place and alone, but it’s without a doubt a love letter to all the brown girls who were labelled comic book nerds or superhero geeks, with imaginations as limitless as the sky. The series is set to explore Kamala's Pakistani heritage quite deeply throughout her journey towards self-discovery. In order to honor the Pakistani representation that Ms. Marvel possesses, Marvel Studios made sure to bring artists on board who were also members of the South Asian community, most notably series director Obaid-Chinoy. This is an incredibly long overdue, pivotal moment for South Asian women, Muslim women, and brown women - to be seen for all their inner magic and wisdom.
Ms. Marvel will premiere on Disney Plus on June 8, 2022.
Source: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy/Instagram